How to Plan and Host a Hybrid Event

Reading Time: 19 minutes

 

Wondering how to plan and host a hybrid event? As we wrap up the first half of 2022, organizations are finding significant declines in in-person event attendance. Therefore, hybrid events are the breakout star of the meeting industry. An emerging event type that requires meeting organizers to stretch their creativity, strategizing, execution and integrate technology with traditional live events to create new types of audience experiences. Never in the history of meetings have we seen such an explosion of so many different formats and applications of new technology.

This article will help explain how to plan, organize and host a hybrid event.

What is a Hybrid Event?

A hybrid event uses a combination of in-person and virtual event technology to deliver a unique event experience tailored to each audience group for an optimal experience.

To create a hybrid event that helps your organization reach its goals, it’s important to understand what a hybrid event is not. A hybrid event is not…

• A live streamed in-person event
• An in-person event with a virtual bolt-on component
• An online event with a regional happy hour
• A live event with on-demand content
• Simultaneous events with different content and audiences

Hybrid events are similar to sporting events. The in-person audience gets the high-touch VIP experience with amazing food, décor, and face-to-face meetings. Your virtual audience can explore your content, engage with speakers, and create new connections, conveniently from any location.

What makes hybrid events unique is the fact that they are built around audience engagement powered by the innovative use of virtual event technology while delivering a unique, yet consistent, experience to each attendee type. This is not the same thing as sharing videos on demand after the event or prioritizing your live audience over your remote audience. Granted, virtual events might not be the same thing, but there are many benefits of incorporating them with otherwise traditional in-person events.

Why Host a Hybrid Event?

Hybrid events have gained traction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are still unwilling to participate in large in-person gatherings even as the pandemic subsides.

A recent survey of event planners indicated that 86% of event organizers achieved a positive ROI from their hybrid event.

For participants, a hybrid event creates the option of either attending in person or joining the event virtually. Such flexibility is effective in attracting a larger audience to your event.

You can also offer more attractive opportunities for the sponsors by reaching more attendees.

Finally, hybrid events let you tap a wider range of experts and professionals (present remotely) and get them to be a part of your event. This also trims down the operational costs.

How Does a Hybrid Event Work?

The overall management of a hybrid event is similar to a regular event. However, you must carefully consider the logistics related to connectivity, audience interaction, and live content.

The overall goal of a hybrid event is to deliver a consistent experience catered to each audience type. Streaming live in-person sessions to remote participants allows them to be a part of the event as well.

You may have a virtual speaker delivering a lecture to an in-person audience. You can create a seamless experience by letting the attendees interact with speakers through Q&A sessions, participate in polls/surveys, join dedicated breakout rooms, and more.

Virtual booths are sometimes used at hybrid events to enable sponsors and exhibitors to share content and engage with the online audience. In-person booth reps can either handle interaction with both attendee types and booth owners can staff virtual booth with remote staff from any location.

Hybrid events work because all attendees have access to the same event content and similar opportunities to engage with presenters and each other.

Hybrid Event Benefits

Hybrid events offer a wide range of benefits including:

• Greater Reach: This is the standout advantage of a hybrid event. You can reach and engage both live and virtual audiences. People who are remote can attend your event virtually. Others who are willing and able to travel can attend in-person. Furthermore, there’s practically no upper limit to the number of virtual attendees you can have, whereas in-person venues can only accommodate a set number. For example, for 47% of organizers, it’s already become an innovative way to connect audiences dispersed across the globe.
• Built-in Contingency Plan: If you are not sure about the size of your audience or want to accommodate for unexpected in-person event risks like adverse weather, sudden COVID restrictions, etc., a hybrid event is the way to go. Having a hybrid event platform lets you fall back to a 100% virtual event should any uncertainties arise.
• Better Engagement: A participant is more interested in an expert’s speech when it is possible to ask direct questions and interact with the speaker. Hybrid events offer precisely this interaction. Features such as live surveys and polls also drive audience engagement. Mutual networking opportunities also enhance audience participation and improve the attendee experience.
• Greater Sponsorship Opportunities: Hybrid events are incredibly valuable for sponsors because of their increased reach. Sponsors may choose to participate remotely themselves by setting up virtual event booths and giving presentations via video conference. This is especially important for events needing to accommodate sponsors and speakers abroad during a period of widespread travel restrictions.
• Eco-Friendly Solution: Hybrid events are an eco-friendlier solution for events. They carry a smaller footprint by eliminating the need for the attendees to travel or attend in person. Face-to-face meetings are still important, and they will always have a place. However, taking your events online as well is a great way to accommodate environmentally conscious attendees and reduce your impact on the environment. Furthermore, by reducing your in-person headcount, you can reduce the need for catering and other disposables.
• Powerful Analytics: Much of the back end logistics of a hybrid event are virtual. This allows you to track, monitor, and measure a huge number of relevant metrics. This data is useful in improving the audience experience in real-time while also planning better events in the future. The data is also fruitful in generating leads and meeting other business goals. A hybrid event platform like Communique provides valuable data including:
  • Registrations
  • Attendance (both virtual and in-person using the mobile app)
  • Session views
  • Booth visits
  • Content views
  • Networking participation
  • Average time spent in the event
  • Chat transcripts
  • Poll/survey results

