Organizing events is a challenging and elaborate task. To top all the planning, the new era of events has made it even more interesting.
Gone are the days when booking a venue, gathering people, and throwing a party was the definition of an event.
Today, sitting all dressed up in front of your laptop and listening to people is also an event.
Virtual and hybrid events are pretty common these days, especially in commercial setups.
Even though it is an ‘attend from a distance’ event, it requires a lot of planning and arrangement.
Read on about all you need to know about a virtual and hybrid event.
Virtual vs. Hybrid Events
The new age of events has introduced us to virtual and hybrid. To understand the intricacies of the two, one needs to know the difference between hybrid and virtual events.
Hybrid Events
As the name suggests, a hybrid event takes place virtually as well as onsite. The program is planned so that the maximum audience can be brought in at the venue and virtually.
Some of the common examples of hybrid events are as follows:
Global town talks
Conferences
Seminars
Sales kick-offs
Trade shows
Hybrid events provide a convenient option for everyone. Sometimes it might not be possible for a person to attend the event onsite. It might be due to some personal issues or being at a far-off distance from the venue.
In such a situation, a hybrid event can provide them with the convenience of attending the event without leaving their home premises.
It also helps when the venue has a limited capacity and there are many more people attending. Keeping half the invites virtual can help manage the event more successfully.
Virtual Events
Virtual events are those which are held completely over the internet. People attend from their personal space.
These events are usually scheduled because of a small budget or when the information is simple enough to be shared via video call. Some events do not require people to attend in person. In such a situation, spending money on a frivolous event will be unnecessary.
Some of the common examples of virtual events include:
Study groups
Webinars
Team meetings
Executive planning meets
Customer success groups
How to Organize a Successful Virtual and Hybrid Event?
The success of any event, be it hybrid or virtual, lies on a few key elements.
Content
Content is the primary focus in every event. The quality of the content can make or break your entire effort. You have to make sure that your content design is as per the event.
If it is a virtual event, it should be delivered with ease virtually. And it is a hybrid event; it should be delivered with ease to both virtual and in-person audiences.
Especially in hybrid events, you have two create two different experiences using a single event.
Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind when you are organizing a hybrid event;
Appoint someone in the onsite event, dedicated only to the virtual audience.
Make sure that you have two different contents for your virtual and onsite audience.
In case of a virtual event, make sure your attendee have a choice to attend at their convenience. It is more difficult to sit in front of the computer than in an actual event. So, it would help if you considered that while planning.
Make your schedule exciting and engaging. You want neither the virtual nor the onsite audience to feel bored and distracted.
Analytics
Analytics is one of the most crucial elements while planning an event. Your job doesn’t end once the event wraps up. You need to know about the experiences of the attendees.
Even though it applies to all the events, you should take post-event surveys in a hybrid event.
A hybrid event requires you to focus on two different audiences together, and you must know how your attendees felt.
Advantages of Virtual and Hybrid Events
The introduction of virtual and hybrid events has created a new reality for people. It has a lot of advantages and is a better option compared to conventional events.
Some of the advantages include;
Increased attendance – with the option of a virtual and physical presence, you can expect an increase in attendance significantly. Since it relies on people’s convenience, they often choose to attend in whichever way possible.
Lower carbon footprint – choosing virtual or hybrid events helps minimize the carbon footprint to a great extent. You minimize wastage on a lot of fronts without compromising on the quality of the event.
This is the new way of making your event successful. To organize a successful virtual and hybrid event, get in touch with Tree fan events. They will ensure a successful event without bringing you a lot of trouble!