When I decided to host my first virtual summit, “From Chaos to Control: Mastering the Art of a Culinary Business,” I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought, “Hey, how hard could it be? I’ll just gather some experts, talk about streamlining and creating systems, and voila! Instant success.”
Boy was I unaware! So if you find yourself wanting to start your own virtual summit, hopefully, these takeaways will be helpful!
Lesson #1: Technology is not your friend.
As we all know, technology has a mind of its own. During our first live session, the audio decided to take a vacation, leaving our viewers with a view of our panelists mouthing words in silence. Luckily for me, I had my team member on hand to help with the technical difficulties. So remember- ALWAYS have someone on standby to help.
Lesson #2: Don’t let time limit the learning!
I had grand plans of sticking to a strict schedule, but our experts were beyond knowledgeable, and I couldn’t limit them. Give yourself some grace with the timing. While a schedule is important, the learning should always take center stage.
Lesson #3: Marketing mishaps happen.
I learned the hard way that even the most well-intentioned marketing efforts can go awry. While preparing promotional materials, I decided to wear my favorite “butter” shirt to showcase my love for all things culinary. However, my hair had other plans and decided to cover the “-er” part of the word, leaving me with a shirt that simply read “butt.” It wasn’t until after I shared these pictures with my marketing team that I realized I had inadvertently created a cheeky marketing campaign. On the bright side, it certainly got my team laughing!
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Lesson #4: The power of community.
The most valuable lesson I learned from this summit was the incredible power of community. Bringing together experts and passionate individuals in the culinary world created a stage for collaboration, support, and shared knowledge.
While it may not have gone exactly as planned, my first virtual summit was a success. With dozens of attendees, and an incredible panel of speakers, it was an unforgettable experience that taught me valuable lessons I’ll carry with me into the next one!
Want to watch the replay? Get access for free here!