What Are Hybrid Events? Benefits, Engagement & Best Practices

Let’s start with the basics; What is a Hybrid event?

The easiest way to describe a Hybrid Event is “a physical meeting in which an online audience also participates”. Essentially, it combines a “live” in-person event at a physical location with a “virtual” online component for remote attendees. Both sets of attendees come together and participate in the same experience or content at the same time, from different locations.

Coordinated as a combination of in-person meetings and virtual presentations, a successful hybrid event blends these elements seamlessly. The benefits of Hybrid events are that they can provide a) greater audience reach and participation b) tailored messages c) memorable experiences d) extended contact e) valuable data collection, and of course, f) greater cost effectiveness.

What’s most exciting is the ability to reach a much wider audience than with a typical “live only” event. Those individuals who, for whatever reason, cannot physically attend can still benefit from its content by devoting time to a virtual experience of that event. The consequence of virtual content is that it can remain available beyond the event time frame.

Consequently, you don’t just remove the ‘place‘ factor, but also the ‘time‘ factor. With your broadcast being available online at a later date, it expands the long-term reach and can tap into a whole new audience. You could even edit together shortened “snapshots” of each presentation to upload to your platform for easily digestible and quick content. The end result is a wider reach and deeper saturation of your message than previously possible.

Especially highlighted during coronavirus, I imagine you’ve all watched live streaming with the speaker in a tiny frame and his slides on the side. Rather dull, right? A hybrid event is much more than just a static recording.

To succeed online, you need to seduce your audience. After all, they can leave with a single click of a mouse button. The best way to envision the Online (virtual) element of a Hybrid event is to envision it as a television show.

The visual imagery must be dynamic and interesting. Rather than one static camera you should have at least three or four cameras shooting from different angles. Think about how TV broadcasts constantly cut between cameras to keep the visual interesting and keep you glued to the screen. Particularly prominent during panels or interview sessions, you see the responder’s face up close, meaning you can read their reaction and view their emotions. This allows you, the viewer, to be literally ‘closer’ to the content. A member of the production crew would be cutting between cameras live, integrating the PPT presentation where relevant too. Suddenly, your previously boring ‘one static camera’ lecture is not a gripping high production value “show”.

Where Hybrid events differ from TV viewing is that the participants are sitting with their hands next to a keyboard. “Live” audience members can ask questions, vote using handheld keypads and provide real-time feedback. Therefore, it is prudent to give some thought on how your online viewers can participate on the same level. Online participants can ask questions via chat or Twitter, which in turn could be directly linked to the presenters’ comfort monitor so they can answer the questions live. Live polling pop-ups can be incorporated, or quiz questions integrated to keep virtual attendees engaged.

In concurrence with the increase in demand for Hybrid events we are also seeing venues upgrade to “high tech”. Technology is key and features such as super-fast internet speed are becoming more important than ever. Will we now see a decrease in demand for large conference rooms as we sway towards an ever-increasing online presence?

Hybrid events will require a new set of partners. From this perspective, AV companies will now need to be more agile than ever to deliver both live and online events, as the two often go hand in hand. Hippo Events’ AV partners has been offering Hybrid and Online solutions for years and are among some of the best in the business. With smaller meeting rooms, less physical attendees and therefore less costs, technology should receive an incredible budget boost.

In reality, nothing beats the power of physical encounters and experiences. Live, in-person events – be it a Product Launch, Roadshow, Conference, you name it – are certainly an integral part of most marketing communications plans; however, there is no denying that hybrid events have certainly earned a permanent place and a bigger piece of the budget. Hybrid events should not reduce physical participation. On the contrary! Handled well and properly planned, both the “live” and virtual event experiences can be mutually compatible, with one serving to enhance the other to derive optimal reach and results.