Are virtual summits changing or are attendees simply changing how they consume them?

If you've noticed lower registration numbers, quieter communities, or attendees skipping sessions they would have binged a few years ago, you're not imagining it. The summit landscape is evolving and today's hosts need to evolve with it.

In this behind-the-scenes episode, we're sharing the biggest trends we've been seeing across our own virtual summits in 2026—what we've been testing, what's exceeded our expectations, and what we've decided to leave behind.

Whether you're planning your first summit or looking to improve an established event, this episode will help you rethink what attendees actually want today—and how to create an experience they'll remember.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why summit registration and attendance trends are shifting
• The surprising benefits of hosting audio-only virtual events
• Gamification strategies that are still driving engagement
• What's no longer working (and what we're doing instead)
• Why smaller, more focused summits may outperform larger events
• How attendee behavior has changed and what that means for your event strategy
• Replay access experiments that improved the attendee experience
• Why implementation is becoming more valuable than information
• The summit trends we're excited to continue testing moving forward

If you've been wondering how to keep your virtual summits relevant in today's online landscape, this episode is packed with practical insights and honest lessons from the front lines of summit hosting.