Virtual Summit Secrets Podcast: Virtual Summit Planning, Marketing, and Monetization Strategies for Online Entrepreneurs

Jenny Suneson + Lindsey Aleson | Virtual Summit Strategist for Coaches, Course Creators, and Service Providers
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

The Virtual Summit Secrets Podcast is your guide for #allthethings when it comes to hosting a killer virtual summit. If you want to grow your income, impact, and influence, through virtual summits, grab your headphones! You will find episodes on everything from planning your first virtual summit to speaker outreach + coordination to promotion and everything in between!Your hosts, Jenny Suneson + Lindsey Aleson, are extremely passionate about virtual summits and owner the summit support agency Summit Success Squad. Between the two of then, they've hosted over 6 virtual summits and helped countless others do the same.

  1. 2d ago

    52. The Biggest Summit Opinions We Have (That Not Everyone Agrees With)

    What if some of the things you’ve been told you need for a successful virtual summit are actually making your event harder to host, harder for attendees to navigate, and harder to get results from? In this episode of the Virtual Summit Secrets Podcast, Jenny and Lindsay are sharing their biggest and sometimes controversial opinions about what actually makes a virtual summit successful. From speaker count and Facebook groups to fancy branding, massive bonus bundles, live sessions, replay access, and registration numbers, they’re challenging the “this is just how summits are done” mentality. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why bigger summits aren’t automatically better or more profitableWhen having more speakers can actually create attendee overwhelmWhether you really need a Facebook group for your summitWhy fancy branding shouldn’t replace solid summit strategyWhy extended replay access may not be enough to sell your VIP offerHow implementation and support can create more value than more contentThe pros and cons of live versus prerecorded summit sessionsWhy you don’t need thousands of registrations to host a successful summitHow to turn an existing summit into a long-term business assetWhy the attendee experience should be your top priorityHow to make your summit a win for speakers, attendees, and your businessThe questions you should ask before adding another feature, speaker, bonus, or element to your eventBecause you don’t need to build the biggest summit. You need to build the right summit for your audience, your business, and your goals.

  2. Sep 9

    51. Are Summits Becoming Easier or Harder to Host?

    Hosting a virtual summit is easier than ever... so why does getting people to actually care feel harder? In this episode of Virtual Summit Secrets, Jenny and Lindsay are diving into the changing landscape of virtual summits and exploring the question: Are summits getting easier or harder to host? The answer? Both. With AI, automation, and more event technology than ever before, many of the logistical pieces of hosting a summit can now happen faster and more efficiently. But while the mechanics may be getting easier, standing out, earning attention, getting registrations, and creating an experience attendees actually want to participate in has become more challenging than ever. In this episode, we’re talking about: Why hosting a virtual summit is both easier and harder than it used to beHow AI can help with brainstorming, copy, workflows, and content repurposingWhy you should use AI as an assistant—not the hostWhat summit logistics are perfect for automationHow technology has raised attendee expectationsWhy more sessions, speakers, bonuses, and platforms don't automatically create a better eventWhat attendees really want from virtual events todayWhy standing out and earning registrations requires more strategy than everWhat we would do differently if we were hosting our very first summit todayWhy the future of successful summits is about innovation—not chasing every shiny new toolTechnology can make your summit easier to run, but it can't make your summit matter more. And that's the distinction every summit host needs to understand. Tune in for an honest behind-the-scenes conversation about where virtual summits are headed and how you can use the tools available to you without losing the human experience that makes your event unforgettable.

