During the pandemic, companies had to develop other ways of programming – virtual events – which eventually became the new normal. Soon, the virtual Zoom meetings became a lifestyle and eventually post-pandemic, they suck with our daily schedules. On the other hand, some companies turned to hybrid events. The pandemic highlighted virtual events to be the only option, and then there came to be a combination of both virtual and in-person experiences.
You might be thinking, what is a hybrid event and how do you host a successful one? Well, we’ve created the ultimate checklist for you on how to host your event.
What is a Hybrid Event?
It’s a mix of real life and virtual events. The thing is that they didn’t stop at just that – the term was soon associated with entirely new styles of collaboration. Every day, more and more bloggers, experts, and writers claim that perhaps the future lies not in physical meetings but in hybrid collaboration or even just in its pure form – collaboration through web conferencing software.
We’ve compiled 7 tips on how to host a successful hybrid event for your company, and the benefits to doing so.
Event Day
- Define your audience: It’s essential to have a complete and thorough understanding of your audience so you can plan an event that meets their needs. You may organize a full-scale conference for several hundred or thousands of people or be part of an intimate chamber group that gathers for an hour each week. Regardless of the size, the fundamental factors are the same: who will be involved, where will it take place, and when is it taking place?
2. Choose a platform: Hybrid events can be an immensely powerful way of bringing live speakers to your event in a location outside the home country of the guest. But with that additional power comes added complexities — and one of those complexities is choosing the right platform.
3. Develop an event plan: One of the great things about hybrid events is that it gives you the unique opportunity to be creative and innovative. You are given enough space for creativity and also have to be innovative as it comes to implementing your ideas. The best part about a hybrid event (unlike traditional conferences) is that you are completely in control, from brainstorming ideas to executing, hosting, and finally running the conference. Keep in mind that all hybrid events are not the same, and therefore you need to plan every hybrid event differently. While planning each event, it is equally essential to include details related to logistics as well as market strategy. The best way to maximize your leads and sales at a hybrid event is to focus on different audience segments. A successful hybrid blend of real-world and virtual events includes learning materials targeted to diverse target audiences (according to their willingness to spend, readiness to spend, demographics, location/territory, pain points, etc.).
4. Create engaging content: Nobody likes a boring event. Engaging your audience is a challenge for every event, but it’s even more important for hybrid events. With virtual attendees watching on a screen – and with in-person attendees interacting with each other – it can be difficult to get people involved. The way you overcome this is by managing your speakers’ content. Be sure that your speakers are prepared and that they plan their presentations in advance – whether you’re orchestrating a multi-speaker event or inviting the keynote speaker to do the presentation all by themselves.
5. Be flexible: Some events are planned in traditional formats, like being held in a conference room. Some are held onsite, at a big company facility. No matter what type of event you are planning, it is vital to have flexibility during the event – have a plan B! This will ensure that your hybrid event can still be successful if last minute emergency changes occur or your guests change their minds about attending.
6. Communicate with your attendees: The success of your hybrid event meet depends upon the communications you will have with your online attendees. In other words, communicating with your online attendees is essential and is seen as a significant marketing effort. To ensure that your audience has the correct information and is updated about the event, if they have any questions or concerns, or if there are a few glitches during, they’ll better experience the event with your effective communication skills.
7. Creating an evergreen event: Hybrid events are a great way to deliver some in-person value and let participants leave with a take away (aka, something to read at their desks or on the train home), but attendees don’t have unlimited capacity for new information. Even if you have a well-developed agenda, you will likely still find that your audience prefers to take breaks between sessions. One of the best ways to use these breaks is to provide content that can be used after the event and shared on social media to review.
Even though today hybrid events are no longer considered as a temporary solution, there is still a lot of confusion about their use and definition. If hybrid events are put to use more often, and used sensibly and properly, they will be beneficial for companies. Using them to fully replace physical meetings may be an overreaction, however in most cases, hybrid events should be used alongside their physical counterparts to deliver the best results possible.
Overall, we have really seen hybrid events take over.
For the generation Z, it is not just a way of doing business: it is their lifestyle.
