An Introduction to Hybrid Events for 2022 (with Examples) |
At one point in time it was commonplace to have on-site events ... then COVID-19 came along. This left many businesses as well as creators scrambling to redesign their events online.
While virtual events have a variety of benefits but many participants feel like they're missing the most important element of face-to-face interactions. We'll admit it: trying to recreate each and each aspect of an actual occasion in a digital environment just doesn't work all that effectively.
What's the solution? The answer is HYBRID EVENTS!
Hybrid-style events integrate physical and digital experiences. They offering attendees and the creators flexible solutions, and can quickly be transformed into various forms of content. How cool is that?
Let's look at the ways to make an amazing mixed event.
The article...
What exactly is an event that is hybrid?
Advantages in hybrid-based events
It is possible to record HTML0
11 tips for creating amazing hybrid events
2. Utilize virtual technology to encourage in-person
3. Bring your live members virtual
4. Invite your virtual friends to live
5. Find plenty of networking space
6. Ask questions for discussion within the community
7. Keep the spirit alive after
8. Give more options of content
10. Test tests, tests and test, test
11. Select your preferred platform
What exactly is an event that is hybrid?
It's the first step. A hybrid event allows people to join your event physically or via the internet or in a mix of both. It is truly an ideal blend of both.
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Advantages in hybrid-based events
Let's look at some of the benefits of a hybrid event and why it might be the perfect alternative for your attendees!
Easy
Today more than ever you can easily host an event that is hybrid thanks to advances in technologies. Hybrid event platforms give creators the ability to design and organize spectacular events that can be connected via software. Hybrid event platforms that are the best are equipped with innovative features for designing an interactive event that connects in-person and online experiences in a seamless manner.
Flexibility
When you host an event with a hybrid format it is possible to allow for customization. Your guests can enjoy an entirely new experience personalized to your preference. Many hybrid event platforms offer various ways attendees can engage and give them more freedom for how they choose to interact, including through online communication, such as questions and answers, voice chats, surveys, polls, and many more.
Hybrid-style events can be beneficial for everyone because they give your guests a variety of options when they will show up. As an example, for people who arrive in person, a hybrid occasion lets them leave the location for a time and still interact online.
For those who frequently travel, have hectic schedules, or are unable to afford the event in person, it gives them an opportunity to take part online.
Price
When it comes to flexibility, hybrid events also allow you to adjust your price. As an example, you could charge $100 for in-person attendees and $20 for online attendees. Obviously, there will be an upper limit on how many tickets you can sell to the public at a live event due to capacity limits at the venue. However, you are still able to sell unlimited tickets for the online part.
Essentially, you can sell two products for the same occasion! You could even offer packages or bundles (e.g. you can purchase four tickets for the price of three, or, if people purchase the digital item along with the ticket to the occasion, they gain access to your community for no cost) This gives you the possibility of unlimited possibilities!
Keep the connection alive
Connections and enthusiasm don't have to stop after the event ends. You brought together like-minded people that were eager to attend the amazing event you created.
Why not keep those relationships alive by joining the help of an online community? The community will help your users maintain their connections as well as form new ones, and it can provide them with new opportunities (both personal and professional). Your community members will be able to interact with one another, with your content, and with your company. On top of that, they'll be the first to learn about your next event and can communicate their excitement!
can be recorded
In the event that registrants cannot go to your event due to sick, needed to stay late at work, or they decided to rest following a tiring workweek It's still possible to provide them with a chance to attend the experience of your occasion.
Due to the power of hybrid event platforms You can quickly record your event and give participants access. This way, they will be able to replay the event at their own schedule.
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11 tricks to create amazing hybrid events
After we've looked over why hybrid events are beneficial, let's go through how to actually build one!
1. Select your favorite blend
The initial decision to make is how to blend both the online and real-world elements. You need to make each event great on its own, yet blend them together to provide everyone the best experience. You can, for instance, effectively combine virtual and in-person attendees in breakout sessions. At the start of the conference, you can have participants from both sides (virtual or in-person) take part in a survey.
Also, consider how your virtual guests can access, say an in-person keynote speaker once they've delivered an address.
Make connection and engagement easy for everyone. It isn't a good idea to have anyone feeling as if they received the shorter end of the stick , or not feeling that the event was catering to their needs.
