Did you know that according to a research conducted by Bizzabo, 71% of organizers said that they planned to try hybrid events in 2021?
And previously only 23,5% had held this model of event. For many of us, the hybrid event is a novelty!
The good thing is that it continues to grow steadily and should remain so beyond the pandemic.
After all, who wouldn’t want the freedom to choose the ideal way to attend an event? With hybrid events, attendees have more options between in-person and virtual.
On the other hand, it is up to the organizer to be aware of all that is new and ensure the best experience for the attendee.
Thinking about preparing you for the organization of hybrid events, in this content we will deal with:
- What are hybrid events?
- 9 steps to organizing successful hybrid events.
What are hybrid events?
First, before you consider holding a hybrid event, you need to know what it is.
This format, as the name suggests, is a mix between two types of events: the in-person event and the online event.
Thus, there are two things that are essential to its existence:
- Two distinct schedules to meet the specific demands of the two types of audiences: in-person and online;
- At least some elements of shared experience, so that each party connects and feels present at the event.
For these reasons, the organization of this type of event is different from online or in-person and you need to be aware of some crucial points. I’ll explain what they are!
9 steps to organizing successful hybrid events
1. Define your strategy
You have probably already chosen the hybrid model, but it is important that you think about whether it really makes sense for your event.
First, you need to know hybrid events in depth and be aware of the different types, such as the connection with remote attendees, connection with remote speakers, and multi-hub meetings, which unites the technological experience of a large online event streamed to different physical locations.
Then think about your goals. What does your event need? What do you want and can you offer your attendees? Can you provide a good hybrid experience or is it better to choose only one format?
Of course, you should also think about finances, since hybrid events, although usually cheaper than in-person events, have more demands compared to online events.
With these points being well defined, you already have an elaborate hybrid event strategy and can move on to the next points of the organization.
2. Assemble an amazing team
The team is one of the pillars of the hybrid event.
After all, you will need it to make all your event’s activities interact and for the shared experience to happen matter-of-factly.
Therefore, it is important that you:
- Make sure the people on your team have the necessary skills, such as the ease with technology or the ability to multi-task;
- Always include a team leader who can align actions between the online and in-person parts of your event;
- All team members know and share the same goals and purpose of the event.
Acompanhe todas as funções do seu evento e andamento das atividades em um só lugar:
3. Find the right location
Now, to make your event happen, you need to find the right venue.
But unlike in-person spaces, the hybrid event needs a safe environment capable of delivering an immersive experience and engaging both live and online.
Therefore, you must make sure that the space offers a technological infrastructure capable of shaping itself to meet the needs of your event, such as space to install live streaming equipment or a recording location, in case you choose recorded broadcasts.
In short, you need a venue that meets the needs of all stages of your event.
4. Create a hybrid schedule
In your event, content is everything! And in hybrid events there is an even greater concern because you will need to create a program for two different audiences, both with specific needs.
At the same time, you’ll need skill to make the two audiences have a shared experience whenever necessary.
Therefore, this requires some attention when setting the schedule, such as:
- Determine which scheduling elements will be available to both audiences at the same time;
- Know the types of online streaming and the technologies available to generate the best experience;
- Define how content will be produced and distributed to both audiences;
- Choose one event platform to display the online part.
Still, it is necessary to remember that quality content is one of the ways for your virtual audience to have an event experience as great as the in-person one, so you need to invest on the schedule and available technologies.
5. Demonstrate the value of your event through Marketing
With all the planning well defined, surely you have a great event to sell and attract as many people as possible! But do you know how to do that?
It is through communication that you will demonstrate the benefits of the hybrid event to your attendees.
Therefore, you need to include the strategies of digital marketing for events in organizing your hybrid event and be cohesive at all points.
For example, your e-mail marketing campaigns, website for events and even the satisfaction survey should be well aligned with the hybrid format, always remembering that you are talking to two types of audiences.
#Even3Tip: on email marketing, you can merge general emails with exclusive content for the audience segmented between in-person and online.
6. Increase possibilities for sponsors and exhibitors
In fact, talking about hybrid event prices, another opportunity they offer is the possibility of selling more the sponsors and increasing the reach of exhibitors.
And this also needs to be highlighted in your communication, especially in sponsorship projects!
In this case, you can demonstrate even more value to sponsors by:
- Using data and new technologies to show sponsors that their participation in the event is a success;
- Taking an inventory of lead generation opportunities available in your event;
- Adding sponsors in videos on broadcasts and during event schedule;
- Investing in virtual booths, such as those available on Even3’s Streaming Area.
7. Make communities happen!
Another super important point for events is engagement and this ends up being the biggest differential of in-person events.
In fact, the community is what gives the most meaning to everything! But not always this feeling is easily passed down to the virtual environment.
Therefore, your organization has a challenge: bringing the same sense of community to everyone present at the hybrid event.
A valuable tip is to engage people with a purpose, either through more humanized content or by creating a connection with your brand and other attendees.
For this, you can resort to strategies such as:
- Including virtual speakers in live sessions;
- Having panels to encourage dialogue between audiences;
- Creating interactive sessions, such as chats, questions, and raffles available on Even3’s Streaming area;
- Providing networking opportunities and space for interactions, such as forums, between attendees;
- Creating unique communities on social networks for event attendees;
- Using interactive games to gamify the experience of the event;
- Asking your attendees questions and chatting with them in real-time;
This allows your organization to facilitate deeper connections and positively impact engagement and profitability on the hybrid event.
8. Track data
Do you know that benefit of capturing data and tracking event metrics online? In the hybrid event, you have data on virtually every aspect of the event!
One tip is to capture the right data (and at the right time) to have insights that can optimize your event in the future.
In this case, the data you can track is:
Event details
Data such as costs, location, total sessions, and sold registrations are very important to compare different editions and look for what performs better.
Over time you’ll be able to conduct tests and see what your audiences prefer.
Profile data
Profile data is about your audience.
In this case, it is at this moment that you will get your leads, so the ideal is to collect the data you need, such as demographics or workplace.
But always remember to follow the General Data Protection Regulation, ensuring that the purpose of the use of this data is well evident and that the information granted has a guarantee of security and privacy.
Engagement data
You can collect a lot of engagement data during the event, such as shopping cart, registration time, clicks, form filling, in-app logins, and more!
These are those super important data so that you know how your attendees behave, what they like and especially what they need.
This way, your event can be much more targeted and you can create a more personalized relationship with your attendees.
9. Prepare well and train hard
In fact, hybrid events are new to many organizers, so practice is the last essential point for organizing hybrid events!
At this point, the strategy is to decrease the likelihood of errors, so you need to make sure your team and speakers are familiar with new technologies, both virtual and in-person.
This includes doing rehearsals with everyone, preparing the topic, clarifying communication protocols, having a dictionary of common terms, and, especially, having plans to deal with unforeseen events if they occur.
At the end of all these steps, not only you, but your entire team will be ready to organize hybrid events. How about starting now?
