A year of social restrictions has left us in a very different place to the pre-pandemic global community we enjoyed in 2019. Over the past 12 months our social instincts have been channelled via Zoom, virtual meetings and – as we start to open up – hybrid events. Many people now long to ditch Zoom meetings in favour of real social contact. The hybrid event, however, is faring better.
What is a Hybrid Event?
The aim of the hybrid event is to recreate the social buzz, energy and networking opportunities whether participants are physically present or not. It’s NOT about setting up a static camera in front of panels and walking away. Rather, it’s about redefining the digital recording of events to create a dynamic, participatory experience.
Suppose you have a superstar keynote speaker at your hybrid event. The excitement of being in the presence of a celebrity, or thought leader may not be available for everyone, but there are alternatives. Why not offer digital attendees the opportunity to experience exclusive interview material featuring questions they’ve supplied in advance?
7 Reasons Why Hybrids Will Outlast the Pandemic
The Red Occasions team has been producing hybrid graduations, awards ceremonies and conferences over the past year. The technology and creative momentum is evolving fast, revealing more benefits by the day. These, though, are the headline benefits fuelling the ongoing use of hybrid events:
1. Grow Your Capacity
Hybrid event organisers we’ve worked with have been surprised at the numbers of people attending. One reason for this is that there’s no ceiling on attendance figures. Alternatively, removing a whole load of barriers to attendance makes participation more attractive.
2. Environmentally Responsible Events
Global events can create huge carbon footprints. The hybrid offers an opportunity to provide a more sustainable, environmentally-aware alternative. No need to travel by air or car, use of plastic materials is hugely reduced; participants are able to attend with less harm to the planet.
3. Maximise Engagement For Participants
Social and networking formats get tired after a while; the hybrid event gives organisers a chance to shake up their ideas and produce something more innovative. We tend to start out by asking organisers what they want for each audience, and then create parallel experiences that reflect this.
4. Make Your Sponsors Smile
Sponsors like hybrid events; they can immediately spot the potential for reaching two audiences via different channels. There’s a whole load of new opportunities, from sponsoring an app, to running ads or being the providers of exclusive material.
5. Hybrids Can Adapt to Circumstances
It’s not just pandemics that threaten organised events; extreme weather events and environmental crises are also risks that have to be factored in. A hybrid host knows that if travel connections are halted, everyone can switch to the digital alternative.
6. Create Affordable Events
Many people are unlikely to attend large global events because of the cost involved. There’s so many factors to take into account: travel, attendance fee, accommodation, earnings lost due to absence from work. The hybrid event cuts costs dramatically for digital attendees.
7. Refresh Your Marketing Materials
The digital content you create for a hybrid event can be recycled to last for months, if not years. You’ll have the whole event to chop into interviews, snippets, and ads for other events. So you’ll save money on your marketing budget, and have great content to share.
Working With a Professional Hybrid Event Production Company
A hybrid event company will blend an understanding of what makes a face-to-face event thrilling to attend, with the technical expertise to recreate that for digital participants. Professional hybrid production will offer a range of options, from comprehensive event production through to sound and audio hire, streaming services and creative design.