What is a hybrid event? Why organize a hybrid event?

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In March 2020, the hurricane unleashed by the pandemic, with unexpected lockdowns, forced us to radically transform our vision and execution of events. In a matter of days, live events and conferences that had been planned months in advance were suddenly postponed or cancelled.



Thanks to the multitude of tools already available, we had to settle for virtual events , which gave us the possibility of continuing to connect people around our proposals.



After a year and a half of relative calm, one of the most important lessons we have learned is that while virtual events certainly have their benefits , in-person events will always be an important part of any consistent event programme . We are faced with the challenge of bringing back in-person events, without losing sight of the advantages of virtual events.



Apple tried the formula years ago, but it’s only now that we’re seeing the potential of hybrid events . The goal is hybrid events that create unique experiences for virtual and in-person attendees, in a way that offers much more than just a live stream of an in-person event.

Expert predictions on hybrid events suggest that as more companies shift to hybrid, innovation and invention will only increase. Whatever happens, we believe the next generation of events will bring more to the table than either of the above two options alone.

What are hybrid events?


Hybrid events are a combination of physical and virtual events . A mix of physical attendees in one location and virtual attendees in other locations.



The key to getting a virtual attendee involved in the event is engagement. How can the event offer the same level of immersion and participation through a screen as a live experience?



Hybrid events are NOT simply the streaming of a live event, there must be an engagement aspect: through the right technology, a hybrid event allows participants from both audiences to interact and share the experience together.



Why organize a hybrid event?


Currently, some events are planned in a 100% virtual way, such as webinars , as they have great cost advantages and the format is appropriate for the desired objective. However, we must work with the different options available, choosing the most appropriate in each case.



Some events will always be held in person when circumstances allow: meals with guatemala mobile phone number list clients, team building activities or experiences and activities that lose all their value when streaming.



But let's suppose that we want to organize an in-person event, since the epidemiological situation is more stable and we are convinced that meeting our clients in person is the best way to convey our ideas and involve them.



Not all potential attendees will be convinced to attend our in-person event. Here are some of the barriers that may prevent them from attending the event:



The attendee is unable or unwilling to travel due to health or safety concerns.
The venue where you will be hosting your in-person event has capacity limitations, so not all attendees will be able to gather at the venue.
The attending organization has a limited travel budget (more limited than in previous years) and therefore cannot travel to the event as usual.
The attendee has discovered great advantages in online events and prefers to attend that way, to save time, or feels more comfortable interacting from their computer.