What are Hybrid Events & How Could They Benefit Your Business?
Hybrid events are certainly not a new concept within the events industry, however, during the current climate, they are slowly becoming the ‘new normal’. With large face-to-face events being unable to go ahead, businesses are having to adapt to the way that they can safely organise meetings, conferences, corporate and training events.
What is a hybrid event?
Hybrid events can offer businesses the benefits of a live, in-person event, whilst using technology to stream to a wider audience. For example, your event could be held in one part of the UK with a small number of attendees, whilst being streamed to an audience in another part of the UK, or even another country.
These events enable participants who are at home watching the stream to engage and interact equally as much as those who are attending the event in person.
Why are hybrid events becoming so popular?
The future is currently uncertain regarding when conferences and events with large numbers of attendees will be allowed to go ahead. Hybrid events are the perfect medium to ensure that the conferences and other corporate events can be experienced in a safe and COVID secure manner, whilst maximising virtual and in-person participation. It’s the best of both worlds!
Hybrid events are the perfect solution to maximise attendance particularly for:
- Attendees who wouldn’t be able to travel due to current lockdown restrictions, or health and safety concerns.
- Attendees who couldn’t travel to your event due to geographical limitations.
- Attendees who simply don’t have the time required to attend an in-person event.
All of these limitations can be rectified by using technology to stream your event.
Benefits of hybrid events:
- Maximised attendance – even those who wouldn’t normally be able to attend your event due to time or distance limitations will be able to attend your virtual event.
- Increased delegate engagement – interactive sessions such as Q&As can help to maximise the engagement of your delegates.
- Lower carbon footprint – almost every business, including ourselves, endeavours to reduce their carbon footprint. Fewer people travelling to an event means fewer carbon emissions are produced!
- Social distancing – smaller numbers of in-person delegates means that social distancing measures can be better implemented.
- Cut down costs – many businesses budgets have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hybrid events allow for various costs to be cut down such as transport, accommodation and catering.
