There's a moment in every summit that separates the hosts who really utilized (and tested!) their summit tech well from the hosts who didn't. And it usually happens the day registration opens, because, of course! Regardless of how you feel about tech and automations, they're a necessary part of hosting a summit. We've found time and time again that those who embrace tech and automations strategically are able to save time and reduce the workload that goes into hosting a summit significantly.
This week I'm chatting with Elizabeth Neumann about all things summit tech. We're getting into the most common tech mistakes she sees summit hosts make, what it actually looks like to map out your automation strategy before you start building, and the handful of automations worth setting up first if you're short on time.
Listen to the episode
Prefer to listen to this post instead? Use the links below to listen on your preferred podcast player:
Download the episode transcript here.
Episode at a glance:
[01:26] How Elizabeth found her way into tech and automation
Elizabeth started out as a virtual assistant 10 years ago, experimenting with different roles and figuring out what she was actually good at. Then one of her clients ran into a tech problem that was messing up her launch. Elizabeth dug in, found the issue buried deep in the automation, and fixed it - and in the process, realized she loves working with tech and automations!
"I just realized that it was something that I actually liked because it felt like a challenge, and it was like a puzzle that you had to put together."
[03:37] The most common tech mistakes summit hosts make
Elizabeth has set up summits for clients from start to finish, and she hosted her own last year, so she's seen this from both sides. The three mistakes she's seen come up over and over: waiting until you're too close to the summit to set up your tech, never planning a strategy behind the automation in the first place, and not looking at where automation could take work off your plate or your team's plate.
That last one matters more than you may realize. A summit is a big workload, and automation is often a fairly low-cost way to hand a chunk of it off so you can put your energy into the parts that actually need you.
"It's always good look at automations you can use to save time and prevent overwhelm ahead of time. It makes it easier to put your time and energy into the actual presenting, or the speakers, or all of the other pieces of the summit, or what comes after the summit."
[06:18] What platform should you actually use for your virtual summit?
My go-to answer here is always the same: use what you're already using. I don't want you learning brand new software at the same time you're learning how to host a summit. Elizabeth agrees, but if you don't have something in place yet, or you're genuinely unhappy with what you've got, she uses and recommends FG Funnels.
What she likes about it is the range. You can run your first summit on very basic automation, then layer in more sophisticated pieces as you host more events.
"What I really like about FG Funnels or even High Level is the fact that you can start with very basic automation, and you can go very advanced."
[09:02] What mapping out your automation strategy actually looks like
This is the part most hosts skip entirely, and it's where Elizabeth spends the most time. Start mapping as soon as your summit plan is locked in: meaning you know your summit dates, how many days the summit will run, and how many speakers you'll have.
From there, she walks through what goes in the map. The testing piece is a big one. You need to walk through every scenario: someone who registers and doesn't buy the VIP pass, someone who registers and does. What does their journey actually look like?
"A lot of people don't test their automations ahead of time, and then all of a sudden their summit's live and something's not working."
She also pointed out something I think about a lot: most tech "failures" aren't really the software's fault.
"A lot of times when people have tech issues, they don't like tech, and different tech issues keep happening, most of the time it is something that the person actually missed doing or didn't test."
[14:34] Mapped-out system vs. duct-taped-together system
I asked Elizabeth to describe the actual difference you feel when you're in the middle of your event based on how your system is performing. Her answer came down to mental space. When it's mapped and built and tested ahead of time, you're not discovering gaps mid-summit. You're not sending the wrong email to the wrong group of people. Your speakers know what's expected of them, and you can see at a glance who still owes you a form so you can follow up while there's still time.
"The ideal is to have the automation all set up so that you can just be trusting, because you've tested it, that it's all working behind the scenes."
And the best part is that you only build the bones ONCE. For your next summit you'll tweak a few things, point to a new form, update an email sequence, but the structure is already there.
[17:12] If you only have time for a few automations, set up these first:
For anyone already mid-planning who can't build everything, Elizabeth ranked what matters most:
- Your funnel pages, properly connected. Registration, confirmation, VIP pass upsell, speaker hub and speaker pages, all integrated and pointing where they're supposed to point.
- Your email sequences, built and scheduled ahead of time. Including testing the actual emails by sending them to yourself so you can check formatting on desktop and mobile and confirm every link works.
- Countdown timers with correct redirects. So when a timer expires, the page sends people to your expired page instead of leaving them on something that's no longer available.
- Trigger links in your emails. So when someone clicks through to your VIP pass and doesn't buy, you know they were interested and can send a few extra emails to just those people.
"If you don't set up the trigger links to have that little automation set up, you won't know that they were the ones clicking over as easily. So you miss out on the chance to encourage them to remember the VIP pass and how important it is to purchase it for their experience of the summit."
[21:40] Where to find Elizabeth
Elizabeth built a custom GPT called Find Your Hidden Automations that generates a personalized report on where you could be automating in your own business. She's also open to connecting on LinkedIn or Facebook, offers a free consult if you want her to set up your summit automations for you, and shared her links for FG Funnels and High Level if you're considering making a switch.
I hope this one gave you a few things to fix before your registration page ever goes live!
About Elizabeth Neumann
Elizabeth Neumann is a HighLevel Certified Business Automation Strategist who helps coaches, course creators and service providers simplify their funnels, streamline their automations and eliminate tech overwhelm using a Strategy-First Method. She builds clear, reliable lead and client journeys and systems that support real business growth. Through consulting, DFY and DWY builds, strategy sessions and ongoing guidance, Elizabeth turns chaotic, half-built setups into systems that finally work.
Find Your Hidden Automations GPT
Elizabeth's Website | Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn
Resources
View related episodes >>
Pin it for later!
