Hybrid events were the talk of the town post-pandemic . Cameron Roberts discovers if hybrid capabilities are a deciding factor for event selection

ybrid is likely to be a word that will either define events strategy , or will hark back to a pandemic period that represented a time of flux for all events organisers . As Covid-19 becomes a memory for our industry , are hybrid capabilities ( that once topped many venues ’ lists ), still being used to full effect by organisers ?

I spoke to Isla Falconer , managing director we are ftw , and Johanna Byrane , head of business development Twickenham Experience Limited , about how planners and venues view hybrid investment in 2022 .

“ I think if you were to avoid hybrid and just say it ’ s not happening any more , you would be really behind the times .”

Isla Falconer

Demand dilemma

The real question is , with the return to live , is hybrid even an option that many organisers want to explore ? There ’ s a thirst for

Johanna Byrane

meeting face-to-face . Creating hybrid events isn ’ t easy , it requires two separate teams in many cases – a cost and time commitment that many planners cannot take on .

Falconer spoke about the need for hybrid conferences . She said : “ I think that hybrid is the way forward for conferences , awards , watch parties , seminars , and CPD . Some people prefer to be in the room and others prefer to get the time back . “ Where people are failing with hybrid is that they are doing it live , meaning they need to record content to watch post-event .

“ If you were to avoid hybrid and just say it ’ s not happening any more , you would be really behind the times .” So there ’ s some demand from specific organisations , Johanna Byrane , head of business development , Twickenham Experience Limited , disagreed , saying that “ I would honestly say from my point of view , when we get an enquiry , there ’ s no element of hybrid in most of the ones we receive .”

Instead , for Twickenham hybrid surfaces when government mandates place restrictions on the