The Value Of Live Events
October 26, 2024
It seems like everyone is doing live events lately. Network marketing companies have been doing them for decades. Everyone who has a software platform (SaaS companies), and coaches of all types are hosting conferences, trade shows, workshops and seminars, and large annual conventions/conferences.
The live event has gained a huge amount of popularity in the post covid world where people grew tired of virtual events. Virtual events are still a popular low cost alternative for both the host and the attendee. A lot of events are doing a hybrid version where you can attend live or buy a virtual ticket. BUT, and this is a big but, there is no comparison to an actual live event where you can meet the speakers, get face to face with other people in business, and network.
This past week(yesterday) my wife and I hosted our annual live leadership event in west Texas. This is a small event with 50 to 100 people attending. But there is great value even in a small event. As the host of the event you have the opportunity to show a room full of business people what you do and how well you do it. There is always the potential to generate new business.
Learn And Grow
As the attendee or as the host it is a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow. While you are learning and growing you have the opportunity to meet and get to know new people that you could potentially bring into your inner circle or your sphere of influence.
During our event I observed many people making new friends and business contacts, and exploring new business opportunities. These are almost always good quality connections.
Every time we host one of these events in the two weeks leading up to it I always tell my wife we are NOT doing another one of these after this one. It’s a lot of work that takes time away from normal business activities. That explains why this newsletter is a few hours late this week. But once the event happens we always step back and look at how well it went and decide maybe it’s not so bad. We learn how to improve every time we do one.
Attending?
If you are sitting on the fence about whether or not to attend a live event let me give you some encouragement. Go ahead and do it as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons. Invest in yourself, go to the event and learn everything you can and meet people who will be a positive influence on you and your business. If it’s a multi-day event and the event is taking place in a hotel stay in that hotel. Most of the people attending will be staying there and there will always be socializing and networking after the days activities are over. If you stay in the cheap hotel down the street to save a buck you will lose a lot more than you save. Have an abundance mindset when you attend these events.
Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Another value of a live event is it can chip away at your comfort zone. You will have to step out of your comfort zone at various point during the day. As I often say, your comfort zone is your enemy. Here is another chance to kick it to the side and grow beyond it. There is nothing to fear. This is one place where it’s completely normal to walk up to someone and put your hand out to shakes hands and introduce yourself. Could be a random person or someone you have intentionally targeted to meet. Don’t worry about your fears. Nine-tenths of them are not real!