Why Offline Seminars Are a Waste of Time and Money Ft. Pranjal Kamra

Exceptions exist, but that’s true for the majority of influencer-led workshops, at least in the finance education, motivation, and entrepreneurship domains. 

Influencer-led offline events are a big, lucrative market. Sponsors line up, thousands of tickets are sold, and people love interacting with their favourite influencer. Even with minimal effort, money just flows in. 

But we have never conducted a single offline event. Why? 

Here are 2 big reasons in Pranjal’s own words: 

1. Feels Like “God Complex”

As a finance educator, I can’t really add any value by teaching offline. Everything I have to offer, everything that I can say, can be said and delivered just as effectively online. It would have been a different story had I been an artist. Say a dancer, singer, or an actor. The experience of consuming these art forms is enhanced multifold when you experience them live. 

But as a finance educator and an entrepreneur, online mediums don’t hamper the effectiveness of what I have to deliver. 

•     So why make you travel? 
•     Why charge you high ticket prices? 
•     Why flood the city with my billboards?

I think these influencer events serve a critical purpose. They are designed to increase brand recall and value. Here is how it’s usually done: 

• Attendees are bombarded with loud music.
• Celebrity friends praise the influencer.
• Influencer enters with half a dozen bodyguards. 
• Some useless "live" world records are created.
• Audience is required to shout slogans praising the influencers. 
• Influencer conducts a generic 1-hour “educational training session”.

I have been an “esteemed guest” in a couple of such events. I have to confess I am embarrassed to have accepted the invite. I remember promising myself that I would never do this to my audience.  

Basically, it’s nothing but a way to create a cult around the influencer. Save yourself, run away!

Exceptions- Art that needs live coaching is a good use case for such events, and it can actually add value. Learning subjects like baking, pottery, etc., are better delivered in live offline events, but not financial education. 

2. It’s a way to make big money, unethically. 

All the event organisers do is:

• Sell expensive tickets
• Tie-up with scammy brands 
• Sell useless merchandise or books
• Enrol you in a junk mentorship program

The possibilities are endless when you have an unsuspecting captive audience. I can’t tell you my hate for such snake oil sellers. 

• They make their audience (usually young college-going students) travel for hours from all corners of the country.
• The audience comes with high expectations and excitement.
• They end up spending all their savings, often even borrowing from friends and family.
• All they get is bright lights, loud music, a grand entry, and scammy products.

With Finology, I want to build a community that appreciates what we do and fairly criticises us when we commit a mistake. I am not looking to be a larger-than-life finance God. 

• We don’t need blind followers; we are not a cult. 
• We don’t want you to dance to our tunes.
• We don’t want to sell you stuff by numbing your senses.

Instead...

We want you to take an informed decision when you buy something from us (we primarily have 2 things to sell: Finology ONE and Finology 30. And we are in no hurry to sell them to you. 

Offline seminars would mean high ticket costs for you (logistics, auditorium, food, and a distraction from our core job for the small team at Finology). We believe we can deliver everything that a seminar offers (and much more) for an entire year at a fraction of the cost with Finology ONE. 

Therefore, my friend, we don’t and will not do offline events.