In a time of dwindling attendance to many national live events, the first ever "Next Level Contractor" event has shunned that trend. How?
“There was a top-notch speaker line-up, it was very affordable, well-marketed and it was fully online,” noted moderator and NEWS editor-in-chief Mike Murphy. “We’ve done over 100 webinars,” continued Murphy, “but this one is now the highest-attended paid event we’ve ever offered.”
The lead-off speaker/trainer for the event, Adams Hudson of contractor marketing firm Hudson Ink, had a surprising reaction. “Webinars don’t take the place of live events any more than downloading your favorite music replaces seeing the bands perform. However, to have this level of content, plus replays, and downloads all come to your desktop is invaluable supplemental training,” he added.
Others clearly agreed. The four-part event was aired each Thursday from October 6 – 27 for one hour each to registered participants. The initial estimates were for 200 contractors, then it ballooned to 300, then past 400, then to a waiting list.
Attendees Energized
The response from attendees ranged from giddy to amazed.
After the first course on Marketing, attendees were treated to a Sales program, then one on Customer Service. On week 4, Hudson closed the event with an Executive Summary and 90 Day Blueprint in which attendees were given steps to complete their Next Level Training.
Blaine Rydman from Blaze Air remarked, “This was awesome! Especially the part on Internet marketing! Very eye-opening material.”
Kenneth Jagmin from AtCher Service in Las Vegas said, “Out of the box thinking! Great ideas, can’t wait to put this in place.”
Mark Koffer of Walker Water in Idaho summed it up nicely, “Outstanding! My brain is so full I need a week to process this! Excited and energized.”
Steve Cosica, speaker for Course 3 said, “This technology is great. I was giving a live presentation in one city, then went to my hotel room to do this for the Next Level Contractor. The odd thing is, my online audience was over three times the size of the live one!”
Joe Crisara of ContractorSelling.com had similar sentiments. “I had a small training class on-site. We took a break, then I went online to do the Next Level event. I thought, ‘Why isn’t more training like this?’ The attendees got a ton of value, and Adams always makes the speakers give more. It worked for me since we got over 100 responses from contractor prospects to help.”
The organizers have already reserved a time-slot for next year and will be assembling a “broader, deeper, more intense training line-up,” according to Hudson.
“My wife accuses me of overdoing things,” Hudson laughed, “but to me, can a value be too good or an event too helpful? In this way, I’m delighted to give back to this industry for all we’ve been able to accomplish.”
