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Social Media Decoded
Building Community at Scale: Live with Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz
00:33:07
In this live episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames sits down with Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, to explore how real-world events and community are shaping the future of visibility, connection, and growth in 2026.
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- [00:02]
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- [00:55]
Michelle
Hey everyone. Welcome back to Social Media Decoded. And today is big because y', all, we are doing this live and if you're joining us on LinkedIn, YouTube or Facebook, welcome. I'm so excited to have you here and even on Riverside. Welcome to the guests watching here via Riverside. So excited to have you. So today I you are in the right place. Okay. So you could be listening to this also later on the podcast as well. So Social Media Decoded is where we break down visibility, community and how brands and leaders actually grow and in real life and not just online. And today's conversation is especially powerful because live events and community are becoming one of the strongest visibility tools that we have right now. Y' all know that is true. Okay. And so I'm beyond excited. I'm like ecstatic to welcome today's guest, Julia Hartz, the CEO and co founder of Eventbrite. And if you've been following me online, you already know that I love Eventbrite and I've been getting down with Eventbrite all year year for multiple years actually. And Eventbrite has helped millions of creators, entrepreneurs and brands bring people together right, which is really important through live experiences. And Julia has been at the forefront of shaping how community and events evolve in this digital world. Julia, welcome to Social Media Decoded. I'm so glad that you are here.
- [02:18]
Julia Hartz
Hey Michelle, thanks so much for having me. I'm absolutely thrilled to be here and just honored to be in the virtual room with an Eventbrite power user. And you let me know that you've been on the platform for over six years and have hosted almost a hundred events using Eventbrite. So the honor is absolutely mine.
- [02:41]
Michelle
Yes, I am excited to dive into this conversation and I always love starting here because people, you know, they see the brand, but they don't see the journey. And so can you take us back to the beginning? What really inspired Eventbrite and what problem were you really trying to solve when you started?
- [02:58]
Julia Hartz
Well, when we started Eventbrite, it was three of us co founders, and we all came to it from a slightly different angle. And so what actually was born was this singular focus, but an amalgamation of things that we found really interesting. So I'll start with myself. I was a former television executive. I'd worked on Jackass and at FX on shows like Nip Tuck and Rescue Me and the Shield. And during that very early career, I had the amazing pleasure of working with some incredible creatives. And one of them was the documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. And one of his ideas was around building out a series of stories that really follow different fandoms. And so in that process of researching that concept, I was in rooms with people who were super passionate about niche topics, things that I could never even begin to understand. And they were complete strangers and they were just absolutely bonded in a way. I mean, the energy in the room was palpable. And you talk about holding a room, and I feel like that was the first time that I had been in a room where I felt like, wow, I don't belong, but I feel like I'm a part of a community just by being there. So that was. That was my, like, lodged in my subconsciousness. Kevin, who when we founded the company, was my fiance and I'm very happy to say is still my husband and co founder of many things, not least of which Eventbrite and humans. He had come from a background of being passionate in building platforms that could democratize industries. So he had previously founded a company called Zoom X O O M which was focused on sending money, people being able to send money back to their families. So immigrants who were sending microtransactions back to their family from their paycheck. So essentially the next gen of Western Union, but better, faster, more effective. And Renault Visage, our third co founder, is an incredibly talented cto, but also during the day or night, depending on. On his hours. He is an ins talented photographer and he was really focused on how we could build something that could help people turn their passions into profit, which, you know, we founded the company in 2006 and very quickly had to put that to test because in 2008, 9, there was a massive financial crisis that affected a lot of people's jobs. And that's when Eventbrite actually started to take off because people came to the platform to start teaching classes, to make extra money, to start networking, to find new jobs. And that was really the beginning. And so you know, at the end of the day, our North Star has been for 20 years to bring the world together through live experiences and primarily to help event creators be more successful.
- [06:05]
Michelle
I love that 20 years. I mean just congratulations on.