2. Use virtual to promote in-person
If you're trying to spread the word about your special event, then it is necessary to promote the event. How can you make use of your digital website to advertise not just aspects of your online occasion but also its in-person element? Use social media to your advantage. Make content for your event via photos, writing or even videos for promotion reasons. Make use of social media and create a blog or YouTube channel to tell your story to build your audience, and promote your event to as many people as you are able to.
Whether it's selling a course or ebook, a webinar, or an event, if they like you and your perspective are more likely to purchase what they're being sold to.
Remember, you do not have to devote all your energy and time in social media. You don't need to get millions (or even thousands) of followers to market your hybrid event. You don't have to be an illustrious celebrity such as Oprah to get noticed. All you need is to generate an image and then make your followers excited!
Another option to advertise online is through an online community. The power of being a part of a community as people are wired to being social beings who want to connect with others.
Community is about the joy of purpose, motivation, and the energy feeling part of something greater than yourself, working towards a common goal, building skills and getting better, and also a safe space where people can feel vulnerable, face challenges, and find solutions together. Communities are a great space to promote your hybrid event because your participants trust your organization (plus they're the primary supporter who is excited about what you have to offer). ).
3. Bring your live members virtual
Did you remember how we discussed mixing the physical aspect of your business with the web-based component? This is the perfect time to think about how you can get your live members virtually engaged.
Perhaps in between the speakers You ask your present guests to take questions on an online polling service (e.g. Slido). Questions can be used as an icebreaker (getting everybody warmed-up for the occasion), present them with an array of fun questions throughout the event or gather feedback at the end of the event. Your goal is to generate interaction and dialogue between your guests and you.
While the event is taking place, it is possible to invite attendees in person to join an on-line chat. That way, they can share their thoughts, connect with each other and the virtual attendees, and inquire about any issues they may be able to ask during the chat.
You can, of course, have part of your event held online. Perhaps some of your guest speakers are unable to make it to the event in person, and instead are able to present online. In this case, you could do a guest talk, interview, or presentation, and more all virtually!
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4. Invite your virtual friends to live
In the same way that you'd like to get your in-person attendees on the internet, you'll want to do the opposite and get your virtual participants online. This doesn't mean that you should get the members in person (because this would negate your goal) However, you should get them to engage live with the content so they really feel like that they're involved in the event!
How? Use live streaming for your benefit -- whether it's for main stage events like keynotes, presentations or even lectures delivered by a person who is well-known. It can also be utilized in smaller events like virtual workshops, conversations break-out sessions, or webinars.
As with your in-person attendees Your virtual attendees can be able to answer questions from interested guests during live Q&A sessions which offer an opportunity to broaden discussions and interactions. Being an event organizer It's important to ensure that the virtual participants have equal weight and importance throughout the meeting as the questions of in-person guests.
Think about having an emcee or host for your virtual audience to recap the most important occasions and also alert attendees to what's coming up next. You can even video and stream the excitement live so that people who attend online feel like they're in the actual room.
5. Create lots of space/networking time
Give virtual attendees an opportunity to connect with the keynote speaker by ensuring that there is enough time in your speakers' schedules for them to connect with the audience.
You might want to block off some time during the day (and perhaps add some time later) to be reserved for networking. In order to do this, consider having dedicated areas (both in person as well as on the internet) to facilitate networking. You can even ask attendees to drop their name and job title, their social media handles, and some other information about themselves in chat rooms online to help make connections.
6. Create discussion questions for the members of the community.
Speaking of having dedicated spaces in which members of both online and live can interact, a great location to have this interaction is in your online community! This is great for everyone, no matter if they're at home or there in the flesh.
These are interesting questions you can ask your members:
- What's the challenge that you're currently dealing with?
- What's an incredible outcome for you?
- What's your single-word topic in 2022?
- What inspires you most?
- If you had the power to wave a magic wand and add one extra hour to your schedule, what would you do?
- Where's the most beautiful location you've been to?
- What are the achievements you are most proud of?
Based on interests of the members You can also establish different subgroups within your community. You can also use different types of content to engage participants in these groups such as:
- Polls (e.g. "What % of your day do you devote to being organized and reviewing your goals ?")
- Fill-in-the-blank questions (e.g. "The reason I network is because of _____," or "I never go out without _ ")
- Ask questions with word limits (e.g. "What's the first word you would like people to consider whenever they think of your brand? ?")
- You can ask questions that have time limitations (e.g. "Based the information you've gathered from today's meeting, what's something you're planning to do now?")
