How to ‘Hybridize’ your events for the best results?
There are situations when a virtual event is the only option, such as during this global pandemic. In many cases, an in-person event will be the most effective way to collect leads and engage your audience.
Hybrid events, or events that combine in-person and virtual experiences, will be an essential part of the events industry’s new normal.
Event technology tools are incorporated into the traditional event flow to create new types of attendee experiences and new ways to increase event engagement.
A hybrid event must include a live gathering with at least one group of attendees who meet face-to-face while also connecting with remote participants.
The hybrid event also allows you to keep the gains you made from creating virtual experiences over the previous years while reintroducing the in-person experience.
The Primary Advantages of Hybrid Events:
The following are the primary advantages of the hybrid events for getting the best results:
- Reaching a larger, global audience (both in person and virtually);
- Reaching people who would not have been able to attend otherwise (due to travel restrictions or different time zones);
- Enabling safe online audience participation (concerns about social distancing and capacity control become less prevalent);
- Providing new and engaging ways to deliver the content;
- Eliminating travel costs for virtual attendees;
- Connecting multiple simultaneous events, regardless of time or space;
- By providing personalized content at the right time, you can increase the reach of your message.
Planning the Ideal Hybrid Event:
A successful hybrid event necessitates planning and brainstorming. Hybrid events are more adaptable and welcoming.
Some of the steps in planning the hybrid events are as follows:
- Defining the strategy of the event
- Attractive content should be in place
- The venue should be decided
- All the virtual and in-person audiences should be engaged
- Check for the right sponsors and the partners
Examples of the Hybrid Events:
Hybrid events are the ideal solution for programs that can be held both on-site and virtually. Here are a few examples of ideal hybrid event programs:
- Trade shows
- Conferences
- Sales launches
- Global town halls
Types of the Hybrid Events:
The common types of hybrid events are as follows:
- Internal Hybrid Events:
- The internal stakeholders of your business, such as personnel, leadership, and employees, gain from internal events.
- External Hybrid Events:
- External events are programs aimed at your customers, prospects, clients, and so on.
Steps to Hybridize Events:
The following are some of the key steps for the strategic road map.
- Defining the goals of the Event:
- Starting your hybrid event planning begins with defining your event goals.
- Your objectives could range from generating direct revenue to simply improving customer satisfaction.
- Considering the External Factors:
- Social, technological, political, and digital transformation trends in events may all have an impact on your event.
- For example, safety and public health measures may influence where and how your event is held and whether or not to hold a hybrid event.
- Budget Planning:
- There are some requirements within the most relevant solutions for virtual & hybrid events to which you must pay attention and allocate a significant portion of your budget.
- Some examples are video production, streaming services, content development, a good internet connection, and a virtual event platform.
- Define a method for measuring the success of your event:
- Like live events that benefit from event tech tools, hybrid events provide event organizers with a dual opportunity to collect reports and analytics.
- The event success rate measurement depends on the event’s goals.
- For example, if you want to increase revenue, you should consider future sales.
- Know about your target audience:
- You’ll have different types of audiences at hybrid events who are more likely to consume your content in different ways and at different times.
- As a result, you must ensure that, even though these diverse groups will experience your event in different ways, the overall outcome will be successful.
- The good thing is that when you have audiences in different locations, time creates more than just challenges. It generates possibilities.
Webstream Communications is one such organization that offers customers a variety of options for making their hybrid events a success. They provide live webcasting, video conferencing, 3D platforms, and many other services.