- [06:10]
Julia Hartz
Thank you.
- [06:10]
Michelle
All the amazing things and working with your husband. I work with my husband so I definitely admire that. It is a work of labor of love, I would say. Right, A labor of love. Absolutely. Congratulations to both of you. That is so awesome. And I know one thing that I talk a lot about is visibility. It's, it's, you know, it's today. It's, it's not just about posting. It's about proximity, connection and experience, which is a lot of what you just talked about. And so from your perspective, how have events evolved as a visibility and community building tool over the years?
- [06:43]
Julia Hartz
Well, you know it's interesting. We've in 20 years seen the, you know, rise of mobile, social, big data AI. There's, there's just a, you know, these different waves of innovation and in each one we've always sought out the way in which that innovation or access to tools or you know, capability could help a creator be more successful in gathering people in real life. Oh, we also went through a pandemic and so you know, that existential crisis of could we actually be together? We, we saw that through as well. So I can tell you definitively that you know, getting together in real life is not a nice to have, it's a must have. It's part of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is connectedness. It's really long studied and proven that isolation is as harmful to one's physical health and certainly mental health as many other things that have warning labels on them today because they're so harmful. And so when I think about how, how live events have evolved, they also have gone through different trends and waves. And you know, I'm really excited to, to share with you today some of the things that we unearthed for particularly creat community organizers for 2026 moving forward on what our research shows that I think, you know, our message is not an anti technology message. Eventbrite is a technology company. We build technology to help creators find more people and help people find more events. And so discovery itself of an event has really Become part of the thrill for people. I think that, that overall humans are trusting humans more than platforms for recommendations. And so, you know, if you're marketing an event or you're building a brand, I think your best channel is not always what we're finding is, is not always the algorithm, algorithm tweak. It's really about relationships, it's about referrals, it's about what other creators in your community are doing. And it's not a zero sum game. And we've long, since we've long seen that in our, in our customers. You know, when we bring creators together, it's not like it's, you know, it's not like they're all standing in a corner away from each other, like, I'm not going to share with you, I'm going to gatekeep my secrets. It is just the opposite. It's like this wonderful, you know, combination of creative ideas and tips and ways in which they can help each other. And I think like community organizing is a pretty insane profession and it's a team sport. And so what we really want to amplify through some of the research that we're unveiling this week is, you know, how these aren't secrets that people are holding close to their chest. These are ways in which you can use everyday tools in each other to compound the strength of your gathering and be able to host more gatherings. I mean, I think that truly is one of the common denominators of those like yourself, who are really great at holding a room and bringing people together.
- [10:09]
Michelle
I love that. And yeah, it is a skill, like you said, community building and like just getting people together. Right. But I think this is so much what we need right now in this, just this day and time. Right. It's just more community and connection. And so I want to ask you, what are you seeing, like some examples maybe that work right now for entrepreneurs and creators who want to use events to, to grow their brand or business?
- [10:31]
Julia Hartz
Well, you know, what we did is we went out and we really dug under the surface. There's so many signals out there. And certainly every week, if you're a marketer, you're paying attention to kind of the signals and the noise. And what we found is that niche is the new mass market that to us is really important to reflect out into the community because, you know, over half of the consumers that we talk to, people are going to events, just regular people. They want something to feel under the radar. They actually want to not go to a mass market event. They want Design. They want content that is designed to, to feel like an insider tip. So like small batch drops or text a friend, invites, wait lists, secret lineups, there's like, I think in our lives there's a void of spontaneity and of surprise. And so much of what we're consuming has already been predetermined to be served up to us that I think people are starting to get wise to that and feel like, oh wow, there's no like element of the unexpected. And so I think community organizers and event creators and promoters can really be that conduit to make their audience feel like they discovered it, not like they were targeted by it, if that makes sense. And I also think that, you know, these, these same people are really valuing authenticity. And I think we all feel that in a world where you can, you know, order pretty much anything on your phone and have it arrive, if you live in a major metro, have it arrive within hours to your doorstep. Authenticity is the new luxury. Because if everything is instantaneous, right? And access is not a luxury, then local connection, participation, organic moments that matter that are, you know, less polished, production, more again, spontaneous feeling and authentic. I think that's what people are really valuing. And so the way I would bridge that to social marketing is to, to, to say stop over producing everything. Like, you know, let your behind the scenes, imperfect in progress story do the work because that's what people are looking to connect with and that will make them actually want to come to your gathering because they'll see that you value authenticity.
