Virtual and hybrid events are growing in popularity since they offer more attendance options and accessibility for worldwide audiences.
How do you optimize for success if you’re planning a hybrid event? We’ve created this hybrid events guide to help you get started. Stick around for our 15+ strategies for success and tips on choosing the right hybrid event solutions.
What Makes Hosting Successful Hybrid Events Different From Traditional In-Person Events?
First, it’s important to know what the actual differences are between hosting a traditional in-person event and a hybrid event. Some of the key differences you’ll encounter are:
- Hybrid events are more flexible since they broaden your reach globally and reduce travel constraints. However, you’ll want to use strategies that make virtual participants from global audiences feel welcome, involved, and part of the group.
- Hybrid events rely more on digital tools for audience engagement, such as adding live polls, audience responses, or Q&As during presentations using an event app.
- Technology is crucial for virtual attendance, so make sure you have a strong livestreaming solution and event management software to support it.
- The logistics and production are a bit different during a hybrid event because you’re essentially hosting in two locations simultaneously. You’ll want to have a system in place that helps you monitor both in-person and virtual attendees at the same time.
Why Do Virtual and Hybrid Events Offer More Value Than Physical Events Alone?
The biggest reasons why the hybrid model offers more value than physical events alone are that it helps extend your event’s reach to global audiences and provides more flexibility to your attendees so they can participate in a way they prefer.
Hybrid events can be a great asset in your event planning strategy since they help reduce travel constraints, can reduce venue costs, allow you to offer wider networking options, and facilitate better global connections in your industry.
How Do Event Organizers Choose the Right Hybrid Event Platform?
Some of the important elements you’ll want to look for when you need a hybrid event management solution include:
- All-in-one features to help manage all your event planning tasks in one place
- Capabilities to host events of any type (virtual, in-person, and hybrid)
- Scalability, so it continues functioning smoothly as your audience grows
- Ability to add immersive digital activities like audience responses, polls, quizzes, or Q&As
- Strong data and analytics to monitor event performance
- Customizability to deliver content in a way that meets your organization’s needs
What Strategies Will Keep Virtual Attendees Engaged Throughout Your Next Event?
15 great strategies you can use to keep virtual attendees engaged throughout your next hybrid event are:
- Offer live polling and surveys to drive session participation in real time.
- Use chat features and moderated Q&A to let remote attendees voice questions and connect.
- Integrate breakout rooms for small-group discussions that mimic in-person networking.
- Add gamification elements like scavenger hunts or points systems to encourage attendees to explore content.
- Send push notifications through your virtual event platform to highlight upcoming sessions.
- Schedule shorter, punchier sessions to emphasize the impact of key points.
- Provide an easy-to-navigate event app so virtual participants can plan their agenda effectively.
- Enable post-session access to recordings for those in different time zones.
- Offer virtual meet-ups during or after the event to help attendees make new connections.
- Highlight networking opportunities with attendee matchmaking tools.
- Facilitate blended Q&A where both virtual and in-person audiences can participate together.
- Have dedicated hosts or moderators to guide virtual components and keep energy high.
- Use interactive ePosters or visual galleries to keep content engaging.
- Promote social learning through discussion boards that span beyond the live event.
- Use analytics to identify low engagement moments and adjust programming accordingly.
How Do Event Planners Manage Content for Both In-Person Audiences and Online Audiences?
In addition to keeping in-person and online audiences engaged, it’s also important to adapt content so it provides a great experience for everyone attending the event. Some ways you can do that include:
- Adapting presentations for both formats so that audience members have clear visuals and everything displays correctly.
- Using a centralized event management system with tools that help with engagement, such as live chat, Q&As, polls, etc.
- Adding both live and on-demand options so those who can’t attend the event or need to leave partway through can watch it later.
- Making sure to address both in-person and virtual attendees throughout presentations so everyone feels involved.
What Should You Do To Ensure Your Next Hybrid Event Succeeds?
One of the biggest things you’ll want to focus on as you’re planning your next hybrid event is ensuring the experience feels unified and well-rounded for any mode of attendance. It’s a good idea to prepare your presentations and activities early so you can practice, ensure all your tech is working correctly, and fine-tune any errors ahead of your event.
It’s also a good idea to use a centralized event management system so you can keep track of all your tasks while preparing for the event and have a well-rounded set of features available to create a great experience for all your attendees.
How Does Eventscribe's Hybrid Event Solution Support Future Events?
Our Eventscribe event management system at Cadmium is a great solution to support your future hybrid events. Eventscribe is an all-in-one event management system, so you can organize all your tasks, communication, information, and planning details in one place.
Some of the top features you get with Eventscribe include:
- The ability to host events of any size and type (virtual, hybrid, or in-person)
- Scalability, so it can grow with your organization
- A smooth registration system to make it simple for attendees to sign up for the event and check in
- An organized analytics system to track your success
- Automated logistics planning to help you use resources efficiently
- Transformative engagement options before, during, and after the event
- Speaker and presentation management to organize content ahead of time
- Sponsor and exhibitor management
- Integration with our Warpwire livestreaming solution and Elevate and EthosCE learning management systems
- And more
Learn more about Cadmium and discover how Eventscribe can help support your next hybrid event!