The key thing here is to create questions that can get your members thinking and interested.
It is possible to download this guide to 1,000 discussion questions for free within our Mighty Community!
7. Keep the spirit alive even after
Once the event has ended, you can still retain the energy! The enthusiasm, the information sharing, the energy and the enjoyment can continue in the air. There's a lot you can do to ensure an active community.
Here are some examples to help keep the momentum going:
- Host a member spotlight event This could take place as the live appearance of some of the participants (panel discussion). For example, if they're coaching a group, you could ask them, "What's the most effective approach to reach new clients? ?"
- Let your members share their experiences -- invite members each week to share their thoughts as well as their achievements. Of course, your members love hearing from you, however, they'll also want to read stories about their fellow members.
- Host a live event It could be an event, a demonstration, webinar, workshop, or thought direction.
- Provide Weekly challenges.
- Book or podcast discussion day in line with the community's needs.
Another benefit of maintaining the buzz is that you get to generate excitement ahead of the next hybrid and virtual events!
8. Offer more options for content
Another method to keep your clients active is to offer diverse information. As long as they are familiar of your business and your brand, it is easy to give them more products or services in the future. the line.
Here are some suggestions of the things you could be charging for:
- memberships (great way to build community and create an online platform where members can interact with each other)
- Video recordings
- Livestreams
- Boards of discussion, articles survey, polls and discussion boards
- Digital downloads (PDFs, ebooks, audio files, customizable templates)
Additionally, you can extend your hybrid experience to mastermind groups online, online courses, and more. It is possible to use audio recordings of events (e.g. speakers) as well as recordings of the stories and experiences of attendees too. You can turn this into a powerful piece of content is chargeable separately.
There's a range of possibilities in showcasing your content as well as charging for it. There's even the option of offering members that attended your hybrid events the chance to save money on an online class or an ebook. Be aware that this is a marathon, not the sprint. As you learn about your participants, you'll be able to tailor the content even more for them.
9. Figure out your tech needs
You want your hybrid event to go off without an issue. It is essential to have the technology aspect in place (like streaming audio or video ).
Here's a listing of items to think about:
- Audio recording: be sure that your audio recording is crystal clear. Also, you want your audio and video recordings to sync up.
- Mics your attendees shouldn't have to strain to hear what they're hearing So make sure that you have proper microphones that are connected (whether they're standalone or individually connected).
- Quality of video: make sure you use equipment that has high resolution. You don't want low-quality video that is difficult to discern while streaming or recording your guests.
- Engaging apps (e.g. Slido) ensure that you include simple apps (this is important for those with less technical skills) which have high-quality interaction and features for engagement.
- Community app (e.g. ): ensure you have the space for your community that attendees can go to interact with others, exchange their stories, and network (before, during, and following the event).
- Tickets: To track registrations you can use a registration software or ticketing program. The software will ensure that the information is in one spot.
10. Test testing, test
After you've decided on the technology and tools you need to host your event It's now time to test these out! One of the last things you'd like to see during your event is something (on the tech side) to go wrong, which could have easily been prevented.
We recommend that you run an initial test run of your hybrid event a few days in advance to be sure that everything runs smoothly, and to give you security. Get two test attendees who are both online and one in the flesh. This way, you can be certain that the video quality is to the standards you expect, that the PowerPoint presentation you created actually works, attendees can easily connect to any application and that the sound quality is clear You aren't looking for speakers that sound obscured, or even worse, not audible.
No matter what equipment you're using, ensure that you and your guests are comfortable with it. That way, if there's a problem at the time of the event, you can easily solve the issue. Since you'll be pulled in numerous directions during the event's hybrid nature, you might want to think about enlisting assistance -- either friends or hiring professionals (e.g. videographer) to ensure everything runs well and that you are able to concentrate on the most important thing ... the attendees.
11. Select your preferred platform
The next thing to do is choose the platform you'll use. Let's look at 4 options quick.
It is a complete platform for creators that offers an extensive collection of native functions and tools to create appealing material. It has great online learning choices that seamlessly integrate with communities, paid memberships or hybrid virtual events.
There are other advantages to having a hybrid event
- Easy-to-use RSVP announcements.
- Create interactive discussion boards, polls, as well as Q&As.
- Write articles and live stream live from your Mighty Network, and post made videos.
- Send direct messages to participants and create reminders to ensure that no one is missing anything.
