lex Barrett , technical manager at First Event , was named Hybrid Event Producer of the Year at the 2022 CN Agency Awards .

Barrett ’ s entry outlined all of his skills and expertise in the world of hybrid . For example , it highlighted how Barrett has helped grow First Event ’ s hybrid and digital offering from almost zero to £ 1.7m turnover in a year .

“ At just 27 years old , Alex was the lead producer on the world ’ s largest ever crypto-currency event in 2021 , which attracted approximately 142k + attendees online and 13.5k in person at five international venues ,” reveals an agency spokesperson .

“ Alex Barrett has helped grow First Event ’ s hybrid and digital offering from almost zero to £ 1.7m turnover in a year .”

“ Alex ’ s expertise in the demands of hybrid means he delivers incredible , seamless experiences every time ,” another added .

While at the agency , Alex also suggested it converts part of the building into a fully functioning studio space . As a result , he supervised the 50k investment . This impressed the judges , particularly as Alex is a younger eventprof . “ Alex may be young in the industry , but he is achieving great things in short periods of time . Pivoting to virtual during the pandemic was difficult for many venturing into unknown territory , but Alex has clearly taken on this challenge and really made it his specialism ,” a judge said .

Because of this specialism ,

Alex is involved at the start of every client brief . “ We know he can suggest pragmatic options which make the most of every penny and look effortless . This means our core team stays the same throughout all stages of event design and delivery , giving consistency and maintaining quality ,” says an agency spokesperson .

To conclude , I asked Barrett how the hybrid world has impacted the way we do events . He said : “ Since the start of the pandemic , hybrid has become increasingly popular . I think no event is ever going to be just in-person , there ’ s always going to be that hybrid element .

“ After all , it ’ s brought people together .” CN