A lot of things have changed with the coronavirus pandemic, haven’t they? Of course, this would be no different for hybrid events!
Although they have been around for many years, a Bizzabo research, conducted with organizers from North America, Europe and Asia, pointed out that before the pandemic, only 23.5% of event organizers had organized a hybrid event.
Even so, in 2021, 71% of organizers said they intended to try this model.
For this reason, the hybrid format is part of a revolution that is already happening in the world of events.
For me, this represents important advances, such as the possibility of more personal meetings, more technology, security, and innovative solutions.
And for you? Is your event ready to follow these trends?
So if you don’t want to be left out of what’s going on, read this blog post to learn more about:
- What is a hybrid event?
- The pillars of the hybrid event;
- The main benefits of hybrid events;
- 3 types of hybridism in events.
What is a hybrid event?
First, before you consider holding a hybrid event, you need to know what it is.
This format, as the name suggests, is a mixture of 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.
But it turns out that hybrid events are nothing new in the market.
In fact, you may have even attended an in-person celebration with live streaming, a very common type of hybrid event.
But the transformations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, such as more demand for technological solutions for online events, have generated innovations that should not be left aside.
That is, now that attendees know that it is possible to use apps for online interactions and increase reach with even international participation, why not use all of this in your event?
And if in-person can happen safely too, then why not combine these innovations with the meetings, networking, and in-person that we love so much?
In fact, this is possible. But if you’ve never had experience with hybrid events, I’ll teach you top tips for planning an amazing event!
The pillars of the hybrid event
Now that you know it’s not enough to simply combine the elements of in-person and online events, it’s time to start planning a successful hybrid event.
But you have already seen that the points of organization and planning that you were already familiar with can be a little more complicated.
So it’s good to keep in mind that there are three essential points to start planning a hybrid event:
A good in-person and online structure at the same time
One of the main needs of hybrid events is to offer a connected experience between in-person and online.
Therefore, it will be necessary to rethink the venue, seeking an infrastructure to meet both the online and in-person parts.
In addition, for a long time, we will still need to pay attention to sanitary measures against coronavirus.
That is, you must value safe, sanitized environments that enable distancing and hybrid infrastructure.
So, it is interesting to look for places that offer the necessary technologies for presentations, recordings, and live broadcasts, for example.
Thus, a tip for the in-person part of the event is to innovate in the attendee’s experience, promoting virtual reality and gamification together with the attendees of the online section.
On the digital side, an events platform with interactive solutions such as Even3, will help you promote discussions and conversations among all attendees.
Shared experience
So you can see how the shared experience is at the center of the hybrid event, right?
Even so, this is one of the points with the most errors in the organization.
This happens because many try to unite in-person with online only reproducing what they would do in each type of event, but that’s not how it works!
To begin with, your attendee’s experience must rely on:
- Interaction: with everyone, whether in-person or online;
- Personalization: each attendee should feel that the content is directed to them, regardless of whether they are at the physical or virtual event.
- Continuity: to create more engaged attendees, how about experimenting with communication beyond the end of the event? Use social media to create a sense of community around your event!
In this case, technology is your great ally. And of course now it’s valid to use all the solutions that we have already discovered with online events (and we love them!).
Therefore, you can bet on:
- Custom streaming area with interactivity options for everyone, such as in Even3;
- For a good live broadcast and a more complete experience of the event, you can consider having multiple cameras on site;
- An exclusive website for the event, where all attendees can learn more about your event and see other communication channels;
- Exclusive communities in WhatsApp groups, Telegram or through interactions through social networks.
Hybrid and integrated team
Ultimately, all of these solutions will require a super integrated team.
So, to build a hybrid team, you will need to divide the activities well between the in-person and online team, but maintain integration so that all the activities of your event dialogue and the shared experience, in fact, happens.
A great tip is to ensure that both teams have a responsible person, such as an executive director, who can align the actions between the two parts of your event.
So maybe your hybrid event needs a larger team compared to just in-person or virtual.
Of course, this transition is super worth it in relation to the numerous benefits that hybrid events offer, but you need to think about whether it makes sense to organize an event of this size.
Therefore, do not forget to look at the finances and organize thoroughly:
Know the main advantages of the hybrid event
Hybrid events are what we might call the best of both worlds.
Of course, joining the two worlds is not always advantageous for events, especially small ones.
But those who are ready to bet on this format, can count on the following benefits:
1. Much more range
We already know this benefit as one of the main points of online events.
