With the change in the current dynamics and unforecasted severity of COVID-19 resulted in a major upheaval of events. The event industry has been severely affected by the global pandemic, resulting in the rescheduling and cancellation of events. As orders have been regulated to maintain social distancing and stay at home, event organizers come up with an alternative. In-person events are now happening online on a virtual event platform to keep the business going and connect with the audience remotely.
In 2020, hosting virtual events has become a new trend. Marketers and organizers around the world are tapping on this powerful tool. Today, the internet is full of virtual event platforms that offer comprehensive and engaging virtual event solutions and features.
People are now moving out of their homes, but still hosting large-scale physical events is nearly impossible. As the lockdown ban has been lifted, the virtual events format can be converted into hybrid events format to reach more attendees. Well, by now you must be aware of virtual events and have come across this term many times in the past few months.
What is a Virtual Event?
An online event that involves a gathering of people over the web where they interact with each other in real-time instead of gathering in-person is known as virtual events.
You must be thinking of, What are Hybrid Events?
Here is your answer:
An event that brings both the in-person attendees and virtual attendees together in the same frame is known as a hybrid event. It combines the element of both on-ground as well as virtual events. A hybrid event enables attendees to attend an event virtually who are not able to attend it physically. It offers flexibility to engage and connect with the audience virtually and physically.
You need to select an interactive and secure virtual event platform that allow hosting Hybrid Events. A virtual hybrid event platform offers best-in-class engagement features such as live audio and video chats that allow attendees to interact in real-time. Apart from it, Live polls, surveys, gamification, ability to organize quizzes, Q&A sessions are some other features that virtual hybrid event platforms offer.
Reasons to Host Hybrid Events
In this article, we have covered what is hybrid event and why you need to make your virtual event a “Hybrid Virtual Event”. We have enumerated some of the reasons to convert your virtual event format into a hybrid event format.
#1. Wider Reach, Increased Attendance and Better Participation
Hybrid events come with varied benefits. The most promising out of it is a wider reach. Hybrid events have the ability to reach a wide spectrum of audiences around the globe, which is not possible with in-person and only virtual event formats.
Many people believe in the myth that hybrid events tend to break your audience. But the reality is it may even grow it further. Many times people interested in attending your event are not able to make it in person due to various constraints. Right from geographical barriers, traveling expenses, many days, etc. are some of the obstacles that result in the falling of audiences. By incorporating a virtual element to your on-going physical event allow interested attendees to attend the event from remote locations. Such types of events are hybrid events. Here is more about Virtual Events Vs Physical Events.
Hybrid event trends are levering nowadays as it allows both the attendees to interact with each other in real-time. Apart from overcoming various barriers, hybrid virtual events deliver the same original value thus enhancing attendance at the event. In short, hybrid events enable attendees to tune-in from any corner of the world without being physically present at the location.
#2. Magnify Sponsorship Opportunities
Event sponsors find hybrid events more valuable than any other event format. As per reports, a large percentage of sponsors are willing to participate in hybrid events. As hybrid events have better reach and increased attendance, more people will access the brands that sponsor hybrid events. However, resulting in better exposure. Hence, hybrid events offer ample sponsorship opportunities that are far beyond the reach of in-person events. Here are 5 Hybrid Event Ideas you must explore.
#3. Reduces Travel Expenses
Reduced travel cost is one of the major merits of hybrid events. As you plan to take your in-person events virtual, the expenses involved with it even get resolved. With hybrid events, remote attendees are free from the travel expenses, accommodation cost, meals and other essential expenses.
Apart from attendees, speakers, sponsors, staff also saves large amounts of money which they have to spend during in-person events. Hybrid events offer the flexibility to participate in the event virtually. It allows you to talk to the best of speakers living in any remote location. With hybrid events, you don’t need to worry about the travel expenses you need to pay them to visit the venue. They can tune in from any geographic location and deliver their speech, thus resulting in saving a lot of costs.
#4. Better Rate of Interest (ROI)
An incredible ROI is another reason to host hybrid events as they are scalable and have a greater reach. Conventional events come with various limitations such as venue/space capacity resulting in a limited number of attendees. Whereas hybrid events are entirely different and do not hold any such constraint. The number of attendees can be limitless. Selecting a hybrid virtual event platform that can host an endless number of attendees without any audience cap is the right choice. However, hybrid events help in generating better revenues and lead generation.
#5. Eco-Friendly Event Format
Hosting a virtual hybrid event is an eco-friendly alternative to in-person events. The major impact on the environment has been witnessed in almost every part of the world. As the audience can even participate virtually in hybrid events thus resulting in lowering the carbon exhalation. The attendees present at the physical location results in reducing the waste. However, the disposal of waste products gets reduced considerably.
#6. Data Collection
Collecting valuable data is a must to measure and analyse the success of the event. Physical events offer you good information once you make registrations. But with virtual hybrid events, every move of the virtual attendees is trackable as they are in the controlled environment. Hybrid events help you to capture the attendee demographics. As technology has advanced, comprehensive virtual hybrid event platforms allow you to collect the complete data of the event. By adding a virtual feature to your physical events you can simply see how many people participated, dropped, engaged, interacted, and so on. Additionally, right from registrations to the finish line every move of attendees is trackable.
Conclusion
Hybrid events offer endless possibilities to make your event successful with better reach, attendance, and ROI. Due to its flexibility, it offers an end number of benefits to attendees, sponsors, marketers, and event planners. In short, if the thought of hosting a hybrid virtual event has not yet crossed your mind, think about it now!
