All About Summits — Exploring Their Purpose in a Community

With the upcoming Built to be Seen summit happening here in this community, I’ve been thinking about something that might be useful for all of us who are building communities.

A summit can mean many different things depending on how it’s designed. For some communities, a summit is primarily about visibility — bringing many voices together so members can discover new ideas, tools, and communities.

For others, a summit serves as a moment of momentum — a way to re-energize a group, increase participation, and create a shared experience inside the community.

And for speakers or facilitators, summits can also be a powerful way to:

• introduce your work to new audiences

• build credibility through collaboration

• connect with other community builders

• test and refine your ideas with real people

But I’m curious about the deeper side of this. For those who have participated in or hosted summits before:

• What makes a summit truly valuable for a community?

• What differentiates a summit that creates real connection vs. one that just feels like a series of presentations?

• If you’ve spoken at a summit, what benefits did you see afterward?

• If you attended one, what made it worth your time?

I’d love to hear the ins and outs from people who’ve experienced them.

Understanding how summits actually serve communities could help many of us design better events, collaborations, and opportunities to participate in summits within our own fields.

Curious to hear your thoughts — let’s explore this together.

Ann-Marie 🌞

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