By Steve Moran
The last 6 weeks have been some of the most intense of my life. On the evening of March 12, I heard a story that inspired me to wonder if it would be possible to do a digital summit for leaders in senior living. A few emails and phone calls later and the indications were that it was possible.
I made a list of things that would need to be done. I made a list of possible topics and speakers and I started thinking about what would be the right date.
I confess I really wanted to be the first one to do this but I wanted to leave enough time for there to be some settling in the COVID-19 pandemic response. We decided that in 5 weeks things would be much closer to a new normal.
We also wanted it to be insanely affordable and we were committed to making all the recordings available more or less forever after the event.
Speakers
I had this kind of dream list of speakers, more than would make sense for any single summit. Some I knew well, some a little bit. I explained my goals and the big ask came with this, “I can’t afford to pay any speaker fees.” There were only 3 speakers who had other obligations.
6 Days
It took us just six days to go from idea to selling the first ticket. We hoped people would respond and dreamed of 1,000 registrations. We knew it would be imperfect because we had never done a virtual summit or even any big scale physical event before.
Challenges
The biggest single challenge/worry was selling tickets, particularly as it became clear that we as an industry were not going to be at a new normal by the day the event started. The ticket sales were initially slower than we hoped. But then the pace picked up and we ended up with more than 950 registrations.
What Attendees Got Out of It
- Serious discussions about leading, protecting, and thriving in the midst of the pandemic
- Practical ideas about how to continue to engage prospects
- Best practices when it comes to engaging residents in the face of physical isolation
- Ideas on how to use technology to serve residents and staff
- Shared dreams about what the future of senior living will be . . . about how senior living will continue to change the world
- Discussion about winners and losers and how to be a winner and not a loser
- Discussion about how to sell better
- Conversations via chat, more than you would likely ever see in a physical conference
- Suggestions for creating better cultures, showing appreciation, and resolving problems
More than anything else, we were inspired and encouraged while never losing sight of the great tragedy that is unfolding around us.
The Impact
Most of the 950 ticket holders were on for part of the session and there may have been a few who were on for all of it. In almost every case those ticket holders are individuals who have huge spheres of influence from hundreds to tens of thousands. This conference, in a very real way, is changing lives and will continue to change lives.
The Content is Still Available
Every day we are editing and adding videos and expect most be up by the end of the week. During that time, the all-access pass for the conference will continue to be available at the $47 price. On Sunday, May 3, the all-access pass price will go up to $97. We will also be offering some more limited packages at a lower price. Click HERE to get access to the full summit content.
Hello Steve and team SLF,
1001 thanks for your passion and for creating such an engaging forum in such a short time!!
Kudos!!! Masterful!!! Authentic!!! At moments fun and a great distraction from current concerns, even though concerns about others are always in our hearts.
Note: Because of chaotic situations related to work lives, it seems logical that folks would have purchased tickets more toward the summit date. They may not have known if they could commit to be on line.
In any event, great job!!!! Wendy Jane Carrel, Wellness Shepherd
Thanks for the outstanding Virtual Summit! As a resident in a CCRC, I found the week-long program thought-provoking and invigorating. I attended all week. The program was a good mix of content and speakers. The vendor information was very interesting to see what is available in the market. It was a treat to see the well know experts which were the draw for me in the first place.
As I sat in from of my 27-inch monitor watching the sessions, I thought I am spoiled for the traditional type of educational program. There were no distractions of a large room of people, trying to see slides over the top of other’s heads, or seeing a speaker off in the distance high on a stage. It was up close and personal. And I didn’t have to walk miles in a large conference center to get from one session to another.
As a person who has worked with and for older adults since I was a 16-year nursing assistant, I felt like an old war house wanting to get back into battle. But I won’t at age 76. But I will continue to be an advocate against ageism and for empowered residents.