In these extraordinary times it is no secret that the events industry has taken a beating. Back in March, event professionals across the globe had to scramble (quickly) to learn the art of virtual events, as companies had no other option than to move their live events onto a virtual platform. As a result of this, connection has never been more important, and whilst virtual events have got us through 8 months of home working, we believe hybrid events will shape 2021.
WHAT IS A HYBRID EVENT?
The beauty of hybrid events is that they combine both a physical event as well as a virtual experience for those not able to attend in person. Hybrid events offer multiple advantages, perhaps the most important being the increased global reach and attendance. They mitigate health and safety concerns, the worry of travel bans isn’t as prevalent and they definitely help with the bottom line.
BENEFITS OF HYBRID EVENTS.
- It brings a level of human connection back into the event
- Given the uncertain global travel restrictions, hybrid events enable more people to attend virtually, meaning reduced travel costs for delegates
- Great source of lead generation from the virtual element – more registrations, more leads and potentially more customers
- Increased attendance for the event as well as increased participation
- Valuable data and metrics from the virtual audience
- Sponsor opportunities given wider audience reach
- If you are hosting a larger event, there are often venue capacity limitation – hybrid events mitigate this
- On demand content for all audiences’ post-event.
CHALLENGES OF HYBRID EVENTS.
- It can be difficult to create two unique experiences for both audiences as well as a shared experience
- You cannot have the same approach for live and virtual attendees so the pre-production planning can be longer
- Virtual audience can feel isolated so you should encourage interaction – virtual attendee engagement is harder to maintain so the importance of the content is amplified
- You may find yourself navigating different time zones – this will usually be dictated by the live element of the event
- Determine the event length for both audiences
- You will need to leverage a new scale into sponsor ROI (if applicable)
- There may be connectivity issues with hosts, the virtual audience and the venue so rehearsals and testing is essential.
WHERE TO START?
Every country has different restrictions so you need to check how many people can meet for the live portion of the event in your area. Once that’s established, you will need to find a venue that ensures the correct social distancing measures are in place as well as a strong wifi connection. A benefit of engaging an event agency is that they have expertise on negotiating venue contracts – if some people are unable to make the event in person and numbers subsequently reduce, an event agency can help mitigate wasted costs at contracting stage.
THINK ABOUT THE AUDIENCE… AND WHAT THEY WANT TO EXPERIENCE.
You need to ensure the content is engaging for both the live audience as well as the virtual attendees. It’s not just a case of live streaming the event and hoping the mics work well enough for those watching remotely. Make the content and format adaptable and pivot it to a live and virtual audience. The most obvious example of successful hybrid events are sporting events. Take the World Cup for example, there are limited ‘in person’ tickets yet millions want to watch. The people attending may get the buzz of a live event but those watching at home get real-time commentary from the experts and get to see the whole game, close-up.
So first and foremost, consider your audience and event objectives. Who will be attending the event and what do you want to convey? The answers to these questions will shape the whole format of the event and from this, you can build an attendee experience for everyone. You need to establish an enabler that supports your event objectives and relays the messaging in a clear and succinct manner.
PLATFORM AND PLANNING.
Only once you have determined the audience and objectives would we suggest choosing which virtual platform to use. There are so many out there that have different offerings, so armed with the knowledge of what you want to achieve, you can find a platform to create an optimised experience for your virtual audience. Once this has been established, the content development can commence, together with the planning of the communication plan. This must be created to ensure the engagement is prevalent before – when the invitations are being sent out, during and after the event. Get your attendees excited, send out teasers of what they can expect and the key takeaways.
TELL A STORY AND MAKE IT SLICK.
It’s useful to think of yourself as a storyteller when managing the content. How can you make it relevant and captivating? What is it you’re trying to say? Any slides you’re showing need to be dynamic and visual with fewer words but more meaning. The design of the slides has never been more important, particularly for the virtual audience, so consider placement of imagery and copy. Engage your speakers throughout the design process so they feel comfortable with the content.
TEST IT. CHECK IT.
Testing and rehearsals were paramount during live events, but this has now been amplified when you bring the virtual element into the equation. Even the most accomplished speakers need support when addressing both a live and virtual audience.
DON’T FORGET THE DETAILS.
Just as you would with a live event, the venue will also need to be managed. How will the flow work for the ‘in-person’ delegates? How will you manage the breaks and catering? How can you make the ‘in person’ delegates feel safe? Even if a venue has the relevant documentation, go on site recces to check that the procedures are being followed. Dependent on the size of your virtual audience, it may be worth investing in a food and beverage package for them as well. You can either have the hotel send over the menu and dish that the ‘in person’ audience are having, or alternatively send them food vouchers or gift cards, so they feel more involved.
As well as your ‘traditional’ risk assessment, a COVID-specific risk assessment will need to be created and updated on a regular basis dependent on the latest government guidelines.
OUR TOP TIPS FOR HYBRID EVENTS.
- Begin to think about your event content in terms of TV broadcast and digital media, whilst incorporating audience interactivity
- Attention spans are shorter than ever, and you are competing for your viewers’ attention (particularly your virtual audience). In the past, it was typical in the world of corporate events to have full ‘day’ sessions but are these really needed? Can you break up the sessions to be more manageable and ‘bitesize’ discussions? A good starting point would be to encourage conversation and input, from both sets of audiences
- Ask questions and use the polling functionality to drive discussion
- People are more embracing of technology, however, ensure that the selected digital tool is user friendly and the virtual audience doesn’t need to go ‘outside’ the platform to access any content
- Invest in a dynamic and engaging MC to manage the programme, this was crucial for live events but even more so for hybrid events. Give the MC and the speakers time to go through their sessions and agree when the MC should return to ask questions and engage the audience
- If speakers are ‘dialling’ in, ensure you have sent them the relevant technical kit and that several rehearsals have happened prior to the live event and in the exact space they will be speaking from. Always worth pre-recording their segment in case their connection goes down
- Double check that the selected online platform can host the content post-event so people can go back and re-watch or check out the content they missed
- This is more relevant for virtual events however if you’re sessions don’t need to be live, always pre-record. Chances are, if you’re asking yourself if it needs to be live, it probably doesn’t!
And finally…
Hybrid events allow an all new level of flexibility and enable us to be more prepared for any eventuality. The future is uncertain, so this is the new reality but it’s a reality that opens up the content for more people to consume. So, when you’re thinking about your next event, consider hosting a hybrid event. A team with the right skills can support you and will prove invaluable. To see how Lemon Lane can help you contact us on +44 (0) 203 4886 155.
