26 Advertising Feature
September, 2020
Easier
than you
thought
The road to hybrid
events is easier than
many people think,
according to Cvent
As planners have endured
the pain of moving some of
their events from in-person to
online, there has always been
hope that the return of in-person
events is just around the corner.
The shift to online was in some
cases difficult and a very steep
learning curve. However, rewards
of online events include significantly
higher numbers of global
registrations, reduced cost of
travel for attendees and speakers,
and the ability to track attendee
data and engagement more easily.
It makes sense to hold onto these
wins and take advantage of what both
face-to-face and online events offer.
When to run a hybrid event
Live events should be planned when
it is of the utmost importance that all
your attendees be there in person. You
shouldn’t consider running your event
virtually or even as a hybrid if you
determine that most of the content
will not translate well virtually.
Hybrid events are the perfect
solution for programmes that can
effectively be held both onsite and
virtually. They are also useful solutions
when many of your attendees
who want to attend in person can’t.
There may be attendees who
can’t travel, or maybe the organisation
they work for has limited travel
spend. The venue may have capacity
limitations, so not all attendees
will be allowed to gather onsite.
Offer the best experience
There’s a misconception around hybrid
events. Online participation doesn’t
mean a live stream to a global crowd.
A successful hybrid event requires
the same elements and features as an
onsite event. You should think about
it as one event with two experiences.
Liken it to watching a football
match. You can watch the game in the
stadium or at home; it’s one game with
two completely different experiences.
If any football game were to be shown
on television with just one camera
streaming the game, no commentary
and nothing to do at half time, at home
participants would certainly be disappointed
and would quickly turn off.
The same can be said for your
events. Failure to treat the audiences
separately will leave your
audience feeling neglected and
isolated. Online participants should
be able to engage with speakers,
participate in Q&A sessions, and
network with fellow attendees.
What next?
The lessons learned during 2020 gives
event planners that have succeeded in
running online events a new edge. To
successfully run hybrid events, planners
will need to utilise their online
learnings and technology like the
Cvent Attendee Engagement Hub to
ensure they provide great experiences
for attendees both onsite and online.
Online and hybrid events are the
future of your total event and digital
marketing programmes. Learn how to
power your events with Cvent, extend
your reach, and measure your success.