Why Underdog Con is a paid event

A question I get sometimes is why we charge for tickets at Underdog Con. "Giving away free tickets is a good hack, y'know?"

Yes, I get it.

There are many free events around – exhibitions, meet-ups, and conferences. How exactly does Underdog Con differentiate? What's our edge?

Don't get me wrong. I believe in giving away lots of value. If you can't afford a paid event, go for free ones. Leverage them. But here are the reasons why we charge a fee for the conference.

1 - Sustainability

Unlike free events that come and go, we choose profitability, so we can continue making these events. The more we make, the more value we can create.

When you think about someone who makes a lot of money, what do you think about? For a lot of people, that money mindset they grew up with is, some rich person scamming others and then hoarding all that wealth like Scrooge McDuck.

But that's not true for a lot of businesses. The more they make, the more value they can create by hiring people, deploying better systems, and creating good customer service.

The problem with free events is that they are not sustainable, especially without sponsors. And so they pop up once or twice, and then die. That's no good for anyone.

2 - A different kind of crowd

I've run free, low-cost events and premium events. The difference? The people who walk in the door. And that makes all the difference.

Attend a free event, and you'll meet people who want free things and aim for free. On the other hand, the people who pay for value tend to provide more value to others. They don't have a scarcity mindset.

This shift makes the event better for everyone. When you step into Underdog Con, you know you'll meet great people.

3 - People who pay, pay attention

Underdog Con participants attend on time and leave at the end of the conference. They focus intently and don't waste their time at an event, scrolling on their phones or zoning out.

When people pay for things, they take it seriously. Give away free tickets and what happens: late arrivals, half-attention, no-shows.

We don't think about the air we breathe, because it costs us nothing. Free has its place. But when people pay, they pay attention.

4 - Money is a marker that you're doing the right thing

Anybody can get someone to follow them on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. But you have to be really good for someone to pull out their credit card and pay you.

Nobody trips and falls into spending RM200, RM500, or RM2,000. You have to be good. You are paid for the value you bring. If customers are happily paying you, it means you're providing value with whatever you're offering.

Money is a marker that you're doing the right thing.

See what's working right now in AI marketing

The main reason for putting Underdog AI Con together is to create a space for all of us to discover what the others are doing, and to learn from them – taking the best bits and implementing them in our business.

This round, we're focusing on AI marketing, and the curated speakers are practitioners who will share their AI processes and how they're leveraging this incredible tech to do more and better.

Get a ticket to Underdog AI Con (Tickets limited to 150 participants)