- The ability to connect is always available via a robust native mobile app (available on Android and iOS). It is ideal for people using the app for a complement to an live experience, or as their main way to engage in a complete digital experience. There won't have any issues with high-quality.
A Mighty Network offers the best of both worlds , combining the content with connections to your event that is hybrid, with the ability to transform the event into a vibrant member-based site, community or online classes, and even more!
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Accelevents
Accelevents is an event management platform that comes with a variety of features so you can hold your hybrid events. It's an affordable-ish solution (their starting pack to host a single event costs $500/event or you can purchase unlimited events for $125/month billed annually) targeted at large-to-mid-sized businesses.
Accelevents enables businesses to incorporate live streaming, include immersive live polling and Q&As. They can also build interactive booths at exposgreat to auction.
Although this platform for events advertises its capacity to create connections between attendees using sophisticated features like AI-based matching but there's really no method for participants to maintain connections once the event has ended.
Hopin
Although this hybrid event platform was developed recently It's an excellent option for the new and/or price-conscious planner who would like to offer the traditional event experience. Hopin allows Hopin organizers are able to create various ticket types, utilize the platform's centralized registration for online and in-person attendees, and take advantage of their email marketing tools. Hopin offers plenty of opportunities for attendees to connect during an gathering (connection tools, roundtables virtual small-group breakout sessions and many more). ).
Hopin does focus on replicating the feel of an in-person experience, but it's not missing out on certain aspects which make the online experience distinctive. Also, while this platform is affordable, they do have to pay a part of ticket commissions (even in their "starter" package, they charge an additional 7% of commissions on top of charging $99/month that is billed annually ).
If you want to try hosting a hybrid event, they offer a free trial (although it should be noted that the event length is limited to 2 hours, you get 100 registrants as well as 15% of ticket commission).
vFairs
vFairs is an extremely robust hybrid event platform that is designed for universities and large companies to host conferences, workshops as well as trade fairs and more. This platform allows you to live stream footage of events to an online audience, has immersive virtual venues as well as the ability to join in-person and virtual participants via text messaging and audio/video meetings. vFairs has an application for mobile users that allows attendees are able to check in at the event, connect with other attendees, as well as interact with booths of exhibitors.
Where vFairs seems to be lacking is in their user experience. People have complained that the platform has limited flexibility for customization and integrations aren't as seamless.
In general This hybrid platform for events can be useful for companies with a large number of employees.
Hybrid event examples
After we've gone over the basics of hosting a hybrid gathering and we're ready to look at some examples! Both of these examples originally focused on events in person prior to the outbreak, shifted to online occasions during, and are now giving attendees a mix of experiences.
The Outwild Hub
The Outwild Hub is a social network that has a membership fee and an events for people who wish to make outdoors a bigger part of their lives. There is an online community, as well as live and virtual events.
- What they have to offer: Outwild Hub members get access to the Outwild Hub online community, as well as monthly speakers, a workshop series and access to in-person events. They also organize online-only events (community gatherings or workshops, keynote talks). They seamlessly connect in-person events via the web by providing audio recordings of their presentations.
- Anyone who is who is interested in spending longer outdoors but just not sure how to do it. This is for people who wish to make major changes to their life. This community even helps people who relocated during the epidemic to find new friends and enjoy the great outdoors with others.
In the Cut
In the Cut is a community for BIPOC creators looking to break into the television and film industry (just as the host, Rae Benjamin, had gone from full-time graphic designer to becoming a script coordinator for "The The Witcher").
-What they offer: a no-cost online community in which aspiring screenwriters can network and learn about opportunities as well as mentorship opportunities, and also get filmmaking tips and tricks. This is a community where writers meet to design fake writers' rooms. The site also allows members to gain lifetime access to webinar replays (for cost), online courses, as well as in-person writing retreats.
-Who should join: BIPOC creatives who want to be a screenwriter in Hollywood. Anyone who has discovered entry-level jobs but are not sure what to do next in order to transition to a better paying career. The events are authentic and free of censorship to aid in understanding the entertainment industry.
Conclusion
We hope you're feeling inspired and ready to run the perfect hybrid event after you've learned the advantages of hybrid events, how to actually run one, and the things will be required to succeed.
In terms of the features you require ... while we covered several event platforms, provides the perfect balance of price, flexibility as well as features that are suitable for both people who attend in person and online. Come try it out at no cost!
Create your event community now!