- [13:08]
Michelle
And I know you see me over here shaking my head and putting my hands together like, yes, yes. Because this is exactly what I've been saying. This is, it's. You're, you're. I mean, I know you're a pro at this because of course you've been with Eventbrite and you've been doing this, but wow, right? It's just simple as leaning into that authenticity. But like I heard you say more of these secret events or you know, limited. People really do love that, right? To be a part of something that's maybe not masked. Like I, I was talking to your assistant before this and we were just chatting about how I don't even post any of my events on like my social media like that, right? I post them on Eventbrite and I find new people every day who are amazing and would not have found me if it wasn't for Eventbrite. So I'm so grateful for what you have been doing. It's, it's Just so amazing. So I know there are. You're welcome. This is just, this is that one.
- [14:03]
Julia Hartz
More, One more point on this. I, you know, we found 8 and 8 out of 10 people want to attend more events. I mean, that's a, That's a massive signal, that's, that's indisputable that particularly Gen Z millennials expect to attend more events in the year ahead. So that that intention is undeniable. One thing, you know, that someone can do in a mindset that a creator can get into that's quite easy, is to think about the fact that every single gathering that you host, you know, I know you've hosted more than a hundred, but we can see that a hundred on, on the platform, each one was entirely and utterly unique and one of a kind. Not because you had the most amazing secret or surprise or, you know, crazy element at every event, simply because those people gathered in that place at that time in a way that would never, ever repeat itself. And so, you know, I often think of, like, these incredible moments in history that we only know were history after the fact, or there are these amazing moments where you're like, in the moment, you're like, I'm never going to forget this.
- [15:27]
Michelle
I'm.
- [15:28]
Julia Hartz
This is history. But that's like, usually pretty rare. Usually it's in hindsight that we realized that was just this, like, history, historic, incredible moment. And those indelible memories are made every single time you gather people, because those. That event will never happen in that way in the same place and time with those same people. And so that uniqueness is something that I think is undervalued and certainly can just be the springboard for telling your story, marketing, and getting people out to come to these events, because just by virtue of them being there, is them participating in something that will never happen again.
- [16:08]
Michelle
I love that. Participating in something that you'll never happen again. That's such a good point. And of course, with things like events, I'm sure there's mistakes that people are making. So this is what I want to touch on next, because I've made multiple mistakes. But from the expert, what is one mistake that you see people make when hosting events and some simple thing, like maybe one thing that they could do better or tweak immediately?
- [16:33]
Julia Hartz
Well, I often look to somebody that I greatly admire in this realm, and she speaks about the generous authority of hosting, which is Ms. Priya Parker. She's an author and speaker and scholar on the science and the art of gathering. She wrote a book called the Art of Gathering. And I think that one, one, one simple thing that I think, and certainly myself as a host, I see creators get wrong most often is they think a lot about the logistics, right? The who, what, when, where, how the great creators think about the feeling that they want to evoke the emotion. But we often go linearly in our minds and think about the opening of an event and the welcome, and we don't think about the closing of the event. And we kind of do this in general as society. Like we're about to come up on the Winter Olympics, right? And I bet that many, many millions of people are going to watch the opening ceremony, and a fraction of that are going to watch the closing ceremony. And actually it's the closing ceremony. It's that generous authority of how you close an event that lasts with people because it's. It's simply the last memory they have of the event, right? So whether it's a dinner and you're the host and you're generous enough to say, we're going to wrap the formal programming of this dinner, if you'd like to stay, please do. But if you need to get home, I mean, I. That is my one trick for a super happy dinner party is to give people the elegant off ramp. And so at events, you know, oftentimes they just kind of like fizzle out. And it's like we have this whole thing around being the last person at the party or shutting down the party. Well, the person that should be shutting down the party is the creator and the person who wants to leave everybody with that parting gift. Either, you know, quite literally a gift or, or a message or a reflection. And I often see that getting missed.
