Hybrid Events and Your Total Event Strategy

March 29, 2022

Creating a successful hybrid event requires planning and brainstorming.

Are you hosting an internal or an external event? Do you have the tools demanded to market and promote your hybrid event effectively? What are you hoping your attendees will get out of this event?

Answering these questions and further will help you as you begin to make out your hybrid event program.

When to Host a Hybrid Event

The first decision you must make is whether to include a virtual element to your event at all. Does it make sense? When
should you host a hybrid event versus an onsite event versus a virtual event?

Hybrid events are the perfect result for those programs that can effectively be held both onsite and virtually. Below are some
cases of perfect hybrid event programs

Trade shows, Conferences , Sales kick-offs and Global town halls

Hybrid events are also extremely useful results when numerous of your attendees who would typically attend in person can’t.

Types of Hybrid Events

We’ll first dive into the differences between internal and external cold-blooded events, and some of the most common examples of each.

Internal Hybrid Events

Internal events are programs that are held to profit your company’s internal stakeholders, including workers, leadership, staff, etc. For numerous companies, it’s nearly insolvable to gather all your internal stakeholders in the same room for a meeting. This is where cold-blooded events come into play. Pick a venue for your event, like your company’s headquarters, and also live stream the meeting to the rest of your company. Below are some examples of common internal hybrid events

Sales kick-offs
Global town halls
Larger team meetings
Company spirit weeks


External Hybrid Events

External events are programs that are targeted towards your guests, prospects, clients, etc. Transitioning your live external event to a hybrid setting can help draw in further attendees and lower your carbon footprint. External events that can be made cold-blooded include the following

Conferences and trade shows
Client conferences
Product demonstrations

How to Create a Successful Hybrid Event

Avoiding Common Challenges and Pitfalls

There are a many common dilemmas that planners face when putting these hybrid programs into action. We’ve outlined them below, along with tips and tricks to help you avoid these risks.

-Make Sure It Is One Event, But Two Experience
-Keep Content Engaging
-Navigating Time Zones

Elements of a Successful Hybrid Event

Content
Content is king at your hybrid event. You want to make sure that in-person and virtual attendees are equally engaged. This is where the ” one event, two experiences” mentality comes into play. You can’t deliver the same content the same way for both groups. Here are some ideas for how to cater your content differently for your virtual and in-person attendees:

Community
Onsite attendees have the benefit of witnessing the community firsthand at an event. It’s much easier for them to network in person, have organic exchanges, and establish connections. However, there are ways to bring this community to your virtual audience as well.

Sponsorship
Sponsorship is vital to any event program. Thus, your guarantors must receive the same (or further) value from your hybrid event as they would from an onsite event. There are numerous ways to put your guarantors in front of both your virtual and in-person attendees and produce high value. Below are just a many ideas to get you started

1) Mobile app banner ads
2) Push notifications
3) Sponsored sessions
4) Event website sponsors page
5) Physical and virtual sponsor booths
6) Sponsored commercials before accessing on-demand content

Analytics
Your post-event actions are as important as what you do during an event. Hosting an event means nothing if you don’t gain any insights. Make sure to shoot out a post-event check to get a sense of which content resonated with people, and how your attendees felt about their onsite versus virtual experiences. Also, take a look at your attendees’ data during the event. Make sure to follow up with those attendees who attended a lot of sessions, asked a lot of questions, or engaged with your guarantors.

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