Byrane pointed out that the return to live is a contributing factor to the downturn of demand on hybrid .
Tools and teams
Should hybrid events be hosted at a venue , the equipment and capabilities on site is top of the list for organisers . But , according to Falconer , the investment into cameras , internet and other hybrid enablement tools is less important than the team on-site at an event . Falconer said : “ For us , it ’ s very much what team is there available on site to ensure that tech doesn ’ t fail . Can we bring in our own team ? A lot of venues don ’ t allow that , which is
highly frustrating when you ’ ve got a series of events , and you ’ re working with different tech providers and different venues .”
For utlising venues with hybrid , Falconer suggests organisers look for a venue that can be flexible on the in-house team . She said : “ We always try to use venues where there ’ s some movement on that , where we can bring in part of our own team to ensure that it ’ s working .
“ It varies venue to venue but , most of the time , it ’ s a yes , you can if you pay X amount of money to buy out when the tech is so expensive , because you ’ re effectively doubling the budget by doing hybrid .”
Aside from in-house teams , Falconer did point out the lack of equipment and capabilities in many venues . She said : “ A virtual studio is always amazing , but not many venues actually have that . At this point , I ’ m surprised because I would have thought , during the pandemic , that would be one of their key priorities .”
From the venue side , Byrane said the cost of doing hybrid was also an off-putting factor for many clients , especially combined with the lack of face-to-face interactions between delegates .
She said : “ Hybrid put off a lot of clients because , once you start doing your budget , it comes out very expensive . Customers would ask , is this worth it ? We spend sometimes £ 10-20,000 on equipment to reach and not see anyone in person .”
The demand for hybrid many be in question , but many venues have worked diligently to enable hybrid events to happen .
The question is not whether the facilities are there , it ’ s how the value chain for an event works together to facilitate more creative uses of technology that , just two years ago , was indispensable for events . CN www . conference-news . co . uk