- [18:51]
Michelle
Yeah, yeah. Closing out the event, right? Not awkwardly either.
- [18:55]
Julia Hartz
Yes. Felt like, thanks, everybody. Okay. And like, you know, of course you want to fall down. You're so tired from hosting, is like one of the hardest jobs ever. But like actually giving somebody something to remember.
- [19:08]
Michelle
Absolutely, yes. It is a hard job. So shout out to all the hosts, the event hosts listening. We know and we understand because you do have to give a lot of yourselves, but I get fulfillment from it, actually. It just. I'm on such a high after each event. It's just like, I'm like, when is the next one? When is the next one? So I definitely understand and I know the hosts and event creators listening, appreciate that, that it does take a large undertaking. So you've led massive events from in person and virtual hybrid, all the things. But I want to talk about you, Julia, and how you personally stay grounded and focused. As a CEO, I know you have four children. I'm a mom as well. And how do you stay focused when the landscape just keeps changing?
- [19:51]
Julia Hartz
Well, you know, I think it's. It's about grounding yourself in what matters most. And, you know, recently I had a. A kind of, like, unexpected moment where I was looking at the faces on Zoom and I was realizing that everyone else was somewhere where I wasn't like, it just was like, I call it dead face, but it wasn't. It was just more so that's how I was described. That's how I was internalizing it. And it was really disorienting to me because I'm such a team player that I am constantly trying to find the common ground and, and move as a. As a unit, as a team. And so, you know, I got off the zoom and I just felt awful. And I was like, oh, no, like, I've lost the signal. I. I can't. It's almost. It's almost. I was like. It was like, you know, I could just hear like, static in my ears. I'm like, oh, God, what is this? And then I. I sat and I reflected on, you know what, I've said this a lot on this call, but, like, the signal, what signal could I find that could be relevant for my team and. And could bond us all? And so I thought about, you know, what do we all agree on? We all agree on taking care of our customers, and we all agree on our obsession with those who create and attend events. We also agree on how important it is to take care of each other and to look out for one another as we call ourselves Breitlings. And that's, you know, really the hallmark of our. Of our. Our, you know, long standing cultural traditions. And then the third thing is we all love to have fun. Like, we don't take ourselves too seriously, and when we do, it's kind of a disaster. And we all feel like, you know, not ourselves when we do that. And so I needed to really tap in to less of this, like, you know, scripted plan and more of, like, the spontaneity of leadership. And we actually also see that in our research, which is that people love to feel like something is off script and that at an event or in a meeting is really the leader's responsibility is to be tapped in enough to know that you have an agenda, but that you also see where people are and you're willing to give the space and. And again, back to this, like, generous authority. The space and time to see what Happens, you know, I think you probably have all have. Have experienced this where you're like, okay, by 9:05 we need to be doing this, and by 9:20 we need to be doing this. And then we need to be transitioning to this. And then I have this speaker and it's like. And you're just in like robot, you know, compartmentalization high, you know, tactical mode, and you kind of lose your audience. So in this case, I went back to the team a couple days later and I said, listen, I think we should do these three things. I think we should just talk about our customer, I think we should just talk about each other. And I think we should just have fun as we're moving through these different changes and challenges. And let's not forget that, you know, you only live once. And like, this is a really unique time for us to all be together and we shouldn't take that for granted. And oh my God, it was like day and night. I mean, certainly for me, but I could definitely see the energy shift. And so I think that we need to stop scripting every word. We need to be. We need to leave room for the unexpected, for the live Q and A at the event, for the audience, prompts for unexpected cameos, for, you know, connections that will create these indelible memories. And we need to be present. And I think present beats perfection all day long. And that's something that I've learned as, as a leader. And I mean, that's a. That's a recent, a very recent lesson.