• Hybrid Events Extend the Conversation: Event planners are realizing that they can build loyalty among their attendees and boost their in-person attendance by engaging with their audiences not just during their events, but before and after as well. In the weeks leading up to the event, they can build the anticipation through social media campaigns, by “dripping” content from their keynote speakers, and by opening the event app up early to encourage conversation and community building. Similarly, instead of just following up with a request to fill out a survey, organizers can keep the conversation going with post-event activity reports, follow-ups from sponsors, on-demand content of the in-person sessions, highly produced “That’s a Wrap!” videos, and of course…promotions of the location for next year’s event. Almost all these activities can be considered asynchronous portions of the event and have proven to be highly successful.

The next step in this evolution is inevitable. If a little engagement before and a little engagement after is good, maybe year-round cultivation of community is even better! We were already seeing more and more focus being put on year-round “365 engagement”.

What are the Types of Hybrid Events?

There’s no singular way to look at hybrid events. It’s important for event organizers to really consider what kind of event they’re doing, who the audience is, budget restraints, and what is the strategic purpose of the event.

Whichever of the hybrid event models is chosen; organizers will need to make decisions on how passive or interactive the virtual attendee experience should be. This will depend on several factors but ultimately it comes down to what you are seeking to achieve in terms of event objectives. Of course, you should consider your attendees (and sponsors) and how they best respond to new ideas and new ways of participating at an event.

There are no rules stating that a hybrid event must be super interactive. Some hybrid events can be passive. For example, the virtual attendees could just enjoy the content that is streamed live or on-demand. This is perfectly acceptable. It works well for some events, in which the focus is to disperse information without a need for questions or comments.

By the same token hybrid events can be as interactive as you want to make them. The virtual attendees can become involved in a variety of ways. They can be encouraged to send in questions, get involved in chats and participate in group tasks that involve both in-person and virtual attendees. All you need to do is to design your event that allows for them to participate without any ‘user’ obstacles.

Event organizers can generally choose from the following types of hybrid events:

1. Synchronous Hybrid Event: The event is produced and delivered to both the in-person and online audience at the same time. A hybrid event platform facilitates streaming sessions to the remove audience as well as networking opportunities, content delivery, speaker interaction, exhibitor booths, etc. When you want to maximize the events reach and engagement, synchronous is the way to go.

Keep in mind, however, that you are essentially hosting two events at the same time. This requires sufficient time, budget, and resources to host both event at the same time (while catering unique experiences to two different audiences).

2. Asynchronous Hybrid Event: A virtual event is hosted to reach remote attendees on different day(s) vs. the in-person event. This can be before and/or after the in-person event. Asynchronous hybrid events are best suited for events that are session focused vs. having exhibitor booths. Also, asynchronous hybrid events are quite appropriate for organizations that have limited additional budget and resources to produce both events at the same time.
3. Combination: There are portions of an event that happen at the same time for everyone, while others do not. General sessions, breakout sessions, networking, and other portions are designed for all attendees to be taking part at the same time. They’re “synchronous”. Within the event, on the other hand, there may be activities that aren’t constrained by specific times and can be experienced by attendees at a time of their choosing. Example of these elements could be an exercise challenge, the trade show floor, or a wellness lounge with yoga and meditation classes. These activities are “asynchronous” and can happen at any point along the attendee’s journey.

Unfortunately, over the course of the last couple of years, there’s been an awful lot of either/or thinking. However, there is no need to limit yourself to one specific event type given the wide array of tools that hybrid events present.

How to Choose Which Hybrid Event Type Works Best for You

Choosing the right hybrid event format for your unique event depends on a combination of event type, goals, and resource factors.

