Introduction
Have you ever dreamed of standing in front of a room full of eager prospects, ready to hang on your every word and, more importantly, open their wallets? There is no marketing force on earth quite as powerful as a live event. The ability to look someone in the eye, shake their hand, and guide them through a transformation in real-time creates a bond that email and video simply cannot replicate. However, the dream of hosting a blockbuster event often turns into a nightmare of anxiety for most business owners. The fear of empty chairs, the financial risk of booking a venue, and the logistical headache of planning can stop even the most seasoned entrepreneurs in their tracks. This is exactly why Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks is such a game-changer. I have spent years analyzing what makes an event profitable versus what makes it a money pit, and the difference usually comes down to a specific set of strategies that most people simply never learn.
In this review, I’m going to dive deep into a system that has been responsible for generating over $100 million in revenue. We aren’t just talking about theoretical fluff here; we are talking about the exact playbook used to fill SuperConferences and Info-SUMMITs with thousands of attendees. Whether you are looking to host a massive seminar for 500 people or an intimate, high-ticket workshop for 10, the principles remain the same. You need to know how to market the event aggressively, fill the seats with the right people, and monetize the experience so that you walk away with a massive profit. Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks promises to hand you the keys to this kingdom, providing you with the templates, the psychological triggers, and the step-by-step action plans to make your next event your most profitable one yet. Let’s peel back the curtain and see if this course truly delivers on its bold promises.
Course Description
Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks is a comprehensive training program designed to strip away the mystery of hosting successful live events. It is built around the premise that you do not need to reinvent the wheel; you simply need to copy a blueprint that has already been proven to work. The course is structured into three major money-making components: Core Trainings from Dan Kennedy himself, Booster Trainings from GKIC experts, and a massive library of Tools, Templates, and Action Guides. The structure is incredibly practical, moving seamlessly from high-level strategy to granular, check-the-box execution.
The teaching style here is classic Dan Kennedy: no-nonsense, direct, and focused entirely on ROI. You won’t find wasted time on fluffy motivational speeches; instead, you get dense, actionable content on every CD, DVD, and transcript. The course doesn’t just teach you how to put on an event; it teaches you the marketing math behind it. You will learn how to calculate your metrics, how to segment your list to ensure you are inviting the people most likely to buy, and how to engineer an offer that converts from the stage. It is a holistic approach that covers the entire lifecycle of an event, from the initial spark of an idea to the final deposit in your bank account.
Ideal Student
- Coaches and Consultants: If you are selling high-ticket services and need a way to close clients face-to-face, this course teaches you the “intensive” workshop model.
- Info-Marketers: Those selling courses, books, or digital content who want to ascend customers to bigger packages will find the monetization strategies vital.
- Small Business Owners: Local business owners looking to host customer appreciation events or free workshops to upsell services will benefit from the fill strategies.
- Aspiring Speakers: If you want to get paid to speak or build a personal brand, learning how to fill rooms is the single most important skill you can acquire.
- Marketing Managers: Professionals tasked with running corporate events or trade shows who need to prove ROI will find the sponsorship and monetization modules essential.
Learning Outcomes
- Master the psychology of event promotion to overcome attendee objections and fear of commitment.
- Implement a 4-step marketing campaign architecture that systematically fills seats.
- Discover the 6 distinct ways to monetize an event, ensuring profit even before the doors open.
- Leverage social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to fill both B2C and B2B events.
- Secure lucrative sponsorships to offset costs and boost event profitability.
Course Modules
This course is meticulously broken down into core modules that tackle every angle of the event business. In the following sections, I will break down exactly what you can expect to learn in each segment, showing you how Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks leaves no stone unturned.
Module 1: The Psychology of Event Marketing
The first module dives deep into the human mind—specifically, the mind of your prospective attendee. Why do people say they will come and then flake? Why do others hesitate to register despite a great offer? Dan Kennedy dissects the unreasonable emotional fears that hold people back, such as the fear of wasting time or the fear of being sold to. You will learn how to identify and dismantle these barriers in your marketing copy.
Key takeaways include:
– Understanding the “invisible wall” between a prospect and an event ticket.
– Psychological triggers that compel people to act now.
– How to frame your event as an “exclusive opportunity” rather than a sales pitch.
– Techniques for creating urgency that feels authentic, not desperate.
– The specific language patterns that increase registration conversion rates.
Module 2: Strategic Planning and List Segmentation
One of the biggest mistakes marketers make is blasting their event invitation to their entire list. This module teaches the art of segmentation. You will learn how to identify your top 1% of customers who are most likely to travel for an event, versus those who need a local, lower-barrier-to-entry offer. Dan covers the optimum timeframes for marketing—spoiler alert: it is not one or two weeks beforehand. You need a long runway.
Key takeaways include:
– The exact timeline for launching your marketing campaign.
– How to segment your list for maximum ROI.
– Determining the “purpose” of your event to guide your invite list.
– Calculating the metrics you need to hit to break even.
– Targeting strategies for “raving fans” versus cold prospects.
