Here is part 1 of my week-long discussion, insights, and coaching on exploring how to make summits higher quality, with a greater value that generates revenue that brings in quality speakers and a crowd of people.
Good afternoon. Welcome back. It's the Trigger, Rich Bontrager, with 2pm Live with the Trigger. I was off all last week hosting a summit, which is why the conversation all this week is gonna be about - SUMMITS
Today is part one and every day, this week and I want to hear your comments, your feedback, your input on chats, from the chat box on whatever platform you're on and we're on multiple platforms here today. I would love to hear your thoughts on summits, virtual summits.
We're gonna get serious about summits all week long by getting really deeply into how to have better summits.
Last week, I spent five days two hours every day, hosting, producing, interviewing on the Stand Out Summit and it got me thinking about how we can do better.
When I talk to people about going to a summit, more and more. I'm hearing that the value of summits is not good. I'm hearing that the speaker experts are really not experts. "We're not willing to pay for because it should just be free content," and the list goes on and on and on.
What do you think about Summits?
I am too busy to attend
I like to speak at summits
I've attended some great ones but most are sales pitchfests
I think summits are a great way to learn new things
I'm really curious about what you think about summits. If you've been to a summit and it was a home run after home run. Tell me about it. If you've been to summits where it was a bait and switch and we've all been to them. I've hosted them, not that I knew it was gonna be and in the middle of it I realised, I'm working with a bait and switch situation.
I would love to get into this more because I believe in summits. I have fun doing summits I think they're a great way to get conversations get content to grow. I also think there's ways to do it and some of the ones I've been a part of and I'm sure some of the ones that you've been a part of.
I'd really be interested today to hear about what makes a great summit
Stop Selling Summits as Expert Only
I think part of the struggle with summits is everyone says it's a great summit great incredible awesome leaders. These are experts in their field - I call timeout.
Not every summit has great experts, great leaders. They're just not that way. They aren't the top echelon people every time because most top people are doing their own events at a big ticket. Live in person or hybrid. They're not always popping up on your events. Now I have been privileged. This week will be another one opportunities I'm going to be involved with another summit I'll be co hosting producing with Sandra Robertson. She is a high level high power female leader
I get to work with people like Jim Cathcart, who is a won every award for public speaking in the world. an exaggeration he has written over 32 books. Yes travelled the globe on stages everywhere. Sold out arenas.
I can say I've worked with them and I've also been on summits where no, they're not there, not worth the hype that has been sold.
Part of the premise I think when it comes to summits is let's be transparent and let's be honest, the calibre of speakers of the panels of the experts, and where they're maybe some of our summits should have our A listeners. Probably a good Summit is going to have two, maybe three, top A list people who are experts in their field.
I've gone to summits where they intentionally put a rock star in the beginning and they put a rock star at the end and they'll put rocks or somewhere in the middle of the summit. So it's like a roller coaster going up and down between and it keeps your intention and you get what you pay for.
Be Transparent about Summit Speakers Abilities
What if we start off by saying here are the A listers?
These are the platinum, the gold rock stars and what have we literally said and you're being transparent with people you're bringing on
You have the next level. These aren't just the experts. These are not Hall of Famers. These are not all star rock stars, but they are experts in their niche in their space. What are we tearing it off that way said here are those people on the route the other part of it what a level three is?
There's an up and comers. At one point we were all moving up and up and trying to make a name for ourselves and there's nothing wrong with that. Hear me out. There's nothing wrong with any one of these levels. Let's all be honest about the people we have on our events and a level the at. So when you buy a ticket, you know what you're buying.
We'll say here's what we have the different levels of different capacities. And then you would do away with all the catchphrases and all the buzzwords that nobody believes anymore anyway.
If you want to make a sustainable movement, sustainable projects and if you want to have summit that will draw people let's be honest about the presenters, and let's get serious about what this summit is.
When you come to the summit, we can't be all things all people.
I really really really would like to see summits take on one subject matter instead of being a catch all for everybody.
The old saying the aim for nothing you get nothing that bears in summits that you cover every subject on on social media, every subject on presentation. Pick one subject and literally be that thing inside and out, rip it up there and apart, put it back together again.
People would be more interested in someone that they know they're going to peel back the onion deeper and deeper.
So let's present who we have properly. Let's present who we have with a topic and matter. We're gonna talk about that this week.
What I Want from a Summit
I really want you to think about summits. My own summits, I want these to stick I want these to be of value. I want these to really make an impact.
They're unbelievable. The content, the takeaways, the PDF, the workbooks, all of these went into a killer Summit. I also have had gotten printed out and currently no thought there was no energy. There's nothing of value.
I come from the approach of if you're gonna do a lead magnet, if you're gonna do something where you're bringing a collective of people around everyone in that collective needs provide great content, takeaways, days of coming to his summit and not having something new for your utility are long, long gone.
We ask people to be in our summits. We ask people because their name of book because of the collection of likes and followers and fans and all their email list. I think part of creating summits is those people who need to bring their best lead magnet to the table..
The last one we did this last week, the Stand Out Summit. We are literally making a book content live from the event and we're making a book of other things and it's all the different content providers.
Shannon Peel by the way, Shannon Peel did a great job. We're gonna have a book launch party for this amazing content. So it's not just in the moment of content
Summits are a powerful, powerful thing to amplify your brand your authority. You can help and scale and help other people.
No one wants to have a bad Summit. Let's fix it. Let's have great discussions on what do you want out of the summit?
I want you to literally take these ideas and create super dynamic on target summits not worthless overly used catchphrases. I want you to start succeeding. I want you to be able to put $100 on his summit that's worth coming for $200. Yes, virtually summit worth coming to t $200. I want you to be able to do that.
We're all trying to create great stuff. We're all trying to make it impact and grow our brands and grow our careers. Let’s make a pact to start off this project this week. Not a single one of us host another free summit ever again. We're giving away content. We're giving away talent, hours, and resources invested time are asking everyone to do this for free.
What if we literally said there will be a price to come to my summit and as we do these better, and better, and better - ticket prices will go up and you'll actually make solid revenue from summits. We'll be able to hire more talent because we have a revenue funnel to come into. We will be able to hire producers like myself to come in and help you.
I'm here to help you make that part of your funnel part of media and so rich, so amazing. Stop doing horrible summits.
Let's do greater better things in 2023
I'm really excited to be talking on this. I know I may offend some of you. I'm okay with it. No, I may challenge some of you bring it on. I know we I'm gonna have you jump in the chat box and say what if, what if, what if? Right, let's do that this week.
Live at 2pm here with the Trigger. If you have any questions on this, I would love to hear from you. I'll be back tomorrow at 2pm As we read from the mailbox, people's comments and thoughts on how to have better summits in 2023 until tomorrow on the Trigger Rich Bontrager I look forward to connecting with you. Have a great day and we'll see you at 2pm
#summits #virtualevents #publicspeakers
