Introduction
With the help of a hybrid activity technology, participants from both online and physical events can socialize in a variety of group sessions and take part in games like polls or trivia. To recharge before the afternoon Q&A session, they can check into an interactive video feed of DJ sessions even during lunchtime. The same care and consideration must be given to organizing a virtual event as an actual one. In all situations, you need to develop an engagement strategy to market the event successfully, engage your audience, produce memorable experiences for participants, and demonstrate event success.
Event types: hybrid versus online and offline
You may combine these two visitor experiences to create a lovely, seamless event experience by using a hybrid event framework. On a unified platform, your both virtual and physical attendees can communicate with the presenters, panel moderators, advertisers, and amusement. You may naturally be asking how to select an appropriate hybrid engagement technology to carry out your hybrid event plan.
The Differences:
Although there will always be a place for in-person engagement, there are instances when your event program requires becoming virtual. However, how can you transform a multi-day conference that offers plenty of chances for networking, learning programs, and the participant perspectives they provide into virtual occurrences?
First, the obvious distinction: one is entirely virtual (online), another is only physical (in-person), as well as the third offers a combination of both (hybrid).
Events that are virtual or hybrid can expand their audience and draw more attendees. It might be challenging to coordinate presenter schedules and travel constraints for strictly in-person conferences.
Whilst also able to participate attendees may benefit from the opportunity to chat with the person who sits next to each other, the virtual elements of contemporary online event platforms enable you to designate networking spaces—for instance, virtual seating areas and career-defining sessions—to provide participants with the same professional networking.
Benefits of hybrid events
- More chances to produce a genuinely distinctive event experience – You have a much wider range of possibilities to provide an unforgettable engagement level because a hybrid format combines the functions of face-to-face meetings with video conferences. To increase the size of your audience, your registration process can, for instance, provide several ticket tiers. Tiers might include everything from fully virtual to all-access credentials with live in-person attendance to all seminars and guest speakers, as well as on-demand video coverage.
- More channels to spread your information and messages – Combining live and virtual events enables you to link numerous occasions that take place at once, at various times, or in various places.
- More people attending – If a person is unable to participate in an in-person meeting because of their health, finances, or travel arrangements, a hybrid event enables them to participate virtually.
- Minimising carbon footprint – Reducing the number of attendees in person can lessen the need for commuting, meals, and resources.
- A location for face-to-face interaction – A hybrid event enables attendees to experience face-to-face personal engagement. However, it also offers the chance for attendees who might have intended to attend personally but are no longer able to do so to interact digitally with the on-site attendees through the hybrid event application.
Expert advice on organizing hybrid events
- Encourage visitors to use web portals such as virtual conference spaces, virtual cafes, Fluid Workspace, and fast networking activities to foster networking. Set aside time specifically for these activities. Provide networking options, such as a socializing area or speed meetings and events, to promote interaction between online and in-person participants.
- Through interactive features like chat, surveys, or live Q&As, empower viewers to express their opinions or ideas.
- Increase the level of entertainment by interspersing the lectures and presentations with performances like a band concert, a comedian, a quiz contest, or even a cookery lesson.
- Look for ways to diversify your material by adding various formats, such as photos, animations, presentations, and audible chats.
Benefits of hybrid events versus virtual ones
- You can provide a concrete experience by educating potential clients and answering their questions face-to-face to help them have a better knowledge of your goods or services. Even better, let all of your virtual attendees see every lecture, chat, and performance up close.
- Offer a greeting when introducing yourself to someone in person. or experiencing a cheering crowd in person and being a part of it. When you are there, these everyday human interactions feel very different from when you are seated in front of a computer display.
- Combine and contrast delivery methods—remember, get the greatest of both worlds. You can push the limits of how you can design an engaging experience when you host a hybrid event. By integrating physical and virtual conference spaces with displays and webcams, you may use speed matchmaking sessions to connect your two audiences.
Conclusion
Analytics to gauge success and get a variety of information on your attendees’ demographic, patterns and trends employee engagement, and partner momentum. You can use this data to personalize follow-up emails in addition to helping you plan your upcoming event.