Module 3: The 6 Pillars of Monetization
Most people think making money at an event is just about selling from the stage. In Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks, you will learn that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This module reveals six distinct ways to extract revenue from your event. We are talking about sponsorships, backend sales, and even selling the *next* event during the current one. This multi-dimensional approach ensures that you are profitable even if you have an off night on stage.
Key takeaways include:
– The 6 specific revenue streams available to event hosts.
– How to sell “the next step” before attendees leave the room.
– Strategies for pre-event monetization to cash flow your logistics.
– Creating continuity offers that generate income long after the event ends.
– The mathematics of attendee value and how to increase it.
Module 4: Campaign Architecture and Media Selection
How do you actually get the word out? Relying solely on email is a recipe for failure in today’s crowded digital landscape. This module provides a 4-step marketing campaign architecture that you can swipe and deploy. It details which media channels you should be using—direct mail, phone calls, social media, and more—and how to sequence them for maximum impact. It’s about creating a “surround sound” effect where your prospect hears about your event from multiple angles.
Key takeaways include:
– The 4-step sequence that GKIC uses to fill 500+ person rooms.
– Why direct mail still outperforms digital for high-ticket events.
– How to integrate email, social, and offline tactics.
– Copywriting formulas specifically designed for event invitations.
– Frequency and messaging strategies for the final countdown.
Module 5: Speaker Selection and Advanced Promotional Tactics
If you are going to have other speakers, you need to know how to manage them. But more importantly, you need to know how to market them. This module covers how to choose speakers that will actually draw a crowd and how to write copy that makes them irresistible. It also covers the delicate art of selling your next event *at* your current event—a strategy that regularly fills 20% of the future room.
Key takeaways include:
– Criteria for selecting guest speakers that align with your brand.
– How to craft speaker bios that drive registrations.
– The “on-stage” handoff strategy for seamless selling.
– Using your current stage to sell the next big event.
– Avoiding the “speaker trap” where guests distract from your offer.
Module 6: The “Event Hacks” Blueprint Implementation
This module acts as the glue holding everything together. It is about implementation. Dan Kennedy provides the Fast Action Guides that accompany the core trainings. This is where we move from theory to practice. You will learn how to take the event planning workbook and fast-track the process. It covers the nitty-gritty details of venue selection, food, and audio/visual, but always with an eye on how these choices affect the customer experience and your bottom line.
Key takeaways include:
– Utilizing the Event Planning Workbook for flawless logistics.
– Creating a “worry-free” business life through systematization.
– How to delegate tasks without losing control of the outcome.
– Checklists for the day of the event to prevent disasters.
– Ensuring the physical environment supports the sales message.
Module 7: Facebook Event Marketing Strategies
In this booster training led by Kris Murray, we tackle the giant that is Facebook. With billions of users, ignoring this platform is foolish, but using it wrong is expensive. This module teaches you how to harness Facebook’s targeting capabilities to fill your event. You will learn how to create ads that stop the scroll and funnels that turn casual scrollers into registered attendees. It is modern digital marketing applied to the timeless strategy of live events.
Key takeaways include:
– Setting up Facebook ad campaigns for event registration.
– Targeting parameters to find your ideal attendees.
– Creative strategies for ad images and copy.
– Retargeting people who visited your page but didn’t buy.
– Using Facebook Events features to maximize organic reach.
Module 8: LinkedIn Hacks for B2B Events
For those in the business-to-business space, LinkedIn is the undisputed king. Jorge Olson takes the helm in this module to show you how to fill niche, high-ticket events using LinkedIn hacks. Even if you have zero experience or zero connections on the platform, this training provides a roadmap to attracting cold prospects and turning them into warm leads who are eager to attend your seminar.
Key takeaways include:
– Optimizing your LinkedIn profile for event authority.
– Messaging scripts that invite prospects without being spammy.
– Using LinkedIn Groups to find clusters of your ideal audience.
– Advanced search tactics to build a list of attendees.
– The “hand-holder” approach to converting LinkedIn connections into event registrants.
Module 9: Securing Profitable Sponsorships
Sponsors can be the difference between an event that breaks even and an event that generates a massive profit margin before a single ticket is sold. In this module, Dan Kennedy and GKIC President Nick Loise break down how to look for sponsors and, more importantly, how to pitch them. You get a Sponsorship Prospectus Example that models exactly what to say to attract big money to your event.
Key takeaways include:
– Identifying companies that would benefit from sponsoring your event.
– Crafting a proposal that highlights ROI for the sponsor.
– The different tiers of sponsorship and what to offer at each level.
– How being a sponsor at GKIC events can model behavior for your potential sponsors.
– Avoiding common pitfalls that scare sponsors away.
Module 10: Mastering Niche Events & Current Trends
Not every event is a massive marketing seminar. Marty Fort and Sonal Sullivan close out the training by focusing on niche markets—like music academies—and the current trends in event planning. As audiences become bored with the “same old thing,” this module teaches you how to innovate. It covers critical details that make events profitable in challenging markets and how to keep people engaged in a distraction-filled world.
