The planning, pitfalls and possibilities
The events industry is in the midst of a revolution, with the move towards virtual and hybrid events catalysed by the enormous life changes the COVID-19 pandemic forced on us all. ‘Hybrid’ is the new buzzword. According to Forbes, 71% of companies with 5000+ employees now include the word in their event portfolios, and many smaller companies are jumping on the streaming bandwagon. But what actually is a ‘hybrid’ event?
Instead of thinking of hybrid events as a single thing, says Toucan’s Founder & MD Lynn Chambers, we need to change our mindset and get creative with strategy. Integrating a live event with a coordinated virtual experience is a tremendous opportunity to push the boundaries of user experience and explore new ways of touching a wider audience. But different audiences may have completely different needs.
‘Some people talk about hybrid as a strategy,’ Lynn says, ‘but I prefer to see it more like the double helix of DNA, where two distinct strands weave together seamlessly around the backbone of your event theme.’ Threading these different experiences together into a cohesive experience takes skill, creativity and meticulous attention to detail.
Plans
Like with all events, planning is key. The key things to remember are to always keep the user in mind, separate the needs of your different audiences from the outset, think carefully about what they expect, and be creative about how to give them the best possible experience. That might mean implementing training strategies, thinking carefully about which platform to use or precisely coordinating the arrival of gifts or event communications.
Pitfalls
The number one pitfall is making assumptions about people and technology. Is your platform capable of supporting your plans? Would a virtual MC help keep your virtual audience active? Have you adapted your communication and promotional strategy to include everyone equally? In some cases, a live stream can be a great opportunity to help everyone feel part of something (take a look at how Toucan helped GSK adapt their 2021 IMPACT awards ceremony for the pandemic and ended up quadrupling the audience here). Other events need a more technical approach, with separate co-ordination for virtual attendees to help curate their experience.
Possibilities
When it comes to hybrid events, the possibilities for integration are endless. Holographic technology, virtual reality, real-time panel participation from all over the world; they are all tantalisingly close. But with so many technological possibilities, we’ll need to work together as an industry to get the best out of this exciting new world of events. Testing out new technologies and directions will be a global effort, and sharing what we’ve learned will help all of us move forward.
Want to know more?
- Find out more about how Toucan can help with your next event.
- Watch extracts from Event Manager’s guide to successful hybrid events.
