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 summitThe results, including reach, list growth, podcast impact, and a conversion rate I'm genuinely happy withThe tech stack I used (mostly tools I already owned)Why and how Airtable basically ran the whole event on autopilotWhat attendees and speakers loved and the honest feedback I'm taking on boardThe 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 likeTools I mentioned (some affiliate links):ShowitThrivecartAirtableBlockbuilderGoBrunchConvertboxHotjarView the episode transcript here.Where to from here?Join Retention Lab🧪, the community to help you build 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.😍 Love the show?Hit subscribe or follow so you never miss a new episode.Submit your question so I can answer it in an upcoming episode (or invite the perfect guest expert!).Leave a positive review to help the show get found by more small business owners just like you. To leave a review:👉 Find What Would They Do? on Apple Podcasts👉 Scroll to ‘Ratings & Reviews’👉 Tap on the stars to rate the show before writing a reviewPost a screenshot with your key takeaway on your IG story and tag me @candocontent and #WWTDpod so I can repost your content.