How Businesses Can Approach Hybrid Events?

The stark reality is that none of us know when the global pandemic will be considered “over”. Nevertheless, most professionals are tremendously trying to master the art of hosting hybrid events. But how does one manage delegates at a physical venue and the virtual audience together and generate content that can be appealing for both groups are a few questions that event organisers are struggling with! 

In this blog, we have covered seven approaches businesses can follow to create successful hybrid events and deliver immersive life-like experiences throughout! 

1) Invest in technology 

– Want your event to be successful? Investing in technology is one of the most promising ways to attract people to the event either as virtual participants or as viewers. Microphones, and webcams along with the right technology are required to attend the event. 

-Investing in good quality microphones and webcams improves the overall presentation by providing better quality video and audio thus improving the Attendee’s experience. 

-High-quality video and clear audio is one of the first things attendees expect from a stream thus it is worthwhile to invest in microphones and webcams.

– Another reason to invest in technology is- in case your internet connectivity is poor you can have an alternative to resolve the issue to prevent all the derail in the event. 

-Always double check everything related to your event beforehand to avoid all the glitches during the live event as it may cause tragic consequences. Always double-check everything to prevent possibilities of overload. 

– Hosting a live event comes with ample responsibilities and even a single error can disrupt your attendees experience. So check and test everything before going ahead with an event.

2) Look out for sponsors

– Event planners or sponsors help in the planning stages of the event and also offer the necessary resources to keep the event going. 

-Sponsors and event partners can fund necessary technology, devices, apps or the event. They may also provide valuable inputs about Do’s and Don’ts when hosting a virtual event. 

– There are many sponsors that have the capability to offer equipment at the venue as well as to virtual hosts and speakers.

– Sponsors can be a great asset as they make sure that the sound quality, lighting, and connectivity are streamlined for every virtual speaker thus providing a better experience for audiences. 

– A Sponsor can also provide you with good moderators and hosts as they are experienced providers which can eliminate all the stress of your company. 

3) Script your event

– Since hybrid events are a combination of live and virtual events it becomes hard to control the flow of the event and streamline. 

– During an event though there is Flexibility there are some orders which must go as planned. 

– Being on schedule and reducing stress for participants are 2 features that should be in an event, scripting elements of the event helps you achieve these 2 features. 

– Welcome message with bird view for the speakers and attendees, closing speech thanking the sponsors and organizers are some of the parts which can be easily scripted. 

– Being a speaker it is not important to script your entire talk as this can lessen the chances for interactivity and remove authenticity with audiences and other keynote speakers.

– Keep a cap on the duration of the event even though the speakers have the liberty to talk out their thoughts. It is important to keep a track of the time as the event is conducted online the attendees might lose interest if the session is too long. 

4) Align Duties

– Experience provides crucial knowledge about hosting an event, some sort of training is always a good place to start. 

– Sponsors may help you find a host and moderator with adequate experience. However, they will also require some time to get used to the topics and speakers you’ll be presenting. 

– When finding a proper host, the event organiser will need to provide the potential hosts with adequate material to understand and coordinate the event. 

– Departments for each segment of the event, or at least for important ones, will benefit the organisers since all responsibilities will not be on one person. 

– Hosts may handle the responsibility of making official announcements and introductions while the moderator coordinates between the speakers. 

– Sometimes even the most professional keynote speaker and host cannot hook their audience’s attention. At such situation a moderator comes to the rescue and handle the interactive aspects of the event, such as social media and sharing the audience’s questions on the screen or conduct fun activities in the event. 

– Preparation should be completed well ahead of the event to give the hosts and moderators time to prepare. 

– Understanding the needs of the hosts and providing them the same is important to ensure quality content. 

– Choosing the right host and moderator for your event is crucial since they are an Integral part of the event. Choose wisely and give adequate time to prepare. 

5) Spread awareness

– To truly make your event successful you need to spread awareness. All the time and effort go down in vain if nobody knows about your event. 

– Marketing your event is a crucial step to promote success and it is not something that you can double up overnight. Marketing an event takes time but the end results are great!  

– Use attractive posters and visuals that are branded and powerful. Posters can be shared physically and virtually. 

– Stay active on social media and regularly update your wall with headers and your pinned posts. Incorporating useful links (tickets page and registration page) will make it convenient for potential attendees to reach out. 

– Engagement with participants by sharing their posts and comments is crucial in advertising your event. 

– For audiences who will be attending the event physically a different set of preparations is required, such as travel, stay, and venue. 

– Virtual attendees can attend the event with just one click from their homes. This makes them prone to forgetting about event details. 

– Send regular reminders via email or text to keep your attendees aware of the event. Start sending mails a week before the event for physical attendees. 

– For virtual attendees updates can be sent even before just one hour to the event. The key thing is to keep them engaged till the event initiates. 

– If you want to attract more participants in your event, strategise your marketing plan as this will indicate your event success and attendance. 

Conclusion

Hybrid events are going to become an integral part of the event domain in the near future. We have shared five methods businesses can use when approaching hybrid events. By following these, you will be better equipped to hold successful events, build powerful connections across the globe and expand your business seamlessly.