When we hosted our first Give to Grow Live event last year, I’ll admit, I was nervous.
We had the venue lined up. We had the speakers ready. We had the name tags printed. But I still couldn’t shake the thought:
What if this doesn’t land? What if people show up, sit politely, and leave without feeling anything different?
The truth is, a conference can be a huge investment of time, energy, and resources. Done well, it creates momentum that lasts for months or even years. Done poorly, it’s just another date on the calendar.
Looking back now, I can see three big lessons from hosting our first conference. If you’re planning an event of your own, whether it’s internal for your team or external for your clients, these lessons might help you too.
Lesson One: Structure Connection
One of the smartest things we did was create structured ways for people to connect and help each other.
I’m so glad we did this.
Instead of hoping people would “network” on their own, we gave them tools to break the ice and go deeper. Even our name tags became conversation starters. Each one had two prompts: Can Help and Want Help.
Next to each prompt, we added a colored dot that matched a core area of business growth. Things like creating demand. Meeting the right new prospects. Building long-term client relationships.
It was incredible to watch. With just a few dots in place, people could immediately spot someone who needed what they had to offer or who could provide help in the exact area they wanted to grow. Connections formed quickly, and they carried more meaning.
Near the end of the event, we took it even further. We handed out a worksheet (hat tip to Charles Rierson for the idea) and split people into small groups of 8–10. Each person shared the top thing they wanted help with. Then the rest of the group offered ideas, introductions, or resources to support them.
This session lasted about 75 minutes, and it was electric. You could feel the energy in the room.
People weren’t just listening anymore, they were investing in each other. That single exercise created thousands of post-conference follow-ups and new collaborations.
Here’s the takeaway: people don’t come to conferences just for content. They come for connection.
Most events leave attendees to figure it out on their own, wandering the hallways, trying to strike up small talk. But if you provide some structure, through name tags, worksheets, or guided sessions, you can take the experience to the next level.
Lesson Two: Lead With Balance
Another lesson I learned was about leadership.
I can and can’t believe how well our team did. I can believe it because they’re wicked smart and hard-working. But I can’t believe it because this was our very first conference.
We had attendees who run dozens of conferences each year. Several of them told us Give to Grow Live was the best they’d ever attended. One person even said he didn’t know whether to thank me or hate me because after attending, his own team wanted to revamp a huge event they were hosting just two weeks later.
That kind of feedback floored me.
But here’s the truth: the credit goes to our team. My role was to provide strategic direction, but they came up with details and ideas I never would have thought of. The key was knowing when to dive in and when to stay out.
Sometimes I’d say, “Run the final version past me.” Other times, I’d say, “You know my vision. Take it all the way home.” Those conversations, about where I should be hands-on and where I should step back, were some of the most important ones we had.
Here’s the takeaway: be clear with your team about when you want to be involved and when you trust them to own it. That balance leverages your collective vision without bottlenecking the process. And when your team feels that trust, they’ll surprise you with what they can do.
Lesson Three: Let the Community Shine
The final lesson was about spotlight.
Give to Grow Live brought together some of the best professionals I’ve ever met. Top Performers from across industries. People who believe in giving as a way to grow.
So we made a choice: instead of putting ourselves at the center, we put the spotlight on them.
We did that with small group activities, cross-sharing sessions, and all the structured connections I already described. Our role as hosts wasn’t to be the stars, it was to set the stage for them to shine.
This idea came from my friend Jenny Wood, who once wrote that you should always give your team and clients credit. When you let others shine, it reflects back on you naturally. That’s exactly what happened.
And here’s the truth: the more advanced your audience is, the more they want to learn from each other. We shared content as thought starters, but the real value came from unleashing everyone’s “superpowers” to help the people around them.
The takeaway here is simple: if you bring great people together, don’t hog the microphone. Give them space to showcase their ideas and skills. You’ll create an environment where everyone wins.
Bringing It All Together
Hosting your first conference is a big leap. You wonder if the logistics will work, if the content will land, and if people will feel it was worth their time.
What we discovered is that the real magic isn’t in the schedule or the slides, it’s in how people connect, grow, and carry the experience forward.
If you create space for those connections and trust your community to bring their best, your event will be remembered long after the lights go out.
Because at the end of the day, the best conferences don’t just fill seats. They build relationships that last.