5 Strategies for Hybrid Meetings and Events

January 7, 2022

Over the last two years, virtual or online events have grown to a level of popularity that few would have expected pre-pandemic. As we begin to emerge tentatively from the pandemic crisis, online events have further transformed into Hybrid events, which not only helps businesses build branding but also allows brands to conduct precise communication with Target Audience, enhancing customer loyalty and building ROI.

A report by online event exhibitor etc.venues, after surveying nearly 1,095 professionals who have participated in online events, says approximately 73% of event planners have chosen to host a Hybrid Event in 2020.

According to Wikipedia, any trade show, job fair, conference, seminar, workshop, or meeting that has both an “in-person’’ venue and a “virtual” platform can be referred to as a Hybrid Event, or Online Merge Offline, OMO event.

Every event style has its own benefits and its unique challenges. Hybrid events or meetings are a more flexible work model, but there are some considerations to keep in mind to ensure that these events are productive, run smoothly, and encourage effective participation. Here are five tips to get you started!

Since hybrid events include both online and physical venues, it is important to consider both online and physical attendees. Before the event starts, it is important to develop the event objectives and agenda. Here are a few steps to help you write a good hybrid event agenda, as for defining event objectives:

Define your event theme and objectives

Find your target audience

Determine event agenda, speaker list, duration, etc.

Decide the type of event to be held, e.g., live streaming, pre-recorded live streaming, pre-recorded video for on-demand playback, etc.

Choose a platform to support online events

Prepare venue and equipment for physical events

An event landing page is a web page that’s specifically designed to give prospective event attendees all the info they need to commit to registering for your meeting. It is the best way to make an appealing first impression for potential attendees. People often judge the experience of the event and its adequacy based on the visuals designed for your event landing page.

Therefore, we suggest uploading well-designed banners on the event homepage to achieve the best publicity effect. According to past experience, event homepages with eye-catching photos usually attract more attendance.

When the hybrid event kicks off, both online and on-site activities will be carried out simultaneously. You will need to select software for your online event needs. If you choose to do live streaming, EventX online platform would be a plus for your event. EventX has a built-in HD live streaming feature with 1080p resolution. Once you set up an EventX account, your attendees can go to the EventX event page and link directly to your live streaming video.

To prevent unexpected network issues, online events must have customer service during the live broadcast. As for the on-site event, we will need to arrange an event director for physical venue control for emergency situations.

A successful hybrid event should plan equally engaging experiences for both in-person and online audiences, especially since the online audience is more likely to leave the event because of the long live streaming time. It is recommended to use Q&A sessions and create polls to attract audience participation and interaction.

Once you’ve done the work to design your event for maximum engagement, the next step is to turn that engagement into action. Choose EventX to stream, your attendees can send emojis, initiate Q&A and polls with just a few clicks! Therefore, your audience can be more engaged in the online event.

The secret to a seamless hybrid event is rehearsing. After setting up the event agenda, speaker list, and time duration, it is necessary to conduct rehearsals before the event. Hybrid events contain in-person venues and online audiences. For remote presenters, it requires essential technology such as a live streaming camera and a strong internet connection.

Effective rehearsals ensure your presenters are comfortable and have the required technical know-how prior to the event, and you both have a plan in case things go array. Rehearsing before the event gives the production team the chance to go over every single aspect and ensure that all elements and moving parts of the experience are executed flawlessly.

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