#833 55 People Gave Our Last Event a 10/10. Here’s How We Did It [Free Checklist]
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode explores how to turn events into powerful business drivers beyond just hosting conferences. Dan Andrews and Alex Harling, Senior Community Manager at Dynamite Circle, break down event monetization strategies and operational excellence based on their experience running events that achieved perfect 10/10 scores and record-high NPS ratings. (02:48)
- Core focus: Events as sticky marketing channels, retention tools, and revenue generators for any business type
Speakers
Dan Andrews
Dan is the co-founder of Tropical MBA and runs Dynamite Circle, a community for location-independent entrepreneurs. He has been hosting business events for over 12 years and specializes in helping entrepreneurs build scalable, profitable businesses from anywhere in the world.
Alex Harling
Alex Harling is the Senior Community Manager at Dynamite Circle and DC Black, specializing in event management and community building. Since joining the team in 2018 and transitioning fully to community management in 2023, he has orchestrated numerous high-rated events, including their recent Bangkok event that achieved a perfect 10/10 rating from 55 attendees.
Key Takeaways
Events Work as Marketing Channels for Any Business
Events create exceptional stickiness for brands because in-person interactions are inherently more memorable and valuable than digital touchpoints. (03:08) Whether it's a customer onboarding session, sales call, or full conference, the principles remain the same. Alex emphasizes that events can range from intimate 5-person dinners to 200+ person conferences, and all benefit from the same foundational leadership principles. The key insight is that most businesses underutilize events as a channel, but there are few companies that wouldn't benefit from some form of gathering for partners, customers, or prospects.
Engineer Connection Before, During, and After
The event experience must start the moment someone registers, not when they arrive. (32:58) Alex explains that selling tickets six months in advance is ideal for planning, but if you provide no engagement during those months, you'll face refund requests. Successful events create immediate value through onboarding emails, WhatsApp groups, virtual meetups, attendee lists, and clear expectations about what's coming. This pre-event connection reduces anxiety and ensures attendees walk into the room with friendly faces already identified.
Design for Energy, Not Just Information
The biggest mistake event organizers make is cramming too much content into their schedule to appear valuable. (37:12) Alex's hard rule: keep presentations under 20 minutes unless delivered by someone who can truly command attention for longer periods. Their successful format allocates 60-minute blocks with 20 minutes of presentation, 20 minutes of Q&A, and 20 minutes of networking time. This approach prevents attendee burnout and makes the "hallway track" a feature, not a bug. The focus should be on setting the table for future connections and learning, not delivering complete concepts in one session.
Overcommunicate and Simplify Everything
Event attendees never unsubscribe from event communications because they genuinely want to know what's happening. (43:38) Dan notes that event emails achieve 90% open rates – something most businesses never see. The strategy involves multiple communication channels (email, WhatsApp, event apps, forums) with daily reminders, including 7AM emails on event days that reiterate the entire day's schedule. This level of communication creates calm through clarity and allows attendees to focus on the experience rather than logistics.
Apply Event Leadership Principles to All Business Interactions
The principles of successful event management translate directly to sales calls, webinars, customer onboarding, and even personal gatherings. (48:08) Dan emphasizes that every business interaction is essentially an event – a shared experience where someone needs to provide leadership, set expectations, manage energy, and guide participants toward a valuable outcome. Whether hosting a dinner party or conducting a sales call, the same principles apply: establish clear purpose, communicate expectations, manage the flow, and ensure every participant knows why they're there and what they'll gain.
Statistics & Facts
- 55 attendees gave their Bangkok event a perfect 10 out of 10 rating, achieving their highest NPS score ever. (02:06) This demonstrates the effectiveness of their systematic approach to event management.
- Event emails achieve 90% open rates, compared to typical business email open rates which are much lower. (44:33) This shows how engaged event attendees become when proper communication strategies are implemented.
- Their upcoming New York event ticket price is $1,700, but they invest $1,700-$2,200 per attendee back into the experience. (19:25) This illustrates their "Costco method" of making margins on membership while reinvesting ticket revenue into attendee value.