- [24:13]
Michelle
Wow, that is. I mean, thank you so much for sharing that. I think so many people can relate, you know, because I think again, going back to what it all takes to put together event, our minds are always there. Like, okay, gotta make sure we don't wanna keep people over time. But like, you do have to leave time for. Because things happen. I mean, every single time I have an event. And I'm sure you can attest to that there is something. Like there is always going to be something. So you might as well have it in your head that it's going to be something and just figure out how to ease in with dealing with that instead of freaking out or spiraling. Because then you lost the whole event and the people together.
- [24:47]
Julia Hartz
Sometimes the magic happens in between the planned moments and that can unearth that moment that people are talking about forever, right? And the reason why they're going to tell their friends that they went to this event or they're going to post something about the event that like, that magic happens in between.
- [25:11]
Michelle
Oh, and I know. So I got something exciting. Okay. And so looking ahead, and I know you all just yesterday came out with a special report. Yeah. And so I want to dive just a little, a little into this and what really excites you most about the future of events and community? And can you touch on this special report that Eventbrite has put out?
- [25:32]
Julia Hartz
Absolutely. So we just published our 2026 social study, which is, you know, our way of taking all the goodness of, of data and research and insights and again, not gatekeeping those, turning those right around and putting them into context for people. So understand, you know, we have the data that we're seeing through millions of events and hundreds of millions of, of connections every year. And so, you know, the headline is really simple. This year, Gen Z and Millennials are in a reset to real moment. Especially with the.
- [26:09]
Michelle
It's.
- [26:09]
Julia Hartz
It's no, you know, surprise or coincidence that with the rise of artificially generated content, you know, stories, characters, we as humans are, are becoming more and more in tune as we start to adopt these, this, this new norm and these new tools. We're becoming very in tune with what's staged. And so, you know, overall, and I talked a little bit about this earlier, but overall, people are looking for live experiences that feel unpolished, surprising and human. They're really putting their trust in people and becoming a bit more wary of platforms. So they want to know what people love to do directly from other people to discover what to do next. They want, you know, this is a really big shift for anyone building community and visibility on platforms. And the most successful creators and gatherers in 2026 are already doing this. Some other insights that we found were, you know, in a world where staying in and being served up an inordinate amount of content is so, so enticing, the venue matters more now than ever. So it doesn't have to be a fancy venue. But ultimately, almost half of our respondents said they would spend more money if the event is at a unique or exciting venue. And so because it signals this will be a story. Right. And funny enough, like a lot of people go to an event to actually post content back to their feed, which is an incredible virtuous cycle for event creators. So I think for small businesses and creators, like, your venue can be your differentiator, even if it's borrowed. Right. Again, it doesn't have to be fancy, but something unique and different. So partnering with a quirky local space and letting the setting do half your marketing is really what some of the most savvy event creators are doing today. Another thing is, you know, we've all become slightly socially awkward, slightly more socially awkward now that we're living a lot of our lives online, you know, behind like usernames and avatars and talking to chatbots.
- [28:38]
Michelle
So.
