98 - Fill Your Event Fast with Steve Werner: Proven Strategies That Work Now

In this episode of The High Profit Event Show, host Rudy Rodriguez sits down with Steve Werner, renowned event strategist, stage sales expert, and author of Fill Your Event Fast. With over 80 live events, 400+ virtual events, and $150M+ in stage-driven revenue under his belt, Steve brings insight for event leaders who want to maximize attendance, conversions, and impact.

Steve kicks off the conversation by addressing one of the most common and costly mistakes he sees event leaders make: running cold traffic to a landing page to sell event tickets. In today’s fast-paced, post-COVID landscape, buyers want instant solutions—not delayed commitments. Steve explains how to shift from information-heavy marketing to transformation-first offers. His recommended strategy? Use low-ticket, high-value workshops, webinars, or challenges to get attendees in momentum—and include the main event ticket as part of the follow-up solution. This switch alone has dramatically improved client conversion rates.

The episode then dives into boosting show-up rates and building pre-event engagement. Steve shares the framework he uses to push virtual show-up rates from 55% to over 90% and live event attendance over 95%. He emphasizes the importance of retargeting ads, relationship-building through virtual networking, and leveraging your sales team to make early connections with attendees. These techniques build trust—something Steve and Rudy both agree is at an all-time low—and position the salesperson as a familiar face long before any offer is made.

Another key highlight is Steve’s warning about the “dead zone” of live events—rooms with 75 to 200 attendees. This range is often the most expensive and least profitable for event leaders without the right strategy or team in place. He recommends starting with smaller, more intimate events (20–30 attendees) for better conversion rates and easier management. For those in the dead zone, Steve and Rudy stress the need for a professional sales team and strategic MC leadership to manage logistics, maintain engagement, and ensure a smooth, conversion-focused experience.

From tactical tips like the “bring-a-friend” contest to strategic frameworks for building trust at scale, this episode is packed with real-world solutions for event leaders. Whether you’re planning your first event or looking to fine-tune your seventh, Steve’s insights are both timely and transformative.

Tune in now to discover how to fill your event fast—and turn your room into a high-converting experience that lasts far beyond the final applause.

Want to connect with Steve?

Free Download: https://fillyoureventfast.com/

Website: https://stevenphillipwerner.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-phillip-werner/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.werner.5667

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenphillipwerner/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveWernerStories