A formal conference ticket isn't necessary to extract significant value. The ecosystem of events, vendor lounges, and networking dinners surrounding a major conference like Dreamforce offers just as many opportunities for learning and connection as the official sessions, often in more intimate and accessible settings.

Unlike most conferences, Comms Hero deliberately avoids sponsorships to protect the integrity of the event. This ensures the focus remains on learning and networking, without pressure to generate leads for sponsors. The only things attendees "buy" are knowledge and relationships.

Unlike media companies that must run profitable events, many B2B tech companies operate their large conferences at a substantial loss. This is a strategic marketing investment in brand and pipeline, a model that is difficult for smaller firms to replicate.

Instead of focusing on immediate ROI, structure events to foster genuine connections and goodwill ("karma"). This builds a stronger, more resilient brand over time, even if it means creating opportunities for competitors by inviting them.

In a world dominated by remote work, personal, in-person interactions have an outsized impact on digital reputation. The speaker treats event mingling not as a social nicety but as a core business strategy to create lasting connections that translate directly into how people perceive the brand online.

The most valuable, long-term relationships at conferences are not made during official sessions but in informal settings like dinners or excursions. Actively inviting people to these outside activities is key to building deeper connections that last for years.

Professional speaker Jess Ekstrom notes that audience size does not correlate with speaking fees. Some of her most lucrative engagements have been for intimate groups of 12, while massive arena talks have paid nothing. The value delivered to the specific audience, not the crowd size, determines the fee.

The most important part of a specialized conference isn't the talks, which are typically recorded, but the 'hallway track'—the unstructured conversations with speakers and other expert attendees. Maximizing this value requires intentionality and a clear goal for engagement, as these serendipitous connections are the primary reason to attend in person.

Top-tier event programmers, like those at CES, prioritize finding the best speakers and deepest experts in a field, then build the program around them. To get selected, focus on establishing and proving your authentic, deep expertise in one specific niche, rather than just pitching a topic.