Event Type and Goals

• What type of event are you hosting? Are the sessions the primary focus or is an exhibit hall with booths also important?
• How important is networking (virtual attendees being able to connect with in-person attendees and vice versa)?
• Where are the attendees located (how far from the in-person venue)? What percent of attendees will likely not travel due to concern for health and safety, budget, time constraints, or carbon footprint awareness?
• Does your event include sponsors? What are their needs and goals?

 Resource Factors

Do you have budget to host both an in-person event and full-scale virtual event? If not, how much budget is available for the virtual event?

• Do you have sufficient budget for the required onsite AV and production equipment and staff?
• Do you have the time, staff, and resources to host both an in-person event and full-scale virtual event? If not, how much time, staff, and resources is available for the virtual event?
• If your event includes booth sponsors, how much time and resources do the sponsor have to plan and set up for both an in-person event and a virtual event?

This is by no means a definitive list of ways to deliver a hybrid event. The possibilities are endless, but proper planning is a must.

Why Should I Use Hybrid Events?

Hybrid events are a relevantly recent trend, but it is here to stay. Back in 2020, a study found that nearly 70% of event organizers plan to arrange a hybrid event. This number has continued to rise even as pandemic restrictions are relaxed.

However, many organizers are daunted by lack of experience and other factors when considering a hybrid event. They also need to understand whether the event can bring them any advantage before making the transition.

Here are some key indicators that will help determine when a hybrid event should be considered:

1. You Want Better Reach: A hybrid event lets you target and connect with both live and virtual audiences. It is a sure recipe for increased reach. If your goal is to connect with as many relevant people as possible, you should consider a hybrid format.
2. You Have a Geographically Distributed Audience: It is not always possible to bring your target audience together at a physical venue. It is particularly so when the audience is geographically distributed. You can manage this by creating a hybrid event that can cater to both physically accessible and remote audiences. League of Legends championships are a good example of this.
3. Capacity Limitations: The venue where the onsite portion of the event has capacity limitations, so not all attendees will be allowed to gather onsite.
4. You Want Valuable Digital Content: One of the main benefits of a hybrid event is that it provides valuable on-demand content. You can record the live sessions, edit them per your business goals, and remarket or reuse them. This significantly extends the life of the event.
5. There is a Need to Increase Sponsorship Opportunities: Your desired sponsors are likely to be attracted to your event if you offer more effective ways to engage with your event participants. A hybrid event makes this possible by multiplying sponsor placements and opportunities.

How Do You Make a Hybrid Event Interactive

Generally both in-person attendees and virtual attendees want interaction during sessions as well as networking with each other during hybrid events. Interactivity is necessary to get your audience engaged and make them feel more connected to the event. Leverage a hybrid event platform that includes a mobile app for in-person attendees. This will enable both attendee types to engage with each other as well as booth representatives.

Virtual audiences often feel disconnected during events. Make sure both audiences are able to submit questions during live sessions, which can be answered live by the presenter or moderator.

In addition, incorporate a live social feed from attendees, and keep it running throughout your event. Additions like this may feel inconsequential, but they have a powerful impact on your guests.

How to Plan and Host a Hybrid Event

Because hybrid conferences combine the best parts of virtual events with more traditional, in-person events, it comes with unique advantages (such as increasing the reach of your audience).

With the right tools in place, you’ll need some high-impact strategies and best practices to set you up for success. we’ve rounded up a handy checklist to help you plan and execute an effective hybrid event from start to finish.

1. Define your goals
2. What is the total budget for the event?
   • How much is allocated towards the in-person venue, production, etc.?
   • How much is allocated for the virtual conference platform and experience?

There are new costs to consider including:

1. • Extra AV staffing, MC, streaming bandwidth (negotiate with the venue contract up front if possible)
   • Virtual/hybrid event platform
   • All the extra content for the virtual audience – roaming MC, etc.
   • Onsite
     • Pandemic safety
     • Health screening
     • Cameras and production crew to capture sessions for streaming
   • Potential Cost Savings:
     • Less F&B for a reduced live audience size
     • Speakers may not be there in person (T&E)
     • New revenue streams:
       • Repackage and sell the content that was at the meeting on-demand
       • New tools for sponsorship – interview desk with sponsor logos
       • Charge for virtual – it’s the same content
       • Expand geographic reach – no travel limitations (overseas)

3. Choose the best hybrid event platform.
4. Build your team: To organize a successful hybrid event, you need to have two event teams. One dedicated for those attending onsite and one dedicated to those attending online. The two teams need to be in constant communication with each other throughout the planning and set up process.