Key takeaways include:
– Adapting the Event Hacks system for small, niche markets.
– Modern trends in event entertainment and engagement.
– How to differentiate your event from competitors.
– Action guides specifically for niche event implementation.
– Keeping your event content fresh and exciting year after year.
Real-World Applications and Success Stories
The strategies within Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks are not hypothetical; they are applied in the real world every day. Consider the application for a financial advisor. Instead of trying to close high-net-worth clients over a coffee, they could host a “Wealth Preservation Dinner.” Using the segmentation strategies in Module 2, they invite only their top prospects. Using the psychology from Module 1, they frame the dinner as exclusive, high-value education. By the time dessert is served, the advisor has built enough trust to close multi-million dollar accounts—something that would take months of cold calls to achieve otherwise.
Then there is the story of the music academy owner, Marty Fort, who contributes to the course. By applying these “hacks” to a local niche business, he was able to fill workshops that not only generated immediate revenue from tuition fees but also secured long-term students for his academy. The success stories coming out of GKIC consistently point to one commonality: the willingness to use live events as the central hub of their marketing wheel. Whether it is the Info-SUMMIT filling massive hotels or a local business owner packing a community room, the blueprint scales. The ability to monetize through sponsorships, backend sales, and stage offers means that students of this course often report making more in a single weekend than they do in months of standard operation.
Pricing
Investing in Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks is a decision to acquire a business asset rather than just buying a course. Given that the system includes years of testing and millions of dollars in R&D, the value far exceeds the price tag. While prices can vary based on current promotions, it is typically offered as a comprehensive physical and digital package.
- One-Time Payment: This grants you lifetime access to all core trainings, booster sessions, and the extensive swipe file library. There are no monthly fees, ensuring you can focus on implementing the material without recurring costs eating into your budget.
When you consider the potential ROI—filling a room with 50 people at $1,000 each, or securing a $10,000 sponsor—the cost of the course pays for itself many times over with the very first event you host. It is a capital expenditure that immediately turns into a profit-generating engine.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Proven Blueprint: The system is extracted directly from GKIC’s multi-million dollar events, ensuring it works in the real world.
- Comprehensive Toolkit: The inclusion of swipe files, templates, and scripts saves hundreds of hours of work.
- Multiple Monetization Paths: Teaches you to make money in 6 different ways, reducing financial risk.
- Expert Instruction: Learn directly from Dan Kennedy and guest experts who specialize in specific niches like Facebook and LinkedIn.
- Psychological Depth: Goes beyond logistics to tackle the psychological barriers of attendees.
- Versatility: Applicable to massive seminars, intimate workshops, and free local events alike.
Cons
- Information Density: The material is dense and may require multiple reviews to fully grasp.
- Old-School Style: Some of the core concepts rely on direct mail and traditional methods, which may feel dated to pure digital natives.
- Implementation Required: This is not a “get rich quick” scheme; you must do the work of planning and promoting.
- Physical Format: Depending on the version, receiving CDs/DVDs might be inconvenient for those who prefer 100% streaming.
- Price Point: The investment might be steep for absolute beginners with no starting capital.
- Niche Specificity: Some of the LinkedIn/Facebook tactics may require updates as platform algorithms change.
FAQs
Is this course suitable for beginners?
Yes, while the content is advanced, it is structured to guide you from the planning phase to execution. Beginners will benefit immensely from the templates to avoid common mistakes.
Does Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks cover virtual or online events?
The primary focus is on live, in-person events as they offer the highest monetization potential. However, many of the marketing and psychological principles apply to virtual summits as well.
What format is the course delivered in?
The course typically includes Audio CDs, DVDs, and Enhanced Transcripts, along with digital downloads for the tools and templates.
Can I use these strategies for small, local workshops?
Absolutely. In fact, Module 10 specifically addresses niche events and small workshops, showing you how to fill them effectively.
How is this different from other event planning courses?
Most courses focus on logistics (catering, chairs, lighting). This course focuses 80% on the marketing, selling, and profit-generating aspects of the event.
What if I don’t have a large email list yet?
The course teaches strategies for building lists and using partners/sponsors, as well as social media hacks to fill rooms even without a large existing database.
Final Verdict
In the crowded world of marketing education, Dan Kennedy – Event Hacks stands out as a pragmatic, results-driven system. It doesn’t just teach you how to throw a party; it teaches you how to run a business unit that produces massive cash flow. If you are serious about scaling your business, building authority, and creating deep connections with your customers, live events are the ultimate vehicle. This course hands you the GPS to navigate that terrain successfully.
The sheer volume of swipe files and templates alone justifies the investment, saving you from the “blank page syndrome” that plagues first-time event promoters. While the teaching style is direct and the workload required to implement is significant, the potential payoff is life-changing. Whether you are a coach looking to sell high-ticket programs or a business owner wanting to cement customer loyalty, the skills taught here are indispensable. I highly recommend this course for anyone ready to stop playing small and start dominating their market through the power of live events. It is a masterclass in ROI and a must-have for your marketing library.
