STR Conferences: Are They Worth It and How to Get the Most Value

Short-term rental conferences are a big investment of time, money, and energy. Are they worth it? And if you go, how do you actually get the most out of them?

Jasper shares 12 years of conference experience, from Airbnb Open in 2014 to GuestyVal Madrid and VRMA Nashville, with practical advice on how to maximize the value of any STR conference you attend.

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You will learn:

Why the operators who get the least value from conferences are the ones who show up without a plan, and what to think through before you book your ticketHow getting on stage or joining a panel changes the entire conference experience, saves you money on the ticket, and gives you automatic credibility before you say a wordWhy most operators underestimate how much value they have to share, and why you should apply for a speaking slot even if you are not sure you will get itHow to use the conference app to book meetings before you arrive, and why protecting your open time from aggressive vendors is just as important as who you scheduleWhat Freewyld Foundry is doing at VRMA Nashville: a workshop on building an AI revenue management agent (Tuesday 11:30 AM), a surprise in-person event Monday night, and a booth with free revenue audits

We also talk about:

The real value of going to a conference is not the sessions, it is the personal connections, and most people are too passive to make themHow VRMA compares to IMN and regional conferences, and which type fits your goalsWhy traveling with a baby has kept Jasper to two conferences in 2026, and what the European conference calendar looks like for 2027The energy and motivation from being around other operators is underrated, and why getting out of your day-to-day once or twice a year is worth it on its own

Mentioned in the Episode:

Freewyld Foundry Free Revenue Report: freewyldfoundry.com/get-startedVRMA Nashville: October 4-6, stop by the Freewyld Foundry boothEmail Jasper: jasper@freewyldfoundry.com

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