Capsule's VIP dinner invitations achieve exceptional open and response rates by leading with value, not product. Subject lines like "VIP creative dinner in [city]" at recognizable restaurants get attention from busy executives who ignore typical sales outreach. Including peer attendees from recognized brands creates social proof and FOMO. Even prospects who can't attend convert into sales conversations because the invitation itself positions Capsule as solving their exact problem.

The ideal event mix is 20% best customers, 10% internal team (including CEO and top sales reps), and 70% dream prospects. Attendees consistently cite guest curation—being surrounded by true peers and people they look up to—as the most valuable aspect of Capsule's events. A dinner with 7-8 highly-qualified people outperforms events with 30+ mixed-quality attendees. Everyone's time is limited; junior ICs who can't add value to peer discussions kill the experience.

Capsule asks every attendee "What's your big bet on video this year?" at the start of every dinner. This single question serves multiple functions: it's genuinely interesting for all attendees to hear, it surfaces pain points and priorities for the sales team, and it creates natural follow-up conversation hooks. The question has worked so effectively that they haven't changed it, proving you don't need to constantly reinvent what works.

A simple tactical move that dramatically improves event experience—having attendees switch seats before dessert ensures everyone connects with multiple people and prevents anyone from being stuck in an unproductive conversation all night. This small detail demonstrates the level of thoughtfulness that makes events memorable and valuable for attendees.

Attendees want to know who's hosting and why everyone is gathered, but they don't want a product demo at dinner. Natalie provides a brief intro explaining Capsule's role in the conversation—giving context about the company and why it relates to the discussion topic—then lets authentic connections happen. This approach respects attendees' intelligence while still ensuring they understand the commercial context.

After identifying in-person events as their most successful go-to-market motion, Natalie's first hire post-Series A was a head of events to scale the program. Too many marketing teams spread resources thin across multiple mediocre channels rather than doubling down on what actually works. When you find a scalable channel that converts, invest in making it excellent before adding new experiments.

For intimate dinners of 12-16 people, staying under $10,000 total (including travel, team costs, food, and videographer) is totally manageable even in expensive markets like San Francisco and New York. Going significantly over that threshold requires justifying the spend. This budget discipline forces prioritization on what actually matters—the people in the room—rather than expensive production that doesn't drive results.

Always have a skilled videographer capturing B-roll, photos, and pulling attendees aside for short video interviews with related questions. This content serves multiple purposes: social proof for future event promotions, testimonial material, and demonstrating the value of the community you're building. The content investment pays dividends across multiple campaigns.