  3. Sep 2

    50. The Summit Planning Shortcuts We Refuse to Take

    What should you automate when hosting a virtual summit and what should always stay human? In this episode of the Virtual Summit Secrets Podcast, Jenny and Lindsay are pulling back the curtain on the summit-planning shortcuts they happily take, the ones they refuse to take, and why knowing the difference can completely change the experience you create for your speakers and attendees. From automated emails and reusable templates to AI-assisted brainstorming and project management systems, there are plenty of ways technology can save you time. But automation should never come at the expense of thoughtful leadership, strong communication, or genuine connection. In this episode, you'll discover: The summit tasks you should absolutely automate to save timeWhy reusable templates and systems are some of your best planning shortcutsWhere AI can help and where it shouldn't replace your expertise or voiceWhy speaker selection should always involve human judgmentHow to create a better experience for your speakers through clear communication and organizationThe small attendee-experience details that can make or break your eventWhy quality control and testing are worth every extra minuteWhich parts of summit planning should never be rushedHow to automate the busy work without automating the relationships that matterBecause the goal isn't to remove yourself from your summit. It's to remove the repetitive work so you can be more present for the moments that actually matter. If you're planning a virtual summit, this episode will help you identify where you can work smarter while still creating an intentional, high-quality, memorable experience for everyone involved.

  4. Aug 26

    49. Should You Host the Same Summit Again?

    What if your next big summit idea isn’t actually a new idea at all? In this episode of Virtual Summit Secrets, we’re busting the myth that you need to create a completely new summit every year. If you’ve already hosted a successful event, you’ve built something valuable and starting from scratch all over again could be costing you time, energy, and money. Jenny and Lindsay are breaking down why repeating a summit isn’t lazy—it’s strategic. You’ll learn what to keep consistent, what to refresh each year, and how to build event equity so your summit becomes a recognizable, anticipated asset in your business rather than a one-and-done project. Inside this episode, we’re talking about: Why your successful summit may be worth repeating instead of replacingThe biggest benefits of leveraging the systems, assets, and messaging you’ve already createdWhat should stay the same when you repeat a summitWhat you should refresh, including speakers, session topics, and bonusesHow to build event equity and turn your summit into a signature annual eventThe myths around returning attendees, repetition, and “having” to reinvent everythingWhat to document and analyze immediately after your summit to make the next one easierHow to determine whether your existing summit has the potential to become an evergreen business assetBecause sometimes your next big win isn’t creating something new—it’s taking something that already works and making it even better. Before you start brainstorming your next summit from scratch, listen to this episode and take another look at the event you’ve already built. It might just be your next signature summit waiting to happen.

  5. Aug 19

    48. The Most Underrated Summit Skill Nobody Talks About

    What if the biggest problems in your virtual summit have nothing to do with your tech, your speakers, or even your strategy but with your communication? In this episode of Virtual Summit Secrets, we’re breaking down one of the most underrated skills every summit host needs: clear, proactive communication. From your speakers and attendees to your affiliates and team, the way you communicate expectations, deadlines, next steps, and updates can make the difference between a summit that feels chaotic and one that runs smoothly. And spoiler alert: better communication doesn’t necessarily mean more communication—it means giving people the right information at the right time. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why so many common summit problems are actually communication problemsHow to set clear expectations with speakers from the very beginningWhat your attendees need to know before, during, and after your summitHow to make promotion easier for speakers and affiliatesWhy clear roles and one central communication hub can make your summit team run more smoothlyHow proactive communication builds trust during summit weekThe simple questions to ask before sending any summit email, reminder or updateWhy creating a great summit experience comes down to making people feel informed, prepared, and supportedYour summit doesn’t need more emails just for the sake of sending them. It needs communication that eliminates confusion and makes the next step obvious. When your speakers, attendees, partners, and team know exactly what’s happening and what they need to do next, you create a better experience for everyone including yourself. Tune in to learn how to make communication one of the strongest parts of your summit strategy.

