From Summer Camps to 35,000 Attendees: Building Events That Outlive You
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this episode of Overnight Success, Cristy sits down with David Ramirez, award-winning marketer, technologist, and event strategist, to unpack what it really takes to build events—and systems—that stand the test of time.
From running summer camps in the woods to scaling an anime convention to 35,000+ attendees, David shares his unconventional journey through events, SaaS, higher education, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, he explains why rural communities often build deeper connections than big cities, how in-person events are becoming more important in the age of AI, and why true success isn’t visibility—it’s sustainability.
If you’re building communities, experiences, or businesses meant to last longer than you do, this episode is for you.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to David Ramirez
02:00 – Growing up in events & early leadership lessons
06:40 – Why rural events matter more than we think
09:30 – Identity, visibility, and showing up authentically
12:50 – The return of in-person events & third spaces
15:30 – Favorite (and least favorite) types of events
19:50 – David’s definition of success
24:00 – The worst swag ever (yes, really)
26:45 – Books & influences that shaped his thinking
31:00 – The hidden tech stacks behind major events
32:20 – Scaling San Japan from MVP to 35,000 attendees
38:30 – Where to find David & what’s next
More
In this episode of Overnight Success, Cristy sits down with David Ramirez, award-winning marketer, technologist, and event strategist, to unpack what it really takes to build events—and systems—that stand the test of time. From running summer camps in the woods to scaling an anime convention to 35,000+ attendees, David shares his unconventional journey through events, SaaS, higher education, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, he explains why rural communities often build deeper connections than big cities, how in-person events are becoming more important in the age of AI, and why true success isn’t visibility—it’s sustainability. If you’re building communities, experiences, or businesses meant to last longer than you do, this episode is for you. Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction to David Ramirez 02:00 – Growing up in events & early leadership lessons 06:40 – Why rural events matter more than we think 09:30 – Identity, visibility, and showing up authentically 12:50 – The return of in-person events & third spaces 15:30 – Favorite (and least favorite) types of events 19:50 – David’s definition of success 24:00 – The worst swag ever (yes, really) 26:45 – Books & influences that shaped his thinking 31:00 – The hidden tech stacks behind major events 32:20 – Scaling San Japan from MVP to 35,000 attendees 38:30 – Where to find David & what’s next