What's Up Strategists!

Happy New Year !

We aren’t easing into 2026; we’re sprinting.

I’ve spent the last few days in the lab with the Virtual Summiteers and we came to a startling conclusion: Most event tech stacks are built like hospitals.

Think about it. When you walk into a hospital, they have a "Knowledge Graph" of your entire history—your name, your allergies, your previous visits. They don't treat you like a stranger.

But your virtual events do.

Every time your attendees log in, your tech stack asks "Who are you?" all over again. You are building digital noise instead of architecture.

Why I’m reaching out to you today: Because you’re a subscriber to The Virtual Event Edge (Did you know that, that's the name of this email newsletter?), you know I don't do "fluff." To hit our $120,000 revenue goals this year, we have to stop using "Duct Tape" and start using Intelligence.

I’ve moved the "Deep Dives" to a new home called Event Intelligence.Here is what you need to do this week:

1. Read the Jan 2nd Session "Roast": I deconstructed why our first session of the year was a reality check for everyone in the room.
2. Join us live for Automating the Event Lifecycle (Jan 9th): As founders, our time is our most expensive asset. Today, we’re mapping out the tech stack that moves an attendee from "Registered" to "Retained" without you lifting a finger.If you want to be in the room, grab your January Pass here.
3. Claim your "Vault" access: Starting next week, I’m unlocking the Implementation Vault on Substack. This is where the actual JSON prompts and Zakia Ringgold’s architecture maps live.

I’m grateful to have you on this list. Let’s make 2026 the year we stop "hosting" and start "executing."

See you in the room,

*Keep Moving Forward!   Ericka BatesDigital Transformation Strategist | Virtual Event Producer | Facilitator of The Virtual Summiteers, Talk Virtual [email protected] The Virtual Summiteers  Join our community Get The Edge, Join Talk Virtual's newsletter!  Practical tips for SaaS founders + digital pros who want better leads from virtual events.

P.S.

If you’re wondering if your current attendee experience feels more like a VIP masterclass or a janky science project... we’re doing a live session on Automating the Event Lifecycle this Friday. Come get your stack roasted (and fixed).