Are Hybrid Events Your Best Option? What You Need to Know.

Hybrid events appear to have it all. They combine the flexibility of virtual events with the power of in-person meetings.

In fact, according to a recent survey 40.6% of people reported hybrid events as their favorite event type.

So hybrid events are the go-to event choice…right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Another recent survey found that 46% of event organizers said speakers had difficulty engaging a hybrid event audience.

As great as they are, hybrid events aren’t without their challenges. The question is, do the pros outweigh the cons in meeting your event needs?

In this article, we’ll take a look at:

• What challenges hybrid events bring
• Why they’re appealing
• How you can decide if they’re the right choice for you

What challenges come with hybrid events?

Organizing an in-person and virtual event at the same time can be complex to set up.

Instead of hosting a top-notch in-person or a top-notch virtual event, you run the risk of both aspects turning out sub-par.

To successfully host both requires a lot of in-depth planning. You’ll need:

• A venue that allows for an added virtual set-up
• A quality virtual event platform that can handle the complexity of hybrid events
• Robust equipment to accommodate the virtual component (including strong and reliable internet, quality AV and lighting equipment, etc.)
• A team to provide tech support during the event

With proper planning, a great hybrid event is possible. But it will certainly be more complicated to pull off than a strictly in-person or virtual event.

As you might expect, the budget for a hybrid event can be higher than that of an in-person or virtual event.

By accommodating both an in-person and virtual audience, you are essentially paying for double the set-up.

But don’t automatically assume it’s a bad idea. The budget will vary from event to event.

• For example, if you plan to host a large in-person event, you will need a large venue.
• If you decide to go hybrid and put some attendees in the virtual space, the money you save by getting a smaller venue can go towards the virtual event platform.

So it’s not all bad. In some ways (such as venue size and travel expenses) you will potentially save money with a hybrid event. But typically the cost of hybrid events are a bit higher due to the overall expenses of combining event types.

This one is really dependent on your event goals. When hosting a hybrid event, there is the potential of having to compromise on your content. Why?

Hybrid events require content that engages both the physical and virtual audience.

Whatever presentations, trainings, workshops, and gamification components you plan to use, they all need to work well both in-person and virtually.

You don’t want either audience to feel cheated in what they experience at your event.

In some cases, this might mean you need to make compromises with your content. This could mean cutting out or changing certain aspects so that they translate to both audiences equally.

Juggling the same audience in two separate locations can be a challenge.

There is a clear way of staying connected and building relationships virtually and there’s another way to do so in person.

With hybrid events, your audience falls into both categories, and there isn’t a simple way to get everyone connecting.

Text chats and event apps can help unify your audience and keep everyone on the same page. Still, you will need to think outside the box and plan ahead to make networking possible at a hybrid event.

On the other hand, what are the benefits of hybrid events?

The most obvious and potentially most valuable advantage of hybrid events is the ability to reach a larger audience.

The virtual side of hybrid events means attendees can connect from anywhere.

In-person-only events limit attendees to those in the immediate area (or long-distance attendees needing to travel- more on this later.)

Hybrid events on the other hand provide a virtual component, opening the door for the audience to include:

• Those who suddenly can’t make it in person (car breaks down, babysitter cancels, etc.)
• Invitees from other areas or countries (with the added option of attendees of other languages with the use of an interpretation service)
• Attendees joining the stream live in other ways (think social media, company website, etc.)
• Those who will watch the recorded event afterward (either because they couldn’t attend on event-day, or they want to re-watch it later on)

Traveling takes a significant amount of time and money. Some invitees might even decline the invitation simply because of the travel involved.

With hybrid events, you ensure anyone can join from anywhere. They can still take advantage of your event even if they can’t afford (or don’t have time) to get there in person.

Additionally, if you were planning to cover travel expenses then you’ll save quite a bit of cash if no travel is required.

Bonus: By eliminating the need for travel, you open yourself up to a wider pool of guest speakers. Simply tie them in virtually. You can choose speakers based on knowledge and experience, not geographical location.

At solely in-person events, data analyses take place at the end via surveys and feedback.

With hybrid events, data analyses can be performed during the event.

How it works:

Most virtual event platforms provide event analytics and metrics. These track what’s happening with your audience during the event, such as:

• If you have different sessions or event zones, which ones did attendees spend the most time in?
• Which parts sparked the most audience participation?
• Were the participation spikes speaker-based or content-based?
• Did the charts and videos incite participation?
• How well did gamification affect attendee engagement?

The information you gather through these analytics can go a long way in planning your next event. You‘ll learn what got your audience involved, what you can cut out, and the areas you need to focus on the most.

It’s time to address the elephant in the room: Another benefit of hybrid events is the in-person part.

Until now, we’ve discussed why the virtual part of hybrid events is beneficial. What about those attending in person?

In-person events shine in a few key areas:

• Networking:
  While networking can certainly be successful virtually, face-to-face networking tends to be more impactful.A recent report showed that 77.7% of attendees said in-person conferences provide the ideal networking environment.
• Product Launching:
  In-person events are more suited to launching new products. In fact, another recent survey reports 80% of attendees saying that in-person events are the most trusted way to discover new products and services.Organizers can provide hands-on workshops to showcase what they’re offering. Attendees can easily access the product, get questions answered, and receive training and instructions for use.

Hybrid events can be a great tool for your company, but they aren’t necessarily the best choice in every situation.

Your event goals, budget, and target audience will all play a HUGE factor in which event type is best for you. Why not sit down with the professionals and get their thoughts?

With over 15 years in the virtual event space, we’ve seen how important choosing the right event type can be.

From the planning phase to tech support on event day to post-event analyses, we’re here to help. Together let’s put on a high-quality event, whatever form it takes.