69. Behind my first virtual event: the format, the results, the tech, and what I'd do differently

Running a virtual event that people actually engage with from start to finish is something a lot of small business owners dream about, and spend way too long sitting on.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the Retention Games, my first out-of-the-box virtual event that featured 19 speakers, a crowd voting format, and physical contestant cards.

If you've been thinking about hosting your own standout event and want a real, honest look at what's involved, this one's for you.

What we cover:

• What made the Retention Games format so different from a standard virtual summit
• The results, including reach, list growth, podcast impact, and a conversion rate I'm genuinely happy with
• The tech stack I used (mostly tools I already owned)
• Why and how Airtable basically ran the whole event on autopilot
• What attendees and speakers loved and the honest feedback I'm taking on board
• The popularity contest misconception the numbers totally debunk (full reveal in the Retention Lab debrief on 19 June!)
• Whether I'd do it again (spoiler: absolutely) and what the 2027 edition might look like

Tools I mentioned (some affiliate links):

Showit

Thrivecart

Airtable

Blockbuilder

GoBrunch

Convertbox

Hotjar

View the episode transcript here.

Where to from here?

Grab the State of the Customer Report FREE right here.

Generate 10 tailored-to-you survey questions FREE right here.

Join Retention Lab🧪, the community to help you b uild a signature customer experience that keeps people coming back, gets them talking and grows your business without you having to start from scratch every single month .  Join here!

Find out how you can get my strategic customer experience brain on your brand here .

Check out my favourite CX tools and resources here.

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