• You’ll need the same players as before:
  • Speaker manager
  • Expo manager
  • Registration team
  • Session chat moderator
  • Graphic design lead
• New:
  • Project manager responsible for the overall meeting and making sure the event comes together.
  • A dedicated project manager for just virtual and just the physical event.
  • Consider adding a COVID Compliance Officer to ensure safety and health procedures are being followed onsite.
  • Event MC that is there to speak to both the physical and virtual audience, so they are pulled together,
  • Plus, a virtual host for only the remote audience. For example, a sideline reporter standing on the floor of the ballroom talking to just the virtual audience. When that break was over, he/she can throw it back to the physical event MC on stage. The goal is to make sure there is no dead airtime for virtual attendees.
  • Trusted AV partner and trusted hybrid event platform provider.

4. Identify your target audience: Knowing your audience’s location, goals, and objectives will help you with creating the agenda and identifying requirements for the in-person venue and hybrid event platform. Things to consider:
   • Where is the audience located? If your event attracts a global audience, consider including either live captions that are translated into other languages or live interpretation so that attendees can select an audio channel to hear the audio in other languages.
   • What is the estimated number of attendees that will join in-person vs. online? This is needed to secure pricing for the in-person venue and virtual event platform.
   • Americans with Disabilities Requirements (ADA) requirements for both your onsite audience and virtual event attendees to make sure your event is inclusive. Virtual attendees may need closed captioning during sessions or the ability to view and navigate the online environment via screen readers.

Pro Tip: One way to get a better understanding of your audience is by asking them questions about their needs and goals during the registration process.

5. Presenters: Make sure you have a good understanding of your presenters and their needs.
   • How many presenters are participating in the event?
   • Are all the presenters traveling to present in-person or will some be presenting virtually via a webcam? If the latter, your on-site production team will need to bridge these together for both in-person and remote audiences.
   • Does your agenda have concurrent or simultaneous sessions or tracks? How many?
   • Are any keynotes or presenters expecting a pre-recording option?
   • What technology will the virtual presenters use?
     • Are the virtual presenters tech savvy?
     • Do they have technical support, or will they need the support of the AV company?
   • Will exhibitors/sponsors conduct presentations?
   • Do the presenters have experience speaking to both an in-person audience and virtual attendees?

6. Creating hybrid event agenda:

Hybrid events require a balance between your virtual and in-person audiences. This balance must reflect in the event agenda as well.

• Number of Sessions: In general, the in-person audience is more engaged. That is because these participants have taken the time to be physically at the event. And while they are at the venue, they are not likely to engage in any other activities.

You can plan back-to-back in-person sessions with small breaks in between. You can also use the breaks to have fun ice-breaking sessions and other interactive activities.

Your virtual audience will likely be doing other things while tuning in to the event. So, you may want to limit the number of sessions you offer virtually. Not all in-person sessions should be live-streamed to your virtual audience as it can fatigue the remote participants.

• Pre-Recorded vs. Live Sessions: You can handpick the live sessions that are of most relevance to your virtual audience, and then make only these available during the event. The rest of the sessions can be recorded and later made available as on-demand content. Your virtual audience will then be able to access this recorded content as and when they choose.
• Duration of Sessions: In-person attendees can stay engaged and focused for a longer time. Virtual participants have a shorter attention span. You can break up your live sessions into digestible chunks for the virtual audience. You may also use creative ways to keep your virtual attendees engaged during these live streams.

What happens during breaks in the action during in-person events?  E.g., 30 minutes between sessions where people connect and network in the hallway. Best practices include:

• Have a roving camera crew walk-around to capture what is happening.
• Incorporate a virtual photo booth for virtual attendees.
• Time Zone Considerations: If your virtual audience is geographically distributed, an important factor to consider is the time zones. You want to make sure your live-streamed sessions go up when your virtual participants are easily available and likely free. It can be tricky to balance this between multiple time zones. You can also send out reminders well in advance of each session to make sure your audiences know the scheduled hours.
• Breakout Sessions: Breakout sessions are the backbone of collaborative interactions between event participants. You want to make sure you provide this opportunity to both in-person and virtual audiences.

In-person breakouts can take place in separate rooms. For virtual participants, virtual breakout rooms can be arranged online.

