Virtual events have certainly gained a lot of ground in recent months, and the benefits, breakthroughs and good practices that we have learned from their accelerated implementation will not be set aside and forgotten once live events start to gain traction again. This is why it’s smart to adopt a hybrid event strategy that takes advantage of the best of both worlds and helps you move forward with your business.
Even though we have seen many great advances in the last few months in terms of getting the pandemic under control, the reality is that the fight is far from being finished, and its repercussions might still be felt for a long time after it’s finally over.
In regards to the event industry, it’s very likely that when live events pick up more strongly they will not be exactly the same as what we were used to; between the security measures that must continue to be implemented and the reluctance of people to attend these types of events because they do not feel completely safe yet, it would be wise to consider a hybrid event strategy that allows event organizers to continue creating successful events and experiences with large audiences, regardless of whether the guests are able to attend virtually or in person.
The advantages of hybrid events
Hybrid events will continue to be an excellent option to further increase the scope of any event, even if all the obstacles caused by the pandemic are left behind in the future. The reality is that there is a large number of people who can become a potential audience, but who have never had the possibility to attend in the past either due to logistics or money limitations.
By adopting a hybrid event strategy, the opportunity is provided for anyone who is interested in attending to do so, regardless of whether they are in the city where the event will take place, if they can travel or if they have the necessary budget; even accessibility and inclusion issues that can be very challenging to implement in live conferences can be left behind in a hybrid model.
In addition to the above advantages, which can create more enriching experiences for the participants of your event or conference, another important point is that, from the perspective of your business, being able to reach more people also means that your conference can also generate higher profits, not to mention that offering the opportunity to participate in a virtual way is also a much more sustainable alternative and an alternative to combat practices that are not environmentally friendly; the potential reduction of emissions by the flights to move to the city where an event will take place is already in itself a massive benefit.
The challenges faced by a hybrid event strategy
One of the challenges that remains to be conquered is to ensure that the audiences in a hybrid event model are able (and willing) to interact with each other. Although different tests have already been carried out to learn more about the technical and logistical requirements to make this kind of interaction a reality, it is important to note that there are still no concrete conclusions about whether the public will completely embrace these types of new dynamics. But one thing is for sure: if they are not given the opportunity in the first place, then we will never be able to understand the limits and come up with innovative ideas to solve the challenges presented by a hybrid event strategy.
Ultimately, leveraging a hybrid event strategy is about taking the best of virtual events and live events to achieve your business goals, provide better and more innovative experiences to the public and give the audience the opportunity to participate in experiences in a way they feel most comfortable.
The learning curve when it comes to implementation and logistics issues is something that cannot be avoided, but we must be flexible and innovative enough to accept these challenges and find solutions that satisfy most of the needs of both the industry and our audiences.
One thing can be said for sure: having more options to choose from can never be considered a bad thing. Let us help in your hybrid event planning, contact us to book the best keynote speaker.
