239: Building Annual Events That Scale: Behind the Scenes of Elevate and Inspire 2026

Welcome back to the Messy Success Podcast, where we pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to build a business over time. This episode is a full debrief of Elizabeth's third annual in-person event, Elevate and Inspire 2026, and it is one of the most honest and useful conversations she has had on the show about how to host a live event for your business. In-person event planning for entrepreneurs is no small task, and Elizabeth walks you through everything: what changed from year one to year three, how the new venue shaped the entire attendee experience, what she did differently with programming, and how sponsorships completely transformed the financial picture. For the first time ever, the event was profitable on the front end before a single post-event sale came in. This one is for you if you host live events, want to host them someday, or simply need a reminder that repeating what works in your business is where the real growth happens. Elizabeth talks about what it means to build anchor moments into your year, why consistency is key, and how you genuinely cannot improve what you do not repeat. She also gets into alumni strategy, swag bag decisions, and what she is already considering for 2027.