Hybrid Occasions: Technical Necessities Are Demanding
The Covid-19 pandemic and changing social thinking require a new perspective on future event formats. Hybrid events, which have been on the rise for several years, are becoming increasingly popular with their potential and match the present like hardly any other format.
Such an event format creates a connection between the guests in the studio or at a venue and other attendees on the screen. In this way, the range of a real event can be increased regardless of the location and without significant additional effort.
Benefits of hybrid events
But there are also challenges. Keywords and emotionalization, communication, interaction and motivation. What seems challenging at first glance can be mastered with detailed planning and implementation as well as sophisticated technology. This creates measurable and tangible added value for hosts and guests.
The journey into the new world of events brings both opportunities and advantages for participants and visitors as well as for organizers. In terms of cost, they are significantly lower as there are minimal travel and accommodation costs.
The time required also decreases dramatically. For the organizer, the costs for presentation space and room rental also decrease.
Events can be held in high quality with sustainable information anchoring without all participants having to be physically present. The environment can also breathe a sigh of relief, as fewer trips to and from the event reduce the carbon footprint.
Extensive planning required
While the travel, room and hospitality costs for hybrid events decrease, the effort for planning and implementation can be equated with that of a regular event.
Successful events focus on the staging, excitement and emotionalization of the live and online audience. For this purpose, depending on the event format and content, clips, gamification, voting and other interactive elements must be combined with the necessary components of live events such as the stage design with the appropriate technical equipment.
According to experts, switching from a regular event to a hybrid version as if there were no differences and neglecting the needs of both groups of participants on-site and on-screen is usually not enough.
There are many details to consider when dealing with hybrid events. This includes a camera-compatible lighting design that also works on the screen, as well as data security, user-friendliness of the online platform, transmission capacity for streaming or the integration of the stream on the organizer’s homepage.
In summary, a hybrid event is only successful if it creates a similar experience for live and online attendees where they can interact, ask questions, provide answers, and connect with other attendees.
