E98: Rooms Change Businesses…But Only If You’re Intentional

Are business events actually worth it...or are we just saying yes because everyone else is going?

In this episode of Dream Business, Dream Life, I’m sharing an honest and open conversation about business events...from both sides of the room. As an event host and as an attendee, I’ve seen the pressure, the FOMO, the overwhelm and the noise that comes with trying to be “visible” in every space.

If you’re an overwhelmed business owner wondering:

• Which events should I attend?
• How do I know if an event will give me ROI?
• How do I sell tickets to my own event in a crowded market?
• Do people really buy tickets because of the speakers?
• Am I meant to be in every room?

This episode will help you slow down, get intentional and rethink your event strategy.

We talk about:

• How to measure real return on investment (ROI) from events
• Why you don’t need to be everywhere
• The difference between visibility and connection
• Why people really buy tickets
• How to attend events strategically
• How to host events that people actually want to attend

Whether you’re attending business networking events, hosting your own event, or feeling overwhelmed by how many rooms you “should” be in this episode will help you make smarter, more intentional decisions.

Because rooms can change your business…but only if you walk into them with purpose.

Want to connect? Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamemmahine

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-hine

Website:  https://www.emmahine.co.uk

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaHineStrategy

Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s episode of Dream Business, Dream Life.

Today I want to talk to you about events. And this genuinely isn’t a sales episode, it’s not me trying to persuade you to come to my event, it’s just an honest brain dump about my experience of events over the last few years…both as someone who hosts them and as someone who attends them.

Because if I’m honest, events feel like a lot right now.

There are so many. You could literally be at something every single day of the week if you wanted to. And whilst I absolutely love that people are seeing the value of being in the room again, it also feels noisy and a bit overwhelming.

Which ones do you go to?
 Will someone be offended if you don’t go to theirs?
 How do you justify the cost?
 How do you sell tickets when there are three or four other events happening the same week?

And if you’re also an event host, how do you make it profitable? How do you stand out? How do you make sure people actually buy?

There’s a lot of energy around events at the moment.

And this year one of my biggest goals in terms of visibility is to be in more rooms…but not just any room. I’m not interested in being able to say “I was there.” I’m interested in being in rooms that actually move the needle for me.

And that has taken me a while to really get clear on.

I’ve been in big, busy rooms before and walked away feeling completely overwhelmed. Not because they weren’t good events, not because the speakers weren’t brilliant, but because I hadn’t really stopped to ask myself why I was going in the first place. I’d said yes because everyone else was going. Because I didn’t want to miss out. Because I thought I should be there.

And that energy feels very different to walking into a room knowing exactly why you’re there.

You could attend an event as a sponsor, a speaker, an exhibitor or simply as an attendee, and every single one of those roles has value…but only if you are clear what the value is for you. And that might be different at every event.

For me now, before I book anything, I always ask myself one simple question: does this event move me closer to my goal?

And I really sit with that.

If the answer is no, then I don’t go.
 If the answer is maybe, I explore it more.
 If the answer is yes, then I will move heaven and earth to make it happen.

Because ROI doesn’t just mean signing a client in the room. It could be a collaboration, a conversation that opens a door six months down the line, deepening relationships with people you’ve only ever spoken to online, or simply getting clarity on your next step. But you have to know what you’re looking for.

Hope is not a strategy.

Just turning up and thinking “let’s see what happens” is very different to being intentional.

I’m never the person running around grabbing loads of selfies just so I can post them on stories and show that I was there. And listen, I’m not knocking it at all. Visibility is important and I actually wish I remembered to take more photos. But a story lasts 24 hours. A real relationship lasts a lot longer than that.

Did you just grab the selfie and move on? Or did you actually have a proper conversation? Did you intentionally choose who you wanted to connect with, or did you veer towards your comfort zone and spend the whole day chatting to the people you already know?

And again, I love catching up with my friends at events… ut I could do that anywhere. That’s not why I’m in that room.

If there are specific people I want to speak to, I don’t just hope our paths cross. I’ll send a message beforehand. I’ll arrange to grab five minutes with them. I’ll be intentional about it. Because you can go to an event with a thousand people and still only properly speak to ten. You can go to an event with ten people and speak to all of them. Size doesn’t automatically equal impact.

And this is important if you’re overwhelmed.

If you love big rooms, go to big rooms. If they energise you and you thrive in that environment, brilliant. But if they drain you, if you come home exhausted and wondering what you actually got from it, then it’s okay to choose smaller, more intimate spaces instead.

You do not need to be everywhere.

Your clients are not sat there offended because you didn’t attend their event. Your friends and mentors are not keeping score. And equally, if you host events, you cannot sulk if people don’t come to yours. We are all making strategic decisions based on what we need right now.

And that brings me to hosting.

Because I speak to so many business owners who are hosting events and feeling the pressure. Pressure to sell out. Pressure to have the right speakers. Pressure to compete with what’s happening the same week.

And here’s something I’ve really noticed over the last few years… people aren’t just coming for a specific speaker. They’re coming for the whole experience. The vibe, the conversations, the inclusivity, the feeling they get when they look back at that day.

I’ve had some incredible speakers at my events. Genuinely some of the best in the online space. And hand on heart, across six events, I have never once seen a spike in ticket sales when speakers were announced.

Never.

Because people aren’t buying information anymore. There is information everywhere. They are buying connection, belonging, transformation. They are buying the room.

Which means as hosts we have to listen. People don’t want to just be spoken at for eight hours. They want tangible takeaways. They want space to talk. They want to feel seen. They want to know their time and money has been respected.

That’s why my event is evolving this year. Yes, we will still have speakers, but there will be workshops and much more time to actually connect, because that is what my audience are telling me they want.

And whether you’re hosting or attending, there is one thing I always do.

I set two intentions before I walk into any room.

I will speak to at least one person I have never spoken to before.
 And I will leave with one action that I will actually implement.

Not write in a notebook and forget about. Actually Implement.

That’s how I measure ROI.

Because at the end of the day, it is your responsibility to extract value from that room. Not the speaker’s. Not the host’s. Yours.

You can sit at the back and say “that wasn’t worth it.” Or you can decide before you even walk in how you’re going to make it worth it.

I love events. I love hosting them and I love attending them. But both roles come with responsibility and intention.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the noise, take a breath. You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be in the right rooms for you, at the right time, for the right reasons.

So the big question is… where will I see you this year?

The Growth Event… maybe.

Thank you so much for listening, and I’ll see you next time.