Hybrid Events: Everything You Need to Know
In a post-COVID world, many event organisers are shifting towards the hybrid events sphere in a bid to make exhibitions, trade shows, conferences etc. more accessible to businesses and attendees. It is important to recognise the increasing popularity of these events as they offer a branch to businesses/attendees who might otherwise miss out due to several factors in the current global climate or their circumstances.
What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event can be classified as any event that can host people for a specific niche and has a combination of virtual and in-person activities to cater to these two audience sets. In recent years, there has been a surge in finding alternatives to in-person events due to the inflexibility they posed during the pandemic. Marketers predict that hybrid events will soon make up 24% of all events. This combined with other factors has seen a surge in popularity for the hybrid event as it means people can attend both in person, participating in activities in real-time or attend online from a remote location to watch live or on-demand.
Why are hybrid events gaining popularity?
The hybridisation of events opens up more options for attendees and businesses alike. Hybrid events work for attendees who are unable or unwilling to travel and businesses who may have budget or logistical constraints. Another benefit is that businesses can also organise for key speakers to give a talk regardless of where they are in the world, ultimately adding invaluable industry insights and advice to the event. They also work in favour of locations or halls that pose space and accessibility limitations that prevent healthy on-site attendance.
Finally, you can get almost immediate insights and analytics that will prove to be more accurate than in-person events alone as the data will all be recorded virtually meaning you can revise your marketing strategy faster and more efficiently.
Key components of a successful hybrid event
There are some key components to look out for when it comes to hosting a hybrid event and will vary in terms of importance depending on the split between in-person and online activities.
Exhibition Venue
- Prioritise venues with robust internet connectivity to ensure a seamless online experience.
- Ample space is a must to comfortably accommodate in-person attendees.
- Features like seminar rooms that cater to the hybrid aspect, providing a versatile setting for various event segments.
Event Management Platform
- Choose an event platform that offers a comprehensive suite of tools for engaging online attendees, including live streaming capabilities, interactive Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities.
Registration Software
- Implement registration software that facilitates easy sign-up processes for both in-person and online participants, enhancing the overall attendee experience from the start.
Planning and executing a hybrid event
The first thing you need to consider when planning a hybrid event is: ‘What are the goals and objectives of putting on this event”. Once your ‘why’ has been established, you need to get organised. You will need to decide what talks, demonstrations, traders, activities etc you would like to put on and find a venue that can facilitate this with both your in-person and remote requirements in mind.
Next, get a clear image of your desired audience by creating personas and then tailoring your marketing (whether this be social media, emails, press releases etc) directly to them.
Finally, you want to have a good post-event debrief plan to analyse the data, determine how successful the event was and measure your ROI. (Bonus tip: make sure you do one or two test runs before the big day to ensure everything is working as it should and so you can pick up on anything not working as it should to give yourself a chance to rectify).
Engagement strategies for hybrid events
Due to hybrid events being extremely versatile, they offer a wealth of engagement opportunities for attendees, whether they attend in person or online. Your engagement strategy should aim to ensure that your virtual attendees get just as much out of the event as your in-person attendees.
Making sure you are using a fully integrated platform to create as seamless an experience as possible is imperative. You also want to create an incentive for engagement for virtual attendees to be there live, so think about offering prizes for participation in quizzes, polls or a treasure hunt.
Finally, think about the networking opportunities virtual attendees will miss out on and how you could overcome this. Could you set up virtual chat rooms or phone booths so people in a remote setting can network with ease? The goal is to keep your attendees engaged throughout the day so make sure you have a solid and innovative engagement strategy when hosting.
The future of hybrid events
The future of hybrid events is not entirely known however with costs increasing for everything globally, the hybridisation of events offers both easier access for a lot of people and a faster, more cost-effective and accurate way to analyse the success of the experiences included in the event. The accuracy and popularity of these events can only increase with time as technology advances and events become more adaptable and flexible, evolving alongside the tech.
The move towards hybrid events within the trade show and exhibition sphere has only just begun so it is important to consider the impact this shift will have on the future of the event industry. If you’re new to hybrid events, make sure you keep up with the latest developments and conduct your research to determine what their appeal is for businesses and attendees alike in the current climate.
If you’re considering exhibiting at an event this year, we’re here to help! Contact us for more information.