Unlocking the Untapped Power of Attendee Advocacy: My Conversation with InGo CEO Michael Barnett
# events
# revenue
# Artificial Intelligence
attendee-advocacy-event-growth-michael-barnett
Heather Holst-Knudsen
In the events business, we talk a lot about transformation. We talk about how events move industries forward, accelerate innovation, and create the kind of trust and connection no digital channel can replicate. But few people have dedicated their careers to understanding why events have this power, and how to expand it, quite like Michael Barnett, Founder & CEO ofInGo.
Michael joined me on The Revenue Room™ for a conversation that every CEO, C-suite leader, and event growth strategist needs to hear. If you care about sustainable, predictable, profitable event growth in a world reshaped by AI and trust erosion, this episode is for you.
Why Events Matter More Now Than Ever
One of my favorite insights Michael shared is that events don’t just convene people; they build small cities. Behind the scenes, they are masterpieces of logistics, security, creativity, and connection. More importantly, they are becoming the most trusted platform for accelerating go-to-market initiatives, especially for fast-growth and early-stage companies.
In a world where AI can produce limitless marketing noise, trust becomes the differentiator, and the fastest way to build trust is still face-to-face human connection.
As Michael puts it, events are not just annual touchpoints. They are the heartbeat of a community.
The Most Underutilized Growth Engine in Events: Advocacy
If you’ve heard me say this before, you know I mean it: attendee advocacy is the fastest and most efficient way to acquire high-quality, highly engaged attendees.
Yet most organizers still aren’t doing it.
Michael broke down the math. Take a 1,000-person event:
Each attendee likely knows 100 to 200 relevant peers
That is 100,000 to 200,000 untapped network connections
And those connections are exactly the audiences event marketers spend huge budgets trying to reach through paid channels
Imagine unlocking that intentionally and intelligently. That is what InGo does, and why their customers often see referral participation rates ten times higher than typical efforts.
But here is the real takeaway. Referrals dramatically outperform paid channels in both quality and conversion. A paid ad cannot compete with, “Hey, I’m going. You should come with me.”
Major organizers have found that referral-based attendees often have higher job titles than the average attendee, which completely shifts revenue impact.
SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Why Most Referral Strategies Fail, and the 3-Part Framework That Works
Michael and I unpacked the science behind referral activation. This framework is essential for every event leader:
1. Activation
If attendees never see the referral opportunity, or if using it requires too much friction, it will not work. Personalization, strategic placement, and omnichannel touchpoints matter.
2. Motivation
Make sharing effortless and rewarding. One-click posting, smart incentives, and meaningful recognition all matter. Events that create “inner circles” for top referrers often see explosive viral expansion.
3. Optimization
Social platforms change constantly. A well-optimized post can generate hundreds of clicks; a poorly optimized one may only get a handful. Copy length, link placement, imagery, tracking, and discount mechanics all affect performance.
This framework reflects exactly what we’re seeing in our own Revved Up campaigns. When you combine psychology with thoughtful design, people genuinely want to share.
The Hidden Value Marketers Aren’t Getting Credit For
Event marketers are unsung heroes, and Michael articulated this perfectly.
The value of an attendee is not just their ticket price. It includes:
The revenue impact on sponsors and exhibitors
The economic value of meetings
The quality and lifetime value of the attendee
The downstream value of referrals they bring
Marketers often create two to three times more revenue impact than what appears on the attendee revenue line. Most of that value is invisible in traditional reporting.
This episode shines a much-needed light on the true economic contribution of event marketing.
AI Will Reshape Events, but Not in the Way People Think
When I asked Michael what excites him and what concerns him about the next chapter for our industry, he raised a powerful point. AI will eventually conduct procurement, recommend products, and narrow choices better than a human. If product discovery has historically been a core event value proposition, what happens next?
Here is the opportunity:
Events will increasingly be about:
Trust
Community
Human connection
Shared learning
Belonging
Meaningful experiences
Large-scale tentpole events will evolve to feel more like curated industry festivals. Smaller, intimate roadshows will expand because they excel at relationship building.
This vision aligns perfectly with what we are building for Revved Up 2026, and why InGo’s partnership means so much.
Your Next Step in Defining Event Growth
From trust dynamics to event tech stacks, from advocacy mechanics to AI’s impact on buying behavior, this is one of the most future-forward and practical conversations we’ve had on The Revenue Room™. If you are a CEO, CRO, CMO, event leader, or anyone responsible for hitting audience and revenue targets in 2025 and beyond, this episode is essential listening.
As the events industry enters a new era defined by AI, shifting buyer expectations, and an escalating premium on trust, one thing is clear: the leaders who outperform will be the ones who rethink growth from the inside out through community, advocacy, and authentic human connection. That vision is exactly what RevvedUP 2026 was built for. It’s where CEOs and C-suite executives come together to reimagine business models, decode the future of event growth, and unpack the strategies — like attendee advocacy — that are already transforming industry economics.
And if you want to keep this level of strategic insight and executive-to-executive conversation going year-round, the Revenue Room™ CXO community is your home base for data-driven intelligence, meaningful peer connection, and bold ideas shaping what’s next.
