Taking on the hybrid experience
ith events now taking place in-person , at least 35 % of global event delivery company Bray Leino Events ’ clients are continuing their hybrid approach into 2022 .
Jim McLoughlin , Bray ’ s creative director , tells EW : “ We like to have our cake and eat it , so hybrid events give both face-to-face contact by physically attending but pull in global virtual audiences . The challenge is to achieve a truly integrated event where both audiences can interact while an event is running , and then collectively access always-on , ondemand content .
McLoughlin adds : “ Most virtual platforms give little by way of an experience . We wanted to create something that gave visitors the experience of being present in a 3D space with varying levels of interactivity – a space where they had control of a journey rather than just surfing page after page .”
Left : Bray Leino : ‘ Control the journey rather than just surfing the page
Below : Confex : where architects of the future meet
Listening in on International Confex 21 - What they said :
Brand experience guru , Kim Myhre : “ It is inevitable that advances in technology will challenge and disrupt the events industry to the extent that organisers can either be the victims of this change or the architects of the industry ’ s future .”
Chief evangelist at Glisser , Vanessa Lovatt : “ Technology and social media has the ability to amplify your event beyond the actual dates of your event .”
Group sales manager at CH & CO Venues , Lily Lubowitz : “ Businesses have been forced to use data , because there was no other experience on which to base strategies .”
Ready-made virtual
vTogether , a virtual events startup , has launched a range of ready to use virtual spaces and venues aimed for networking , collaboration and socialisation .
Four spaces are available , each supporting up to 50 guests . Additional spaces will be rolled out . vTogether ’ s virtual spaces are built upon technology developed by topia . io , a start up that raised US $ 5m in a May 2021 investment round led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian ’ s Seven Seven Six fund .
Paul Hamilton , founder of vTogether , commented : “ Serendipity is sorely missing from online events , and there ’ s now academic research on the reality of ‘ Zoom fatigue ’ and people tuning out of video conversations and leaving much sooner than they would at a physical event . We ’ ve already welcomed more than 20,000 attendees to our events , and our new ready-to-use spaces will allow more people to experience how our events capture the magic of meeting in person when they ’ re physically apart , leading to real business value .”
Executive director for strategic business at EventsAIR , Paul Martin : “ You can create a blend of virtual and in-person events that can build more value into your membership . This can create an environment under this framework that creates perpetual communication between members of associations , which maintains engagement .”
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 5 2021 33