It is important to understand the structure and timeline of these breakout tracks. You don’t want to schedule breakout sessions at a time when a generally important session, such as a keynote, is happening. You should also manage these sessions to carry them forward with a goal and push them to a conclusion within the designated time frame.

You can decide in advance how many concurrent breakout tracks will happen at a given time. This is because you will need to arrange both the physical and virtual logistics for these tracks beforehand.

• Attendee Registration:
  • Ideally use a single registration form that can handle both in-person and virtual attendees.
  • Are you charging attendees to join? If so, make sure the registration system supports payment processing. Also, determine if you want to offer different ticket types (special access) and/or discount codes?
• Content
  • How will the content differ for each attendee type?
  • What content does the virtual attendee need to see vs. what the in-person attendee sees?
  • Are you issuing CE credits? Continuing Education (CE) credits are typically issued to participants who attend training or educational events related to their specific field. If your event involves training or education, you must determine whether you will issue CE credits.

If you plan to issue CE credits, you will need to record, track, and monitor the engagement of your physical and virtual audiences. A good hybrid event platform will help you track relevant metrics such as time spent in a session.

Similarly, the trainers or instructors must use tools that help them deliver powerful content to both in-person and virtual attendees. Virtual attendees can be polled live and Q & A sessions can be arranged for a more interactive learning experience.

• Virtual Conference Components:
  • Do you want virtual and in-person audiences to interact with each other?
  • Do you want the virtual audience to interact with the presenters?
  • Do you want the virtual audience to access the exhibit booths online or is their experience mostly focused on the sessions and other content?
• Engagement
  • How do you want to engage each audience member?
  • How can remote audiences be engaged during in-person event breaks?
• Delivery
  • Who are the moderators and announcers talking to? Are your emcees savvy about engaging with and directing remarks to both audiences?
  • Will your AV team be contracted to “call the show”—both virtually and in-person? This position is more relevant now than ever before as seamless transitions are integral to a positive virtual experience.
  • Do you and your AV provider have contingency plans for day-of challenges such as those that may arise with technology, presenters, etc.?
  • Do you have ample staff available to support your virtual audience (connectivity, engagement)?
• In-person Attendee Experience
  • Technology considerations:
  • Contactless check-in via a mobile event app
  • COVID survey/screening questionnaire via a mobile app
  • Session Q&A
  • Push notifications: It is important that the hybrid event platform enable you to send alerts, announcements, and updates to in-person attendees only, virtual attendees only, or both.
  • Contactless business card exchange among attendees and exhibitors
  • Panel discussions that include both in-person and remote attendees: If some of your speakers are remote connecting via their webcam, you’ll need your AV provider to support this. An on-stage screen is needed to display the remote speaker(s) for the in-person audience. A mixer is needed to bring in the feed from the in-person camera crew as well as the webcam feeds from the remote speakers so that a single feed can be sent to the virtual event streaming platform.
  • Physical space: Plan for smaller stages with multiple cameras.
  • After the main stage speaker is finished, consider hosting an interview in the hallway at a small interview desk for just the virtual audience. The interview desk can have sponsor logos to push sponsor brands to the larger remote audience.
  • Expo hall – If the physical event is operating at a reduced capacity, think about how the expo hall will work. For example, have a computer or tablet in each booth so the exhibitor’s staff member can interact with the virtual audience. They can use their camera to show them around their physical booth.
  • Poster sessions: Have each presenter pre-record a 5-minute video for posters with live Q&A. Make them available on-demand for virtual attendees.

Related Article: In-person Venue Checklist for Hybrid Events

• Speaker Prep: Don’t forget to set your speakers up for success! Whether they’re presenting to your live audience or engaging online with your virtual attendees, make sure they have everything they need for the day of the event.
  • TV is all about action and intimacy – Early TV shows brought in directors from theater but did not understand the new television audience or the new medium being used (more close ups of the actors faces and pull back to see the stage). Work with your speakers and production crew to deliver sessions that cater to both audiences.
  • Organizers have trained speakers for in-person, they trained for them virtual, now organizers need to train speakers to deliver sessions to both audiences at the same time.
  • Make sure speakers say good morning and acknowledge both audiences. Look at the physical attendees, then turn and look at the camera for the virtual attendees.
  • Write a script for the speaker to remind each audience that the other is present. Do this at the beginning of each session.
  • Make sure the speaker repeats the in-person question, so the remote audience hears it.
  • Make sure the room and content are designed for both audiences in mind:
    • Speakers should not use a laser pointer or point at the screen that is next to them because the remote audience will not know what they are talking about.
    • Think about having a countdown clock in the back of the room. If you do not start the next session on time, there is a good chance you will lose your virtual audience even if it’s a minute late.