- [28:40]
Julia Hartz
Creators are finding that connection without pressure. I call it almost parallel play. You know, how toddlers like get together and they play, but they don't interact with one another. I think it's like parallel play for adults. Soft socializing is a Trend. So over 60% of people say socializing is somewhat important but don't want it to be the focus. So don't call it a singles event, you know, call it a run club and invite a bunch of single people. About half of people, also 45% want to control how and when they interact, so they don't want to be forced into interactions. And then about 40 people say they want to just sit back and observe. So I think that we need to think about building events and communities with multiple lanes, you know, observers, dabblers, super social folks, because I think that's a social strategy. It gives introverts a way in, but it also allows everyone to have a great time at the same event. And then the final thing, I'll share with you and I hope everybody goes and reads this report. It's, it's beautiful and insightful and useful. But 75% of people are more likely to attend an event that they tied to a cause they care about. And I really think that people are looking for ways to not only connect with their local community, almost 90% say that it's important that an event helps them feel connected to their local community. But I think it also gives an, an essence of contribution. So you know, that can come in many different ways. Skill swaps, art builds volunteering community outcomes, a collective, positive outcome. People want to feel useful and not just seen. And I think that is also a clue for us to lean into as creators.
- [30:36]
Michelle
Ooh, this is so good. And yes, everybody needs to go check out this report. I, you know, have definitely checked it out. I'm just so glad that you all put this out because it's important and you know, really can help shape future of events. And so you all definitely check it out. I'll make sure that we can link it below or some type of way, but we want you to go and check this out. Okay. So I'd love to do a quick rapid fire. So just the first thing that comes to mind, Julia, don't think too hard about it, okay? All right. In person or virtual?
- [31:08]
Julia Hartz
In person, yes.
- [31:10]
Michelle
Small intimate events or large conferences?
- [31:13]
Julia Hartz
Small, intimate events.
- [31:15]
Michelle
What makes an event unforgettable?
- [31:20]
Julia Hartz
Who you met in the conversations you had.
- [31:22]
Michelle
Ooh, that was good. One word you associate with community.
- [31:27]
Julia Hartz
Warmth.
- [31:28]
Michelle
Ooh, I love that. Yes. That was so good. So I love. You're so welcome. I love this conversation. I mean, I'm just over here just so grateful that we have been able to connect and share this with fellow event creators, community hosts, entrepreneurs. This is such an amazing conversation. And before we wrap up, what is one thing that you want entrepreneurs and leaders to remember about building community through events?
- [31:55]
Julia Hartz
You know, I think that it's. It's thinking about building gatherings that have layers and not labels. I mean, we see that almost 70% of people want to attend more events that combine different worlds or interests. And so the mashup is king. You know, coffee and running, wellness and energy cocktails and crafting. It's like cross pollination is building community faster than shouting just into one niche corner forever. And so thinking about it as a layering strategy and building your community, but also building the dynamicism of a gathering, I think is something that's going to help people really connect with the beauty of these gatherings. And again, the uniqueness. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Every event.
- [32:47]
Michelle
Awesome. Julia, thank you so much for your time, for your leadership. I feel that this conversation was so powerful and I know everyone listening, if you're listening live, if you're listening on the replay, I know we got some people in the comments sharing there. Let's see what they're saying. They're saying, yes, they love it and they want to get the link. Yes, they want to get the link to the report. So yes, you will get that. And so thank you so much. This was powerful. So again, if you're watching live, thank you for being here. This replay will be available and the audio and video will be dropping on all of the podcast platform soon. I know the podcast listeners love, love, love the interviews. And what a way to kick off 2026 with such an amazing interview. And if this conversation inspired you, please share it. Okay? That's the number one thing. Share it. Tag us. Okay. And let's keep building community with intention. This has been social media decoded live. Y' all. Stay tuned for more social media decoded lives. This will be a continuous series. I cannot wait to share future guests and experiences. And I will see you all in the next one. Thank you so much, Julia, for being here.
- [33:54]
Julia Hartz
Thank you for having me.
- [33:56]
Michelle
Peace everybody. Talk to you soon.
- [34:02]
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- [34:02]
Julia Hartz
What's happen?
- [34:04]
Native Deodorant Promoter
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- [34:06]
Michelle
Uh, yeah.
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- [34:24]
Julia Hartz
Wow. This smells heavenly clean.
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- [34:30]
Julia Hartz
It's native.
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- [35:02]
Julia Hartz
If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening.