A Guide to Creating Hybrid Events in 2022 (with examples) |
In the past, we were used to in-person 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. It's true that trying to recreate each and every element of a physical occasion in a digital environment simply doesn't work that well.
What's the solution? Hybrid Events!
Hybrid events blend physical and digital experiences. They provide attendees and creators with an array of options, which can easily be used to create different types of media. How cool is that?
Let's explore how to create an incredible mixed event.
The post...
What exactly is a hybrid event?
Advantages in hybrid-based events
Make sure the connection is active
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11 tips for creating incredible hybrid events
2. Use virtual to promote in-person
3. Bring your live members virtual
4. Live-stream your virtual members
5. Make sure you have plenty of time for networking and space
6. Create discussion questions in the community
7. Maintain the spirit following
8. Provide more content options
10. Test tests, tests Test, test
What is a hybrid event?
First things first. A hybrid event allows people to participate in your event online or in person or in a mix of both. It truly offers the best of both worlds.
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The benefits from hybrid event
Let's take a closer look at the many benefits of hybrid events and why it might be the perfect option for you and your guests!
Easy
More than ever before you can easily host a hybrid event thanks to advances in technologies. Hybrid event platforms offer creators the possibility to plan and organize incredible events that connect through software. Hybrid event platforms that are the best have features that are intuitive for designing an interactive event that has both in-person as well as online experiences in a seamless manner.
Flexibility
When you host a hybrid event there is room to customize. You can give attendees an entirely new experience tailored to suit your preferences. There are many hybrid event platforms that offer different ways for attendees to engage with each other and allow them to have greater freedom of how they wish to communicate, for example via online communications like questions and answers, voice chats, polls, surveys and more.
Hybrid event are great for all because they allow your attendees options for how they show up. As an example, for those who attend in person, a hybrid event permits them to get out of the location for a time but still be able to interact on the internet.
for those who often travel, are on very busy schedules or are unable to afford the event live, it gives them the opportunity to attend virtually.
Price
In terms of flexible, hybrid events give you the opportunity to make changes to your pricing. You can, for instance, offer a $100 fee for people who attend in-person and $20 for virtual attendees. Obviously, there will be an upper limit on how many tickets you are able to sell at an event in person due to limit on capacity in the venue. However, it is still possible to make unlimited sales for tickets on the online portion.
Essentially, you can sell two products for an event! There is also the possibility of offering bundles and packages (e.g. purchase four tickets for the price of three, or if attendees purchase a digital product and a ticket to the event, they get access to your online community for no cost) This gives you an unlimited number of options!
Keep the connection alive
Connections and enthusiasm don't have to stop after the event has ended. It brought people together who were ecstatic about your event. It was a truly memorable one.
Why not keep those connections alive with the help of an online community? Communities can assist users maintain their connections as well as form new ones. Additionally, it can provide them with new possibilities (both personal and professional). Your members can interact with each other, your contentand even with the people you. Additionally, they'll be the first to know about the next time you'll be hosting an event, and have a place to communicate their excitement!
can be recorded
If registrants aren't able to be able to attend the event due to being sick, had to be late for work or chose to take it easy following a tiring workweek It's still possible to give them a way to attend your celebration.
With the help of powerful hybrid platforms for events, you can easily capture your event and allow the attendees access. So, they are able to replay the event at their own timing.
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11 tricks to create incredible hybrid events
After we've looked over why hybrid events are advantageous, let's look at the steps to create one!
1. Decide on your mixture
The initial decision to make is on how to blend both the online and physical components. You need to make each experience great separately but also mix it together, giving everyone the best experience. You can, for instance, successfully combine both in-person and virtual participants during break-out sessions. Or, at the beginning of your event the event, all attendees (virtual or in-person) participate in a poll.
You'll want to also consider how your virtual guests could be able to access, for instance an in-person keynote speaker following the presentation of a talk.
Create a platform for engagement and communication for all. It isn't a good idea to have anyone feeling that they were handed the short end of the stick or feeling like the event wasn't meeting their requirements.
2. Use virtual to promote in-person
If you're looking to make sure that people know regarding your event, you're going to have to promote it. What better way to use your online presence to promote not only aspects of your online event , but also the physical aspect? Make use of social media in your favor. Make content for the event using writing, images or videos for marketing goals. Make use of social media and create a blog or YouTube channel to share your story and build your fan base and then promote your event to as many people as you can.
Whether it's marketing the training course or an eBook, a webinar or some other event, if people like the way you present yourself and your viewpoint are more likely to buy whatever you're selling to them.
Remember, you do not have to devote all your time and effort in social media. You don't need to be a millionaire (or perhaps thousands) of followers to promote your event hybrid. You don't have to be a celebrity like Oprah to gain traction. It's enough to create some buzz and make your followers excited!
Another way you can promote online is through an online community. It's a great feeling to be a part of a community because people are wired for it -- we're social creatures that crave connection.
Community is about the joy, purpose, and energy of being a part of something bigger than you, working toward the same goal, gaining abilities and becoming better as well as a place in which participants can share their vulnerabilities as they face difficulties and work together to find solutions. Communities can be a fantastic place for promoting your event as hybrid because people trust you (plus they're the primary supporters who will be excited about what you have to offer them). ).
3. Bring your live members virtual
Have you thought about connecting the offline aspect to the web-based component? It's time to think about the ways you can keep the members of your organization online.
Perhaps in between the speakers You ask your present guests to take questions on live-streamed polling platforms (e.g. Slido). It is possible to use questions for an introduction to the event (getting everyone warmed up for the event) or present them as several fun games during the event, or collect feedback after the occasion. It is important to encourage engagement and conversation between you and your audience.
While the event is taking place, it is possible to direct in-person attendees to chat online. In this way, they are able to discuss their ideas, communicate to one another as online attendees and also ask any questions they might be able to ask during chat.
Remember, you can also make your event conducted on the internet. Maybe some of your guests speakers couldn't make it on the spot, but they could can present on the internet. You can do an interview, presentation, lecture as well as more, all via the internet!
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4. Live-stream your virtual members
In the same way that you'd like to bring your attendees in person online, you also want to reverse the process to make your virtual members live. It's not about getting them in-person (because this would negate the purpose) However, you should get them to engage by engaging in live-streamed content, making them feel they're part of the action!
How? Utilize live streaming to your advantage regardless of whether you're using it in the context of main stage events, such as presentations, keynotes, or lectures given by a person who is well-known. The livestreaming option can be employed to create smaller-scale events such as online workshops, discussions, breakout sessions, and webinars.
Similar to your actual attendees Virtual attendees are able to also answer engaging questions during live Q&A sessions which offer the chance to expand discussions and interactions. Being an event organizer, it's also important to ensure that the virtual participants will be given the same amount of weight and consideration during the session as questions from in-person attendees.
Think about having an emcee or host for your virtual audience to recap the most important moments and alert virtual attendees to the next event. It's also possible to video and stream the excitement live so that online attendees feel like that they're there.
5. Find plenty of networking space
Allow virtual attendees the chance to interact with the keynote speaker by ensuring that you have enough time available for your speakers' agendas to interact with attendees.
You might want to block off some time during the event (and perhaps add some time later) that is reserved for networking. In order to do this, you can have specific spaces (both on the ground and via online) that are specifically designed for networking. It is possible to ask participants to drop their name and job title, their social media handles, and something interesting about themselves into an online chat in order to create connections.
6. Create discussion questions in the community
In terms of having spaces in which members of both online and live can interact, a great space to do this is in your online community! It's great for every member, regardless of whether they're at home or there in the flesh.
Below are some fun questions you can ask your guests:
- What's the biggest challenge you're currently facing?
- What is an amazing result for you?
- What's your one-word theme to 2022?
- What is it that inspires you the most?
- If you could use an enchanted wand to give you an extra hour in your schedule What would you do?
- What's the most stunning location you've been to?
- What are the achievements you are most proud of?
Based on interests of the members it is possible to create different subgroups in your online community. You can also use different kinds of content to attract the members of these groups for example:
- Polls (e.g. "What percent of your daily time do you spend on organizing and reviewing your goals ?")
- Fill-in-the-blank questions (e.g. "The reason why I do networking is to_," or "I never go out without _ ")
- Use word-limits to ask questions. (e.g. "What's the first word that you wish people to remember when they see your brand ?")
- Make sure to ask questions that are time-bound (e.g. "Based on what you learned from today's conference, what's the one thing you're going to implement today?")
The key thing is to ask questions that make your audience think and stay interested.