  6. Aug 12

    47. The Myth of "More": Why Bigger Isn't Always Better

    When it comes to virtual summits, it’s easy to assume that more is always better. More speakers. More attendees. More bonuses. More days. More tech. But what if adding more is actually making your summit less effective? In this episode of Virtual Summit Secrets, we’re busting some of the biggest myths about what makes a virtual summit successful. We’re sharing why smaller, more intentional events can create stronger engagement, better conversions, and a much better experience for both you and your attendees. From curating the right speaker lineup to simplifying your tech and rethinking those massive VIP bonus bundles, we’re breaking down where “more” creates unnecessary overwhelm and what to focus on instead. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why more speakers don’t automatically mean more reach, value, or revenueThe summit metrics that matter more than registration numbersWhy a smaller audience of ideal attendees can outperform a massive audienceHow attendee behavior has changed and why implementation support can be more valuable than huge bonus bundlesWhy you probably don’t need a brand-new tech stack to host a professional summitHow shorter events and smaller speaker lineups can actually increase engagementThe three questions to ask yourself before adding anything else to your summitWhy simplifying your summit can create better alignment, conversions, and long-term business resultsYour attendees don’t need the biggest summit—they need the right summit. Before you add another speaker, bonus, platform, or day to your event, tune into this episode and discover why sometimes the smartest thing you can do is simplify.

  7. Aug 5

    46. Why Less Might Be the Best Thing for Your Summit

    What if the secret to a more successful virtual summit isn’t adding more—but intentionally doing less? It’s easy to look at massive speaker lineups, elaborate bonus bundles, multiple VIP tiers, and fancy tech and assume that’s what a successful summit is supposed to look like. But more moving pieces don’t automatically create more value. In fact, they can lead to more stress for you, more work for your speakers, and more overwhelm for your attendees. In this episode of Virtual Summit Secrets, we’re busting the myth that bigger is always better and sharing why a simpler, more intentional summit can actually create a better experience for everyone involved. We’re diving into what we’ve learned from experimenting with smaller speaker lineups, audio-only events, streamlined tech, and simpler attendee experiences and why those constraints can help you focus on what actually matters. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why more speakers, bonuses, and tech don’t automatically lead to better resultsHow oversized summits can create decision fatigue and decrease attendee engagementWhy alignment matters more than the size of your speaker lineupHow simplifying your summit can help attendees consume less but implement moreThe three questions we ask before adding anything new to an eventHow constraints can help you build a more focused, intentional summitWhat you may be able to remove from your event without sacrificing valueYour summit doesn’t need to be the biggest or most complicated event in your industry to make an impact. Sometimes, the clearest, simplest, and most intentional experience is the one attendees actually get the most from.

  8. Jul 29

    45. Why Some Summit Topics Take Off (and Others Never Gain Traction)

    What if your summit topic is the real reason registrations are falling flat? If you've ever poured weeks (or months) into planning a virtual summit only to watch registrations trickle in, this episode is for you. The truth is, choosing a great topic isn't about finding something unique or following the latest trend—it's about understanding what your audience already wants help with right now. In this episode, we're diving into the psychology behind why some summit topics seem to take off effortlessly while others struggle to gain traction. You'll learn how audience desire, market demand, timing, and positioning all work together to determine whether your summit becomes a must-attend event or gets overlooked. In this episode, you'll learn: Why audience demand matters more than your personal excitementHow to identify whether there's enough market demand for your summit topicThe role timing plays in your summit's successThe difference between a lasting trend and a short-lived fadWhy people register based on transformation—not just interesting contentThe biggest mistakes hosts make when choosing a summit topicWhy a beautiful registration page can't fix weak positioningHow to use data from every summit to make your next event even strongerIf you want to create a summit that attracts the right attendees, generates momentum for your business, and leads to stronger conversions, this episode will help you choose a topic that truly resonates. 🎧 Tune in and discover how to stop guessing and start choosing summit topics your audience is already excited to say "yes" to.

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The Virtual Summit Secrets Podcast is your guide for #allthethings when it comes to hosting a killer virtual summit. If you want to grow your income, impact, and influence, through virtual summits, grab your headphones! You will find episodes on everything from planning your first virtual summit to speaker outreach + coordination to promotion and everything in between!Your hosts, Jenny Suneson + Lindsey Aleson, are extremely passionate about virtual summits and owner the summit support agency Summit Success Squad. Between the two of then, they've hosted over 6 virtual summits and helped countless others do the same.

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