Shared Assessments ’ Burke is planning a hybrid conference for risk management experts in April and chose
Vario Productions , a virtual planning platform with a social area where participants can create their own profile , as well as an integrated polling feature . “ It ’ s a nice way for people to interact ,” she says .
In addition to tuning in for livestreamed event sessions , remote attendees can use virtual reality platforms like
EXVO to feel more present , with opportunities to explore virtual event halls as avatars and socialize in online lounge spaces .
“ People want to be connected — especially when they ’ re on the virtual end of an event ,” says Natasha Miller , founder and CEO of San Francisco – based
Entire Productions , who has helped companies set up video booths in quiet conference hall corners where in-person attendees can network with virtual ones . “ Giving them access to the people and energy of those on-site will really amp up their feeling of engagement and being seen and heard .”
“ Tons of people are tired of traveling to events and appreciate that they can consume content online , but just as many are itching to go back in person .”
Getting creative with content
High-quality content is table stakes for any conference , but especially for a hybrid one , where attention spans of remote attendees are shorter . Virtual attendees want to participate in sessions live but also access them on demand .
To up engagement , Heller and the Sage Transform team had around 70 speakers pre-record 15-minute “ lightning talks ” that were made available to attendees on the first day .
Jean Foster , senior vice president of marketing and communications for the
Consumer Technology Association , which produces CES , says that when the event went virtual last year , “ we threw out our playbook on conferences .” An hour-plus keynote is just too long to engage a virtual audience , she explains , noting that about 25 minutes is more digestible . She coaches speakers on how to perform for a virtual audience by alternating between looking at the in-person audience and the camera .
As more events go hybrid , expect faster-paced , shorter segments that include a variety of formats , among them speeches , interactive talks , and experiential presentations . Conference organizers are also
— Rachel Heller , senior event content manager , Sage Intacct
trying virtual breakout sessions , one-on-one video chats , and gamifying elements like virtual scavenger hunts . Recording also makes it easier to repurpose content in blogs and social channels .
Another benefit is the ability to tap into data to improve events . Planners can gain insights for future events , such as measuring engagement by examining how many users dropped out of a particular session and after how many minutes . One colleague of Heller ’ s used virtual conference data to discover who the top 10 favorite speakers were at her hybrid event , and then planned to bring those speakers back over the course of the year for a series of webinars .
With these new opportunities to enhance the event experience , along with the flexibility and accessibility hybrid events provide , Kraus envisions more and more organizations embracing the model .
“ It gives us more options ,” she says . “ Hybrid is here , and it will stay .”
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