This is the second article in a series about hybrid events and what they mean for the future of event marketing. If you missed it, check out the first article about why hybrid events are a must-have for your event strategy. Need to build hybrid events today? Follow the how-to guide.
Ready or not, there’s a new event format coming to town: hybrid events.
In the evolution of our new normal, these part-live, part-virtual events are set to skyrocket in popularity. In fact, we recently surveyed 270 event professionals, and 79% of them said hybrid events will be a part of their strategy moving forward.
There are a lot of good reasons to make hybrid events part of your plan. Among those reasons are the potential for higher event ROI, less event-related risk, and smaller carbon footprints.
But let’s be real about the root reason we’ll need hybrid events in our lives: Not everyone will be jumping at the chance to reunite at in-person events. So if you want to continue to reach the most amount of people within your target audience, hybrid events may be your answer.
And if you’re not sure where to start, this is a good place. Let’s get into some best practices that’ll help you build and host effective hybrid events.
If any of your events are paid, start thinking now about what your ticket pricing strategy will look like in a hybrid world. You might consider various pricing tiers based on if an attendee is joining live or virtually. And you may also need to figure out whether or not there’s a cost for accessing on-demand sessions, should someone not register for the main event.
The fact is that, even when events are deemed safe, some people will automatically dismiss invitations to in-person events. So the last thing you want is for your audience to assume your event is only in person.
And the same goes for the opposite. Some people will be over virtual events and itching to find their first in-person event, so you don’t want them to think your event is only virtual.
This means you need to be clear in all of your event touchpoints that your attendees have options. Let them know on the event page, in the invitations and in the social promotions that they can attend either live or virtually. And most importantly, make sure you capture their attendance preference in the registration form, so you can plan properly.
Your virtual audience will never have the attention span or level of engagement that your in-person audience has, which is why you have to consider the virtual experience first in all of your decisions.
This includes things that directly impact attendee actions, like activities, networking, breakout discussions, and Q&A. It also includes things that impact the overall experience or vibe: room layout, speakers, and event flow, to name a few.
Once on-site, there’s one simple thing you can do to set the event up for success for both audiences. During your event introduction, acknowledge the virtual audience. Look at the virtual audience, welcome them (along with the in-person attendees, of course), and set expectations so both audiences know how this will all work.
In-person, virtual, or hybrid — no matter the event format, your hosts and panelists are everything. You want people who are charismatic and energetic. They should be able to hype up your audience and keep them engaged. And you should do everything in your power to have them on-site.
Having your hosts and panelists on a stage in person will create a more authentic, engaging experience for both your in-person and virtual audiences. If it’s impossible for one or some of your hosts or panelists to attend in person, make sure to schedule a thorough dry run so everyone knows their roles in how the event will play out.
Creating connections and collaborating with others isn’t just for in-person attendees anymore. In fact, you should try to give your virtual attendees as many of the same opportunities you’re able to give your in-person attendees. Here are just a few ideas:
During a hybrid event, there’s nothing worse for virtual attendees than feeling like a second-class citizen. That’s why you need a reliable event platform that gives both the in-person and virtual experiences just that: an experience.
Think about one of your pre-pandemic in-person events. The event page probably included stunning, branded design elements woven through sections like agenda, speaker, and resources. When people landed on the registration form, it was equally branded and equally beautiful. And when attendees showed up on-site, they were greeted with branded signage, materials, and swag.
Believe it or not, you can still create this experience for your hybrid events — and not just for those attending in person. You can (and should) create an incredible event page for both types of attendees that drives them to a branded, thorough registration form. And with new embed functionality, you can place your Zoom event room directly into your event page so what your virtual attendees see is a fully branded experience.
One of the best things about virtual and hybrid events is that you can reach so many more people. The downside: Time zones can make things complicated, even if you’re only targeting people in the US. There are a few things you can consider:
I’ve alluded to this a few times, but let me be very clear. Your virtual attendees may feel left out during the event if you don’t give them a thoughtful experience or acknowledge their presence. They see hosts and panelists speaking to in-person attendees, and they want a comparable level of engagement.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to solve this challenge. By dedicating one or more individuals from your team to support virtual attendees, they get the attention they need and have someone they can go to with questions or feedback. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, this person can help jump-start conversations and networking in the chat.
Even if we don’t see them for a while, hybrid events will start popping up. It’s never too early to start understanding why we need them and how to best run them. Also important: knowing the challenges that come with hybrid events now, so you can avoid them later. Stay tuned for our third and final article in this series, which will discuss this topic.
When you're ready to make the pivot, check out our How to Host a Hybrid Event guide. It covers everything you need to know: creating smart registration forms, managing on-site and virtual check-in, balancing in-person and online content, and more.
With Splash, you won't sacrifice guest experience, data-driven decision-making, or the ability to scale programs — no matter the event environment.
