“Hybrid event” is a term that has grown in popularity in recent years, and while they are a very simple concept, the name alone can be difficult to grasp. Simply put, a hybrid event is an in-person event that is also livestreamed to an “interactive” online audience.
A Hybrid Event Is Not Just an Event That Is Also Online Hybrid events are more than just a regular in-person event held at a physical location that is simply livestreaming its content.
There are numerous conferences and events that do just that, but they are not strictly hybrid events.
For example, simply streaming a talk on Facebook live is not a hybrid event. There is, without a doubt, an online audience watching your content, but that online audience is entirely distinct from the audience sitting in the actual venue.
In A Hybrid Event, How Does Interaction Work?
What distinguishes a hybrid event is that the online audience has access to the same level of interaction and engagement as the physical audience.
This interaction can take many different forms:
- Participating in Q&A sessions
- Having the ability to communicate with other attendees
- The ability to send messages via social media
- The ability to communicate with speakers
The online audience’s interactions with the attendees and speakers at the in-person event can be as varied as you can imagine; however, interaction is required for it to be considered a hybrid event. Otherwise, it is simply an in-person event with online components example the audience can just tune in for the livestream.
You can have interaction that ranges from as simple as allowing your online audience to ask speakers questions to socials hosted in VR. There is truly no end to the possibilities.
How Do I Plan a Hybrid Event?
In a dark room, a speaker stands in front of a crowd.
It’s never been easier to put on a hybrid event. The technology and services needed to stage a successful hybrid event are widely available for events of all sizes.
The only real decision you must make as an event organizer is how far you want to take your hybrid event.
Spring forest studio has hosted virtual and hybrid events from around the world, so we understand what it takes to pull off a successful hybrid event.
You can contact them here to start the conversation about how you can host an amazing hybrid event today.