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7. Keep the spirit alive following
After the event ends You can retain the energy! The enthusiasm, the information sharing, the energy, and the fun can keep going. There's so much you can accomplish to keep a thriving community.
Here are some good examples to keep up the momentum:
- Host a member spotlight event -- this could be by way of a live interview of several participants (panel discussion). If, for instance, they're coaches in a group You could ask them, "What's the most effective method to get new customers? ?"
- Have members write about their experience. You can invite members each week to blog about their experiences as well as their achievements. Your members will surely love hearing from you, however, they'll also want hearing stories from each other.
- Host an event that is live It could be the form of a seminar, webinar, workshop, demo or even thought leadership.
- Create Weekly challenges.
- Create a book or podcast day of discussion in line with the community's needs.
One benefit of maintaining the excitement is that it allows you to build excitement up for your next virtual and hybrid occasions!
8. Offer more options for content
A different way of keeping your members interested is to give them various types of information. Because your members are already acquainted with your company, it will be that easy to give them additional services and products down the line.
Here are some ideas of what you can charge for:
- memberships (great option to foster community and the ability that allows members to communicate with one another)
- Videos that have been recorded
- Livestreams
- Discussion boards, articles survey, polls and discussion boards
- Digital downloads (PDFs, ebooks, audio files, customizable templates)
Additionally, you can extend your hybrid experience to online courses, mastermind groups or mastermind groups. The recordings can be used to create the sessions (e.g. speakers) as well as recordings of the stories as well as experiences of others too. You can turn this into powerful content that you could charge for separately.
There's a range of possibilities in showcasing your content as well as charging for it. You can even offer members that attended your hybrid events the chance to save money on an online class or ebook. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. As you learn about your members, you can modify the content specifically for them.
9. Find out what your needs are in terms of technology
The event you are planning is to run without an issue. It is essential to make sure that the technical aspects in place (like streaming audio or video ).
Here's a list points to be considered:
- Audio recording: make sure that the audio recorded is clear and crystal clean. You also want your audio and video recordings to be synced up.
- Mics the attendees don't want to have to strain to hear what they're hearing, so make sure you've got the right microphones that are wired (whether they're on their own or hooked up).
- Quality of video: make sure you use devices that have high resolution. You don't want poor video quality that's hard to see when you're stream recording and streaming for the attendees.
- Apps for engagement (e.g. Slido): make sure to integrate intuitive applications (this is crucial for those who are less tech-savvy) which have high-quality interaction and features for engagement.
- Community apps (e.g. ) make sure that you've created a dedicated community space where people can interact with one another, tell their experiences, and connect (before or during and after the event).
- Tickets: To track registrations you can use a registration software or ticketing program. It ensures that all information can be accessed from one location.
10. Test tests, test and test, test
When you've figured out the technical equipment and apps you'll need for your event, it's time to actually check them out! What you don't want to happen at your event is something (on the tech side) going wrong which could easily have been avoided.
It is recommended that you conduct an experiment with the hybrid event several days in advance to be sure everything is running smoothly and also to provide you with confidence. Get two test attendees one online and one in person. So you'll know that the video quality is to the standards you expect, that the PowerPoint presentation that you designed functions, and attendees can use any app and that the sound quality is clear and clear. You do not want your speakers to become obscured, or even worse, not audible.
No matter what equipment you're using, be sure that the guests and you are comfortable with it. That way, if something does go wrong in the course of your occasion, it's easy to solve the issue. Because you'll be pulled in numerous directions during the event's hybrid nature You might look into enlisting the help of whether from friends or professionals (e.g. a videographer) to ensure everything runs smoothly and you can focus on what matters most ... your attendees.
11. Pick your favorite platform
The next thing to do is select the right platform for you. Let's look at 4 options quick.
is an all-in-one platform that gives creators the most comprehensive collection of native functions and tools to design captivating and engaging content. It provides excellent online course choices that seamlessly integrate with community-based communities, paid memberships, and even hybrid and virtual event.
There are other advantages to having a hybrid event:
- Create easy-to-use RSVP announcements.
- Create interactive forums, discussion boards, and questions and answers.
- Write articles, live stream from Your Mighty Network, and post recorded videos.
- Send direct messages to attendees and set up reminders so no one misses anything.
