Events are changing. Whilst both online and in person events and exhibitions have been running for years, combining the two has seen more of a surge in recent times. Perhaps we can blame Covid and the reluctance some have to be in large groups, perhaps we can accept the digital world opening us up to more opportunities. Whatever the reason for hybrid events becoming more popular, they are certainly helping businesses reach new people and helping those who cannot attend feel part of the experience.
In this blog, we look at how you can help push your business forward with a hybrid event in 2024 and beyond.
What are hybrid events?
A hybrid event combines both the in-person and online elements of events, allowing attendees to participate either in-person at the event or remotely via live streams.
A successful hybrid event requires a lot of work and a great deal of planning. That is why many businesses looking to dive into this way of marketing will often opt for a specialist creative marketing agency that excels in delivering expert hybrid event production. Whether you have hosted before or are new to hybrid events, securing the help of such an agency is the safest way to ensure a premium event takes place. We’ve collated some info to help you set off on the right foot and see whether hybrid events work for you.
Why consider hybrid events?
Hybrid events stand to give you a little more than what in-person or entirely virtual events give you. Some events do naturally lend themselves to being better suited to in-person, whilst others may work much better online. For example, award nights and team bonding functions will only work in person. Webinars, training sessions and frequent team meetings will be better suited to being held online.
Events that don’t favour either are your potential avenue into hybrid events. Think product launches, trade shows, conferences, and sales updates. All of these can benefit your business from being hosted as a hybrid event. One where you reach both the in-person and virtual audience in the same way at the same time.
Expanded reach
As we have briefly mentioned, hybrid events stand to expand your reach to much more than just the in-person attendees. For those all around the globe, and those unable to attend due to other work commitments, the ability to connect to the event and still actively participate from anywhere means that not only is your brand being seen further afield but is also improving its reputation as a leader in innovation when it comes to connecting with customers or stakeholders.
Cost-effectiveness
Hosting a hybrid event not only connects you to a much larger audience but with the potential to hire smaller venues, travel less, and only need to hold one event, the business can help protect its bottom line a little and reach more people. Furthermore, customers, colleagues or stakeholders who would all love to attend also stand to benefit from a financial saving as they will not have to travel to attend and can instead participate from home, work, or whilst travelling.
Adaptability
Everything today is needed in an instant and everything is not just in demand but on demand. Hybrid events satisfy this need by being able to run on time and efficiently regardless of the number of people able to attend in person. If there are sudden travel issues, sickness or a change in guests, the event can still proceed thanks to everyone being able to access it remotely. Ultimately, hybrid events give you flexibility that allows you to adapt to changes quickly.
Measuring results
Many leading creative marketing agencies like London-based Smyle, incorporate the use of valuable data and analytic tools into the hybrid events they put together for global brands. Such tools allow a detailed and valuable insight into attendee behaviours, preferences, and engagement levels. Providing both Smyle and the event hosts with data that can inform them of how to make improvements for future events and what was a success in the event recently held.
Key considerations for hybrid events
Before assuming that the extended reach and the flexibility of such events guarantee it will be a success, you should make a few extra considerations to ensure that a hybrid event is the way you want your business to go.
Will your target audience take part?
It may sound silly, but for some people, the registration for an event and the tech needed to take part may seem alien and confusing. This could severely dent your chances of reaching the people you need to reach. Look at your customer base and assess whether an online event would be something they would want to take part in.
Set some event goals
Some events don’t require the hybrid element for your goals to be achieved whilst others can thrive on it. A product launch for example will work both in-person and online making a hybrid event the perfect route to take.
Are you looking for lead generation? Then perhaps ensure you have a landing page for those attending online to use. Are you trying to educate? Then provide resources that can be taken by hand at the event and downloaded for online participants. Ensuring you have bases covered for both the online and in-person elements will mean hitting your goals is much more simplified.
Resource availability
Do you have the equipment to put together an event that will be both in-person and online? If you do, do you have the experience to run a full event faultlessly? This is a consideration of extreme importance. One error could ruin the event, not just for those attending in person but also for those trying to watch online. There would be nothing worse than a disrupted stream or a failed product demo. If you aren’t confident that the execution of the event will be seamless, it may be safer to recruit a hybrid event specialist.
Assess the risk
Whilst you would have carried out the relevant risk assessments from a health and safety concern before hosting an event in a specific venue, you may not have considered the other risk elements. Logistics, security, technical issues and timings could all cause huge issues for people at the event and those attending virtually. Ensure your team has a risk management plan in place to help mitigate the risk and ensure that the event runs smoothly no matter how the content is being consumed.
Overall, hybrid events are a fantastic way to help develop your brand. Careful consideration is certainly required though. Whether you decide hybrid events are the way forward should be determined by your audience, your goals, your budget and your resources. Rushing into it without sufficient planning will see you falter and cause damage to your brand on multiple levels. Get a hybrid event right though and you can find yourself a vastly increased audience and the chance to accelerate your growth faster than you anticipated.