Hybrid Event Best Practices

Being a relatively new phenomenon, hybrid events offer both opportunities and risks. Fortunately, you can capitalize on the opportunities and mitigate the risks by following specific best practices.

It can be a challenge to ensure both online and in-person attendees have a similar experience at your event. For example, research showed that about two-thirds (67%) of organizers say that ensuring they have the right technology to create a smooth experience is a challenge. And another 71% said their biggest challenge was connecting in-person and virtual attendees with one another.

While there are plenty of obstacles that can arise while planning a hybrid event, there are a lot of ways to create a more seamless experience for all your attendees, such as:

• Have a broadcast mindset: Given the dramatic changes in how people consume content, organizers would be wise to take some cues from their favorite streaming or YouTube channels. Content doesn’t have to be short, but it should be planned with a broadcast mindset.
• Optimize for both online and offline audiences: Some hybrid events are optimized mostly for in-person guests while the virtual participants are not effectively engaged.

You should optimize your hybrid event for both online and offline audiences. This involves creating valuable content for both, fostering engagement, creating networking opportunities, and making both types of audiences involved in the event.

• Give sufficient time to set up the event: Successful events, particularly those with the added complexity of hybrid components, require a lot of time to execute. It’s not just the time needed by your team, but also the time required of the exhibitors, sponsors, presenters, and other stakeholders. A great event is never designed in a short amount of time. Make sure to provide everyone involved sufficient time to make sure that you can deliver the memorable, wow factor, experience that your attendees expect.
• Have Back-Up Plans: When you are arranging a hybrid event, logistics are a major concern. Many events that involve virtual attendees deliver a poor experience when they are marred by connectivity issues. You can avoid this by:
  • Choosing a hybrid event platform with a robust infrastructure in place
  • Backups to cater to any untimely contingencies. For example, have your speakers pre-record their presentation in advance. That way if there are connectivity or technical issues when delivering their live presentation, they can revert to the recording as a back-up.
  • Testing out all your onsite software and equipment before the big day.
  • Creating checklists so you have everything you need for both the in-person and virtual sides of your conference.
• Give virtual attendees their own unique experience: “We’ve grown used to thinking of our hybrid audiences as a imposing. One size may fit all, but it is seldom flattering. One of the biggest changes we are seeing in hybrid events is exclusive content for remote audiences. You can increase the engagement of remote audiences by producing high-quality, behind-the-scenes videos, live interviews and exclusive sessions that are only available to virtual attendees. Just like sports events.
• In-person and virtual attendees expect to interact with each other: With the emergence of more apps for the virtual platforms, those who are in-person can stay in connection with the conversations happening online [via] the chat in a way they could not before. It is even more important now for planners to ask their virtual platform if they have a mobile component so the attendees can have this interaction.
• Create Engagement Opportunities: The success of many hybrid events depends on the engagement levels of the audience. Even the best speakers will fail to deliver a valuable experience if the audience feels bored or is unable to relate. You can set up smaller breakout sessions, virtual booths for one-on-one interactions, virtual networking lounges, threaded forums, live polls, live Q&A during sessions, and other interactive features to drive engagement.
• Consider an experienced emcee to engage both attendee types: Organizers are finding that an effective emcee is not just a VP or President—it takes a different skill set. You want a talent that is really adept at providing an emcee experience.”An effective emcee will know how to engage both audiences. In-person, a great emcee can keep the energy high and provide a seamless transition between in-person and virtual speakers. For the remote participants, an emcee can also provide much smoother transitions between content and help everyone stay on the same page.

• Do Test-Runs: This goes for all events but is even more critical for hybrid event formats. Make sure you do test runs on your physical venue as well as the virtual platform. Play out different scenarios, such as mock sessions, to see if all goes well. Does the bandwidth keep up? Are the live streams clear and smooth? Do sponsor placements work as they should? Make sure you create a checklist of such questions when doing the test run.

Conclusion

As we move toward a post-pandemic world, we can pioneer new ways of coming together and connecting people––no matter where they are located or what limitations they face.

Hybrid events bring wide reach and excellent engagement. They help break down geographical, physical, and financial barriers, while capturing the energy of being together in person.