How to plan a Hybrid Event
Hybrid events are becoming increasingly popular the closer we get to 2021. They enable you to host an in-person event whilst streaming online to an additional audience. There are endless benefits of doing this from reaching a bigger audience globally at a small cost to reusing content from events. So what things do you need to consider when planning a hybrid event? With Hybrid events being both in-person and virtual, you will need to consider a lot more things than a typical in-person event... You have an audience on the other side of their laptop which you must deliver great content to.
- 1. Location
- 2. Equipment
- 3. Streaming platform
- 4. Promote event
- 5. Engage
1. Location
COVID has made event planning a lot more thorough and safety measures need to be considered before anything in order for the event to go ahead. Although there will be a limited number of people attending in-person, you need to consider a practical yet professional location for your event. It’s important to ensure you have a venue big enough for social distancing, allowing additional space for chairs and tables, sanitising stations and extra COVID measures. Car parking space should also be considered as guests will have to travel to and from and will want to access venue easily.
2. Equipment
As well as your ordinary equipment for an in-person event, you will need to consider your virtual audience. In order for you event to stand out and be successful, you will need high quality audio and camera equipment as well as multiple camera angles to ensure your audience don’t miss a thing! The last thing you want during a virtual event is poor sound quality and outdated cameras. This may result in your audience losing interest and leaving the event. You want to make their process as easy as possible. No one wants to join an event and deal with glitches, so ensure you have top quality equipment. Film production crews can take the hassle away with their equipment and the use of their expertise to capture your event perfectly.
3. Streaming platform
In order to have a successful event, you need to pick a reliable streaming platform. You don’t want any technical glitches before or during your event as you want to make sure everything runs smoothly from start to finish. Always have a backup streaming platform at the ready in the case of any disasters. You want to find a platform which integrates live streaming and comes with a variety of tools to make your event stand out from the rest. An important part of events is networking. As it will be half virtual, use a streaming platform which enables networking and engagement. This will allow your audience to communicate with each other and make new connections. Like any event, you want to have regular breakout sessions, so find a platform which equips you to do this easily.
4. Promote event
Whenever you’re hosting an event, you always need to make some noise about it! During the run up to the event, start posting some creative and engaging posts on your social media platform to really get your guests excited for the event. In addition to this, it’s a great way to reach a wider audience for your virtual side of the event. As it’s virtual, it enables you to have guests all around the world attending. Use different features on social media platforms such as polls, Q&As, go live and much more to really build up the anticipation. So, step up your marketing game and encourage as many delegates as possible – it’s worth it!
5. Engage
When it comes to hosting your hybrid event, something you really want to focus on is engagement. As part of it is virtual as well as in-person, you want to find ways to include your online audience and make them feel part of the event. If your virtual audience aren’t feeling involved, they may leave the event early. Engagement is crucial! Make use of interactive features such as live polls, live chat, and Q&A to help with this.
As you can tell, there are heaps of things that need to be considered for a hybrid event but don’t be put off! Hybrid events are the future, so why not make the most of every opportunity. With the use of our expertise, we can take the hassle away and make your event a walk in the park. Keeping you Covid secure in person and sound online. Get in contact with a team member today to book your hybrid event!
