Hey ,

Let me ask you something slightly uncomfortable:

If you disappeared for 48 hours…

would your summit keep running?

Or would everything screech to a dramatic halt like WiFi during a live keynote?

Yeah. That’s what we unpacked in our latest Virtual Summit Strategy Session — and whew, it was equal parts CEO clarity and loving intervention.

Here’s what went down:

🎤 Speaker Acquisition Is Still the Boss Battle

Finding speakers continues to be the #1 pain point.

Low response rates.

Endless follow-ups.

Inbox tumbleweeds.

But here’s the plot twist:

Most organizers are leading with process instead of value.

Speakers don’t wake up thinking,

“I hope someone sends me a detailed onboarding workflow today.”

They’re asking:

• Who’s the audience?
• How does this grow my authority?
• What’s in it for me?

Are you answering that clearly — or making them dig for it?

🎥 Hybrid Events Are Winning (When Done Right)

The sweet spot?

Pre-recorded content for polish.

Live Q&A for connection.

You get:

• Cleaner delivery
• Fewer tech meltdowns
• Real-time engagement

The question becomes:

Are you designing for audience experience… or just hoping the tech behaves?

🤖 Automation vs. “But I Like Doing It Myself”

We asked everyone:

If you stepped away for 48 hours, would your marketing continue?

Some said yes (automation in place).

Some said… not so much.

Scheduled emails, content automation, delegated tasks

— these are the difference between:

Running a business

and

Being the business.

And let’s be clear — authenticity matters.

But burnout is not a marketing strategy.

📋 SOPs: Write Them. Use Them. Stop Ignoring Them.

We talked systems.

Real ones.

Standard Operating Procedures that:

• Protect your margins
• Make delegation possible
• Turn chaos into repeatability

But here’s the roast:

Having beautifully written SOPs you never use

is like owning a treadmill you hang laundry on.

Consistency scales. Memory does not.

Are you running your summit like a CEO — or improvising like open mic night?

💰 The CEO Audit: Is That Task Making Money?

Every task must answer one of these:

• Does this drive ticket sales?
• Does this attract sponsors?
• Does this support high-ticket upsells?

If not?

It might be busy work dressed up as productivity.

Color-coding your project board for 3 hours feels productive.

But does it close revenue?

Be honest.

⚙️ The 30-Day System Sprint

Here’s the framework we mapped out:

Week 1 — Audit everything

Week 2 — Build/refine SOPs

Week 3 — Automate workflows

Week 4 — Delegate (yes, the scary part)

Because the real growth edge isn’t more hustle.

It’s better systems.

🌍 What’s Next: Polychannel & Global Strategy

We’re moving beyond “hybrid.”

The future?

Distributed, global, polychannel experiences that serve audiences across time zones and platforms — equally.

Not just events.

Ecosystems.

So here’s your reflection for the week:

Are you building single summits…

Or long-term audience infrastructure?

If your business depends entirely on you showing up every minute…

It’s time to build the machine.

See You Next Friday, Live or You can read the recap on Monday.

Let’s upgrade the system.

With love (and a little sass),

*Keep Moving Forward!

Ericka Bates

P.S.

This week, run the 48-hour test in your head. The answer will tell you exactly what to fix next. Remember: Applied Knowledge Is Power!