September, 2020
Opinion 11
around them as the organisers sort
out all the other logistics. After all,
the organisers need to make sure that
the vehicles, teams, spectators, press
and broadcast crew are in their right
places and that everyone is revved
up and excited for the race ahead.
The in-person experience is
one that awakes the senses to the
smells of food, drink and exhaust
fumes with the noise of the crowd
and the screaming of the vehicles.
For online attendees, in this case
the TV audience, they have their own
experience. They haven’t needed
to travel, they can be at home and
have their own drinks and food.
They can invite friends over and of
course they can listen to the pre-race
commentary. They too will be getting
excited about the race to come.
The expectations for both
sets of viewers is palpable.
Then the moment comes and it’s
time for the race to begin. At that point
both audiences are focused on the race
and it has engaged them completely.
The TV viewing audience will be
able to hear commentary and the
relayed sound of the cars, while the
in-person attendees will be deafened
by the whine and whoosh of the
tyres as the racing machines speed
around the circuit. Both audiences
enjoy their own experience and will
remember it long after the race is over.
While this example is a high
profile one, you can use the techniques
and relate them to your
event. Just swap the ‘race’ for
the moment your event begins.
Successful hybrid events involve
lots of pre-production. Earlier this
year I was in the engine room of the
#gmidgoesvirtual challenge. We
were putting on a production of 30
minutes and wanted 15,000 people
to be online at the same time. We
rehearsed on a number of occasions
to get everything as good as it
could be. It’s only by rehearsing and
refinement that things will improve.
You have to demand more
from your speakers, hosts, sponsors
and everyone involved in your
event. Otherwise you lose. We
had 12,500 people tune in. But,
even if you have a smaller number,
you still need to rehearse. Delegates
want value or they will leave.
Sofie Sinoo at ATPI Corporate
Events comments that “investing in
the setting and how the content is
programmed is very important. Live
broadcast-style digital events with an
interactive programme of speakers
can work very well. Something similar
to a TV studio ensures a professional
event-quality feeling. The experience
for the digital event participant
is more engaging and dynamic.”
Ashton has a similar view and
states that “successful hybrid events
require high production standards,
creativity and attention to detail as
well as the appropriate resource,
to ensure all of the necessary
elements come together to deliver
messages with impact and clarity.”
Hybrid events are here to stay
and for some planners this will be a
big step change. For some they will
need to transition their thinking. No
longer are they stage-managing live
events, they are now producing the
virtual element as well. They have
two audiences to consider in the same
way as the Formula 1 race directors.
The planner has to become a
producer, making a programme,
not running an event.
Those planners that adopt a TV
style production mind-set will be
the ones that will have the most
success with their hybrid events.
Paul Cook is founder of Hybrid Event Centre and
can be contacted via [email protected]