In the upcoming months, you’ll start to see people talking more and more about hybrid events. Well, it’s not at all a new concept but we’re only now starting to realize its real potential.
Hybrid events are best known for driving both a live audience and an online audience virtually. One major consideration to keep in mind is that online viewers require different features to keep them engaged than those of your in-person audiences. Keeping this in mind, you definitely need to work some magic when it comes to the best hybrid event planning tips.
To keep the attention of these virtual participants, we have gathered top working tips to make your hybrid event successful.
If you are new to the world of hybrid events, we get you all covered. Keep scrolling to learn basic definitions along with pro hybrid event planning tips.
What is a Hybrid Event?
The simplest definition of a hybrid event is a physical meeting in which an online audience is free to participate. Ideally, both the physical and the online attendees come together to take part in the same experience at the same time, but from a wide variety of locations.
A hybrid event is not just a static recording but much more than that. In a typical hybrid event, the host introduces an interactive online component perfectly paralleled with the program’s physical element. In this way, you can reach a wider (international) audience who are willing to participate actively in your event.
Our Best Event Planning Tips for Hybrid Events
A virtual hybrid event for telecom companies is a combination of both physical as well as virtual events. While discussing pro event planning tips to make your hybrid event successful, there are a few special concerns that must be taken into consideration.
1. Choose The Best Virtual-Hybrid Event Platform
Besides all the possible technology and features, the first and the most important thing you need is a virtual event platform in order to host the virtual portion of your hybrid event.
You need a platform just like vFairs that is unique and personalized to handle all your possible hybrid event needs. Below are some important features you need to make sure your selected platform covers:
Ticketing & Enrolment
When it comes to the registration system, the simpler and quicker the process is, the better it will elevate the attendee experience. Also, an important event planning tip is to verify the registration data. This will definitely help you make well-informed marketing along with other logistical choices.
At vFairs, major payment systems such as Paypal and Strips are available for easy registration payment. As a host, you can easily charge for ticketing. Additionally, your attendees can also avail of tiered ticketing options in their registration form.
Networking Skills
If you wish to organize more than one virtual session in a single event, we would suggest choosing a platform that will not only facilitate networking but also engagement among distant attendees. When you fulfill the expectations of your attendees, you win a major point. Some other elements like virtual meetings, breakout sessions, live chats, and virtual cocktail hours are also crucial.
Marketing Integrations
Choose a professional hybrid events platform, such as vFairs, that enables better event promotion along with faster communication. A few best marketing strategies today are social media integrations and emails. By choosing vFairs, you can avail of a wide variety of marketing integration such as Hubspot, Salesforce, Oracle Eloqua, Marketo, Cvent, and a few more.
Management Capabilities
One of the key event planning tips is flexibility. Go for a platform that not only offers event management but also failures.
vFairs offer built-in tools to allow access along with complete event management. We also offer the best hybrid events software for live chat support 24/7. The teams at vFairs are professionally trained to identify and troubleshoot obstacles in no time.
2. Create the Virtual Stage
Virtual stages are ideal for online stages whereas venues are meant for physical events. A virtual stage is a place where attendees will be watching, chatting, and connecting with each other during the hybrid event. vFair offers chat and Q&N in your virtual webinar sessions. Not only this but anyone attending your live event can also read the questions submitted virtually so that the presenter can answer live.
For a unique online experience, the best hybrid event planning tips include creating a virtual stage that showcases the profiles of your event sponsors in an entertaining manner. Once again, to set up such a stage and overall environment, you need to team up with an event tech software company such as vFairs that offers top solutions for virtual events.
3. Prepare The Speaker
One of the important hybrid event planning tips includes a properly briefed speaker. It is crucial to acknowledge your speaker about all the technical aspects of live streaming. Some important questions you need to inform them about are:
- What to expect
- How to react to technical malfunctions.
- How you will communicate with him or her
- Where the cameras will be situated
- How to engage with the cameras
Make sure you discuss these important factors in-depth while the technical team will always be there to assist any malfunction. Arranging for some rehearsals is always helpful.
4. Regular Communication with Attendees
Another one of the crucial hybrid event planning tips is to make your participants as comfortable as possible. This can be done with the help of good and frequent communication.
Explain the event agenda to your attendees. Discuss all the do’s and don’ts along with safety protocols. They must be well-acknowledged when it comes to accessing the event content as well as navigating through space. In case they experience any technical issues, they must know where to find the immediate point of contact.
5. Flexibility is the Key
A perfect hybrid event support team will ensure all the changes can be properly accommodated and swiftly done. If you are expecting any changes during your hybrid event, we suggest communicating them clearly with your audiences in advance.
6. Have a Clear Theme
When you opt for an appealing subject, attracting viewers is relatively easy. In simple words, cherry-picking is the key.
Choose a clear theme to build your entire hybrid program around it. Ideally, the theme is all about the subject that speaks most to the target audience. In this way, you are able to attract such viewers who are not familiar with the hybrid event yet but right after they see the online broadcast, they may get encouraged to consider attending the next physical one.
7. Be as Entertaining as Possible
Do you know what is the biggest success of a good broadcast? It is as entertaining as a modern talk show or a football game. You will always find a presenter, guests, and a moderator who is responsible for directing all the online content.
8. Plan for New Forms of Interaction
When it comes to hybrid events, yes indeed, the interaction is very different. When you decide to pose some questions to your audience, it is essential to keep in mind that the response may take more than the expected time, as compared to the direct answers coming from the live attendees.
The majority of the time, your online viewers are all alone in front of their computer or mobile. Therefore, it is impossible to expect such discussions that are similar to live audiences. The best technique is to ask your viewers to respond on social media.
One of the best event planning tips offered by vFairs is to create online surveys or polls. With the help of the right tools, you can encourage remote and in-person participants to take online polls & surveys.
Experience it for Yourself
Apart from all the above-mentioned hybrid event planning tips, this one is the best. It is highly suggested to experience a hybrid event as a participant at least once. In this way, you will be able to feel and understand how it is to participate remotely and why it is so spectacular.
Not only this but you will also gain a better idea as a host of what the challenges could be and how you can focus on the solutions.
For more information about hosting an amazing hybrid event, you can read this masterpiece by vFairs.