And anyone who is already an organizer knows that, in practice, this experience with people from various regions of the country, or even with international attendees, makes a huge difference!
So, through hybrid events it is possible to enjoy the same benefit and still avoid agglomerations. All good, isn’t it?
2. A great cost-benefit ratio
Another benefit we found from online events was a decrease in many costs.
This remains in the hybrid events, but of course varies according to your schedule.
However, hybrid events are often even more financially advantageous than in-person events.
In this case, if you want to make a comparison, the tip is to put on paper all the schedule and tools that will be needed for each event modality.
Also, remember to always look for solutions that minimize costs.
For example, if you are an organizer of an international congress, a good idea is to use the hybrid model to display the lectures of some foreign guests.
Thus, it is possible to ensure more safety against coronavirus, as well as save on tickets, accommodation and food for the speaker.
In addition, have you noticed the enormous value that hybrid events deliver? This also impacts the cost of the ticket.
Therefore, also promote to the attendees all the differentials that your event delivers.
3. Participation and networking
With greater reach, what we expect is greater interaction, of course.
However, those who organize online events know that this is often a big challenge!
On the other hand, the hybrid event has the benefit of in-person meetings. Therefore, this live participation ends up encouraging everyone to participate.
In this way, having an online event platform that allows integrations, networking and shared experiences, will further enhance your event.
4. Data and content generation
In addition to the other benefits, online technologies also allow us to generate much more data and content from the event.
This happens at various points in the attendee’s journey.
For example, upon registration it is possible to collect valuable information about them and start the relationship.
But, always remember to be clear about your intentions, not to be abusive and to be aware of and adhere to the Data Protection Laws and Regulations.
Another idea is to take advantage of the content generated during the event to turn it into products and offer it to attendees or people who could not be part of the event.
So you can use your event to generate leads for your business.
5. Variety of choices for the attendee
Another benefit that you can offer at your event is the possibility for the attendee to choose the experience that is most comfortable for them.
In the case of hybrid events, it is possible to play with the various options, from the choice of in-person or online, to the differences in price and commitment time between these experiences.
Thus, you do not limit the attendee and make it possible for your event to be accessible to more people.
6. More sustainability
Another very important point that has an impact on the way we organize events is the sustainability of hybrid events.
With the available technologies, organizers can always choose to resort to online, avoiding the use of papers or disposable materials as much as possible.
In addition, compared to in-person events, there is less travel, food and waste generated.
7. Visibility to sponsors
Finally, one of the biggest benefits of the hybrid event is the ability to create multiple channels of display for sponsors.
After all, in the hybrid event the online and in-person possibilities end up multiplying the visibility of the sponsor. So use this to your advantage!
Take advantage of opportunities to promote sponsors, as well as keep track of the data generated and understand what your attendees value most.
And finally, learn how to organize a successful hybrid event:
Learn more: 3 types of hybrid events
Inspired to hold hybrid events? Know the 3 most common formats:
1. Connecting with remote attendees
When we think of hybrid events, you should probably imagine the type with remote connection with attendees.
More common, this is the typical in-person event with live streaming that we talk about so much.
And you already know that it is worth innovating in this format and seeking unique and transformative experiences for all attendees.
2. Remote speaker connection
Also mentioned here, the other alternative to hybrid events is the connection with remote attendees.
As the name suggests, this format has in-person attendees, but remote presentations by speakers.
In this case, it will be necessary to offer good image, audio and internet connection.
In addition, an event can become much more interesting if you merge the different types of hybridism.
For example, it is possible to promote remote connections with speakers virtually and in person at the same time.
Or you can bet on attractions that unite in-person and remote attendees. There are many possibilities and this is the time to get creative!
3. Multi-Hub Meetings
Speaking of creativity, this type of event, also known as “Hub and Spoke”, has grown a lot during the coronavirus pandemic.
This is because Multi-Hub Meetings is a type of hybrid event that unites the technological experience of a large online event broadcast to different physical locations, all connected through live streaming.
Thus, this solution makes it possible for small groups to create even more interaction and sense of community with the whole. Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?
To organize this type of event, you will need to have a very good infrastructure to broadcast with quality in all environments.
In addition, your event platform needs to create bridges between the different event locations and connect them to the core experience.
All these ideas makes me want to create an event!
And why not start experimenting with an event platform for free?
Know the interactive tools, presentation of works, online streaming and more at Even3 events:
