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8 questions you should ask when choosing the right venue for a hybrid event
Harry Prince , creative content manager at Spacehuntr provides some top tips for venue sourcing hybrid event spaces
We ’ ve all been yearning for something more normal . And slowly but surely , we ’ re going to enjoy in-person events just like before .
But not quite like before . A majority of event planners ( 71 % according to one survey ) plan to continue with hybrid optimisation when physical events return to ‘ normal ’.
Today ’ s lesson is in service of this new event planning landscape : eight things you should speak to your venue about when considering hiring a hybrid event space .
1 . The Internet connection This is your first question because , put simply , without strong Wifi , hybrid events don ’ t happen .
But here ’ s the thing , every venue comes with standard Wifi
these days . To pull this off , you ’ re going to need a venue with a minimum of 10GB of streaming speed with low latency .
2 . Equipment This is an important question , but it ’ s not a deal-breaker . You can always hire gear externally . You might not need all that much , but here are the bare minimum essentials :
• Multiple cameras
• Tripods
• Microphones
• Lights
3 . The power supply The next thing you need for all this equipment is power .
A single socket for all this won ’ t be enough . Does the venue have extension leads so that you can move your equipment about freely ?
Does the venue have a backup power supply ? Because all event planners should respect and fear Murphy ’ s Law : anything that can go wrong will go wrong .
4 . The size So most venues will advertise their maximum capacity . But you need to enquire further about hybrid events because your crew and equipment will take up space . So how will this impact the capacity ?
You might also want to check how large the entrance ways are because you need to fit your equipment and installations through . No use finding that out on the day . That could be a literal disaster .
5 . The in-house support If you hire a built-for-purpose studio or bring your own production crew , you can forget this question . But if you ’ re reliant on your venue supplying people to run your live streams and so on , this is definitely something you need to know .
6 . Practice makes perfect There ’ s a lot to be said for doing things on the hoof . Spontaneity has its place . But with so many moving parts and potentially restless guests , repetition is key . So you need to ask , will your venue give you the additional time needed to come in early , set up , and do practice runs ?
7 . Catering Even before Covid , the days of big buffet services had gone out of fashion in the catering industry . Nowadays , people like fast-casual boxed meals that are eco-friendly .
Ask your venue if they can provide catering and what kind they can offer . Or , if you have your eye on a private caterer , will they accommodate external catering ?
Furthermore , where can your guests eat at the venue ? Social distancing will remain key so is there plenty of space and can guests eat in breakout rooms , dining rooms or on outside terraces ?
8 . Style Finally , we were all taught not to judge a book by its cover , but let ’ s be honest . We all do it .
Happily enough for you , there is no set style for hybrid venues . This means you have complete freedom to choose a venue of any style you like . Let the style of your company , the nature of your event and your budget take the lead .
So there you have it . 8 Questions to ask when choosing a venue for hybrid events . If you have any other questions or ideas of your own , we ’ d love to hear them .
“ WITH SO MANY MOVING PARTS AND POTENTIALLY RESTLESS GUESTS , REPETITION IS KEY .”