- Accessibility is always possible through a robust mobile app (available on Android and iOS). It is ideal for people engaging with the app either to complement their in-person experience or for their primary method to participate in a full digital experience. There won't have any issues with quality.
A Mighty Network offers the best combination of the content with connections to your event that is hybrid, with the possibility of expanding your event to a flourishing member-based site, community, series of online courses, and more!
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Accelevents
Accelevents is a platform for events with robust features where you can hold your hybrid events. It's an affordable-ish solution (their starting pack for one-time events is $500 per event, or you can buy unlimited events at $125/month, which is billed annually) aimed at mid-to-large-sized companies.
Accelevents lets businesses incorporate live streaming, include an immersive live polling feature and Q&As. They can also make interactive booths for exposgreat to auction.
While this event platform is promoting its capability to establish connections among attendees with sophisticated features like AI-based matching, unfortunately there's actually an inability for event attendees to keep their connections after the event ends.
Hopin
While this platform for hybrid events is new and is a great option for the new and/or cost-conscious organizer who wants the traditional conference experience. Through Hopin, organizers can create multiple ticket types, use Hopin's central registration system that is available for both online and in-person attendees, and take advantage of their email marketing tools. Hopin also provides lots opportunities for participants to connect during an gathering (connection tools, roundtables virtual small-group breakout sessions and more ).
Hopin is focused on replicating the experiences of an actual occasion, which means it's lacking many of the elements that make it distinctive. Also, while this platform can be affordable, they retain a percentage of the ticket's commissions (even for their "starter" pack , they pay 7% commission in addition to charging $99 per month that is billed annually ).
If you'd like to test out hosting an event that is hybrid, they offer a free trial (although it is important to note that the duration of the event is limited to 2 hours, you get 100 registrants as well as 15% of the ticket sales).
vFairs
vFairs is a powerful hybrid event platform catered for large businesses and universities to host conferences, workshops, trade shows, and much more. This platform allows you to live stream video of your the event to your web-based audience, has an immersive virtual venue that allow you to connect in-person and virtual attendees via text messages and audio/video meetings. vFairs does have an app for mobile devices where participants can check-in to the event, interact with fellow attendees and visit booths and exhibitor booths.
Where vFairs seems to be missing is the user experience. Users report that this platform isn't customizable, and the integration isn't seamless.
In the end, this hybrid event platform can be useful for companies with a large number of employees.
Hybrid event examples
Now that we've covered the basics of hosting a hybrid gathering Let's glance at some of the examples! Both of these examples originally focused on events in person prior to the outbreak but have since shifted to online events during and now are offering a hybrid experience.
Outwild Hub Hub
The Outwild Hub is a social network that has a membership fee and an the event series designed for those who want to make the outdoor a more integral part of their lives. There is an online community as well as virtual and in-person occasions.
- What they offer: The Outwild Hub members get access to the Outwild Hub online community, as well as an annual speaker series, workshops series, as well as early access to live events. They also host online activities (community gatherings or workshops, keynote talks). They seamlessly connect in-person events on the internet by providing recording of the event.
- Who should join: anyone who is interested in spending more time outside, but aren't sure what to do. The group is designed for those who are looking to take steps and make major changes to their life. It also helps those who were forced to relocate during the outbreak to find new friends and spend time outdoors with others.
Within the Cut
In the Cut It is an organization for BIPOC creatives who want to get their feet wet in the television or film business (just like the show's host Rae Benjamin, had gone from full-time graphic designer to acting as a script manager on "The Witcher").
They offer a Free online community for aspiring screenwriters can network to find jobs as well as mentorship opportunities, and also get advice and tips for filmmaking. It's a space where creatives gather to create virtual mock writers' rooms. There's also the option for members to gain all-year access to webinar replays (for an additional fee) as well as online classes, as well as in-person writing retreats.
Who is eligible to join: BIPOC creatives who want to work as a screenwriter Hollywood. People who've been able to find entry-level employment but are not sure what to do next in order to transition into a more lucrative career. The events are authentic and open to let people understand the world of entertainment.
Conclusion
Hope you're at ease and eager to organize an event with a hybrid that works, now that you know the advantages of events that are hybrid and how you can actually manage one, and the essentials will be required to succeed.
Speaking of what you need ... although we covered several different platforms for event management, this one provides the perfect balance of price, flexibility, and features for online and in-person attendees. Try it absolutely free!
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