The event industry has evolved dramatically over the last few years, and hosting a conference now requires a fresh approach. 

Anthony Kennada, founder of AudiencePlus and a seasoned event marketer, took on the challenge of organizing a first-time conference—Goldenhour—in 2024. He quickly realized:

"Hosting a first-time conference in 2024 feels like everything has changed from what I thought I knew about planning events for years."

In this article, we cover the valuable lessons Anthony drew from his Goldenhour experience.

Generating program revenue is much harder

One of the most striking challenges Anthony encountered was generating program revenue. Traditional methods that worked well in the past were no longer effective. 

For instance, tactics like early bird pricing and creating urgency through limited-time offers did not yield the expected results. As Anthony pointed out:

"We found that over a quarter of all tickets were sold in the last seven days. Almost half of our tickets sold in the last 14 days."

This indicates a change in attendee behavior, where decisions are made much closer to the event date. Anthony and his team had to adapt by relying less on email-driven campaigns and more on platforms like LinkedIn—leveraging influencers and speakers and creating a constant buzz online.

People don’t travel just for content anymore

Content alone is no longer a sufficient draw to attract attendees to your event. Anthony observed that attendees expect online access to keynotes and sessions later, making it harder to convince them to attend in person solely for the content. 

"There had to be a compelling reason for someone to block out their calendar for the day or book a flight and travel to be there beyond just watching content."

To address this, the event focused heavily on creating an exclusive, memorable in-person experience. From selecting a unique venue in Brooklyn to organizing happy hours and immersive networking opportunities, the team emphasized the human side of events. 

Including entertainment elements, such as a musical performance by Lindsey Stirling, also added to the experiential appeal.

Create FOMO with a dedicated virtual experience

Creating a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) became crucial for engaging those who didn’t attend in person. By designing a digital-first experience that included live commentary and behind-the-scenes content, the team successfully extended the event's impact far beyond the physical attendees.

"We made the decision in year one to broadcast to LinkedIn Live. Our idea was that we wanted the world to see what was happening at Goldenhour."

The result? A significant online audience not only watched the event but also contributed to building brand equity and anticipation for future events.

Extend ROI with post-event content drops

The final lesson Anthony highlighted was the importance of extending the event’s return on investment (ROI) well beyond the conference. The team achieved this by strategically planning and creating content during the event.

This content was slowly released over time, with new sessions being promoted weekly. This approach not only kept the audience engaged but also contributed to a significant increase in subscribers, leading to measurable business outcomes.

"Events offer incredible moments to actually create compelling content—beyond customer testimonials and on-site studios.”

Planning and hosting a first-time conference in 2024 is wildly different from what it was just a few years ago. 

From rethinking revenue generation strategies to creating FOMO and extending ROI post-event, these lessons are invaluable for organizing conferences in the current landscape. As Anthony's experience shows, the key to success lies in being adaptable, creative, and strategic in every aspect of event planning.

Watch the complete video session for more insights.