Maximalist vs Minimalist Virtual Summits & Events: Which Is Right For Your Small Business
If you’ve ever looked at a giant online summit and thought, “Okay, but how on earth would I pull that off with my tiny team (or just… me)?” you’re not alone.
But lucky for you, I’ve been seeing behind the scenes that the big, overstuffed, overly complicated events just aren’t working like they used to. And making money - or getting meaningful results - with a summit isn’t as simple as it once was.
The big, complicated virtual event model isn’t the easy money it once was
There was a time when you could host a huge virtual conference, stack it with big names, open the doors, add a community element, throw in an upsell pass, and watch the numbers roll in.
It could mean hundreds of thousands in revenue. It could mean massive list growth. It was a whole thing.
That is just not the reality anymore.
Yes, a few people still make it work, but pay attention to who they are. They usually have:
large existing audiences,
established communities,
big teams,
big ad budgets,
and they’ve often been running events for years.
That’s not “better strategy.” That’s a totally different level of resourcing.
For the average small business owner, especially if you’re solo or supported by a small team, the “massive event with all the bells and whistles” approach often creates a specific kind of heartbreak. You pour in countless hours, buckets of energy, and way too many sleepless nights, then you feel disappointed behind the scenes when the results don’t match the hype you were sold.
When I zoom out, I see three common pitfalls that tend to create that disappointment:
Overstuffing the event: You add every feature you’ve seen other people use, even if it doesn’t fit your audience or your energy.
Paying with your nervous system: The event runs, but you feel fried, scattered, and done with the whole idea of “visibility” for months after.
Chasing the wrong goalposts: You expect results set by people who are not playing the same game.
None of that means events “don’t work.” It means we need to be smarter, simpler, and more honest about what success looks like for a small business.
What small, collaborative events can realistically do for your business
When I talk about events that work for small businesses, I’m not talking about tens of thousands of sign-ups or a million-dollar brand moment.
I’m talking about real wins you can actually build on.
One of the most consistent results I see from aligned collaborative events is list growth that feels substantial, but not impossible. With enough collaborators who are a good fit, and a topic that matches what your audience already wants, it’s very reachable to add 200, 300, even 500 people to your email list.
That kind of growth matters. It gives you momentum.
It also sets you up for something I care about even more: using your event to prime your next launch, so your next offer doesn’t have to rely on the same old “webinar and hope” routine.
Audiences are savvy now. They know a lot of webinars are just sales calls with a PowerPoint. So people show up less, pay less attention, and drop off faster.
An event feels different because it is different. You’re giving free value first, you’re creating an experience people can enjoy as a standalone experience, and you’re letting them spend time with you (and your collaborators) before you ever ask them to buy.
And that’s where the conversation about monetizing events gets interesting, because the smartest way to make money from events is not always the most obvious one.
If you build the event as the relationship-building phase, you can sell in a way that feels natural after, without pushing.
The event is the introduction, the launch is where you sell
This is the behind-the-scenes shift I want more people to make.
When we try to sell too much during the introduction, we turn people off. When we treat the event like the introduction it’s meant to be, we create space for trust and attention to build.
I’m not anti-money. I love money. Money pays for groceries. Money keeps the lights on. Money lets you take a nap when your body needs it.
But I am deeply skeptical of the idea that you need to aggressively focus on monetizing events the second someone walks in the door.
That approach tends to trade short-term cash for long-term trust.
Here’s the simplest way I can explain it.
Think about shopping for clothes. If a sales assistant jumps on you the second you walk in, pushing a deal, you want to leave. If you get time to browse, if the music is nice and not blasting, if you don’t feel rushed, you stay longer, you relax, and you’re more likely to buy.
That’s the buying experience I want your event to create!
Smaller events, the ones most small businesses are actually capable of running well, are perfect for this. You can make them feel personal. You can tailor the sessions to what your people genuinely want and need right now. You can create real value without the frantic “and here’s my pitch!” energy hanging over every moment.
Then, when you do invite people into a paid offer, it doesn’t feel weird or pushy. It feels like the next step.
And you also get to sell your own offers, not just rely on an all-access pass or a sponsorship model. That matters if you want your business to be sustainable even if you don’t want to run events forever.
Think of your event as a movie premiere (not the whole movie)
This is the mental model I come back to again and again.
Your event is the premiere. It’s the buzz-builder. It’s the occasion that gets people excited, engaged, and paying attention.
Your launch is the theatrical release, the thing most people will actually buy.
Most people don’t go to the premiere, but the premiere gets them talking. It sets the tone. It gives them a taste of what the full experience will be like.
That’s the job of your collaborative event.
This softer, more minimalist approach is also a much better fit for heart-led, mission-driven, values-driven businesses.
If you’re a coach, a service provider, or someone who supports people around sensitive topics (mindset, money, identity, burnout, relationships, health), a flashy, salesy event can feel totally out of character. You might make quick money in the moment, then watch your existing audience quietly drift away because the experience didn’t match the trust you’d built.
I care a lot about retention. I care about people sticking around. I care about your event building your reputation, not just your numbers.
For my previous summit, Evidence of Humanity (which I ran in July 2025), I checked my list afterward and almost everyone who signed up was still on my email list six months later.
That is unheard of in big, high-volume summit spaces.
That’s the kind of audience trust I want you to build, because it’s what leads to stable growth.
Your competitive edge is being human-sized (and using it on purpose)
Here’s the part that big businesses can’t copy easily.
When you host a smaller, human-scaled event, you can actually spend time talking to people. You can reply. You can connect. You can build trust one conversation at a time.
That is your competitive edge.
Big events often win on big numbers, but they lose on depth. They can’t have real one-on-one moments at scale, not without a huge team.
When you design your event to match your capacity, you create space for the kind of outcomes that last:
People become paying clients, because they feel seen and supported.
People become referral partners, because they trust you enough to recommend you.
People become collaborators and champions, because they want to stay in your orbit.
People talk about you in rooms you’re not part of.
This is why I want your event to feel bespoke. Not generic. Not “we shoved every possible feature into it because we panicked.”
I want someone to leave your event thinking, “That was so them.”
Because that’s what sticks. That’s what people remember later. That’s what builds a longer-term reputation around your brand.
Your event becomes your calling card. Your “this is how I do things.” Your proof of concept in real time.
And not to brag, but pulling your Standout Signature Event out of you and mapping it out to feel as easeful as possible to pull off is my not-so-hidden talent! So if you’re loving the sound of creaitng meaningful momentum with an event that feels easeful by design, let’s design it together!
Set goals you can actually hit, and build momentum that lasts
I’m not aiming for you to compete with the biggest, shiniest event in your industry.
I’m aiming for you to build something that creates real momentum in your business, and does not cost you your sanity.
That means we’re focusing on:
an engaged audience that’s excited to hear from you,
real conversations and connection during the event,
a thoughtful path from event into launch, so selling feels natural,
and an experience that keeps working for you long after the event ends.
This doesn’t need to take endless time, and it doesn’t need to take endless energy.
It does need intention. It needs thoughtfulness.
And it needs a tailored strategy and practical plan you can follow, both of which I’ll help you craft inside my Standout Signature Event Intensive!
