In the last year, the COVID-19 crisis brought in-person meetings to a complete halt, forcing event planners to adapt and focus strictly on digital events. Fortunately, with the vaccine slowly rolling out, physical gatherings will start to return. In the meantime, hybrid events combining in-person and remote audiences will likely happen more often, as attendees can still participate fully even if they cannot physically attend.
The following are several effective practices to ensure a successful hybrid event:
1. Set expectations for remote and in-person attendees
It is critical to prepare your attendees beforehand for what will take place at the event. You’ll need to make sure your virtual attendees know how to log-in, your live attendees know there will be a virtual audience, and that both understand the agenda. This approach should help each person decide which type of attendance (virtual or in-person) they prefer. Before the event starts, it may be helpful to create a live-chat platform to stimulate engagement or allow them to submit questions or suggestions to help guide your meeting’s content.
2. Keep registration flexible
With travel restrictions constantly changing, people may be forced to quickly shift their plans. Organizations must be flexible towards attendees who need to switch from in-person to remote, or vice versa. Allow attendees to customize their meeting experience and level of engagement.
3. Have the presenters on-site when possible
A virtual-only event can often lack the interaction and engagement that comes more easily when people are in a room together. Make sure the presenter or the source of attention is the main focus of the event to help include and engage the viewer. It is also important to have your primary presenters attend the event in-person, especially with meetings in which there are back and forth discussions.
4. Display the remote employees.
Position a big screen in the front of the room to show as many virtual attendees as possible on video. If attendees prefer not to be shown live on the screen, displaying their name or an image of them reminds in-person attendees that the virtual attendees are present.
5. Encourage collaboration
One primary challenge of hybrid events is facilitating interactions between virtual and in-person attendees. It’s important to encourage collaboration and engagement to keep the conversation flowing naturally. One solution might be putting a screen onstage so those viewing remotely can participate in a presentation fully by asking questions or offering suggestions. Another solution could be providing individual tablets to in-person attendees for one-on-one exchanges with virtual attendees.
6. Enable chat
The most significant benefit for those virtually attending is a chat option, which many platforms such as Zoom offer. Enabling chat will allow remote viewers to submit comments and questions that they may have. It is important that your in-person attendees also have access to the chat, whether from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Each attendee should be able to review all questions and comments regarding the event.
7. Make Q & A equal between in-person and remote attendees
During Q&A segments in your event, make sure to ask for questions from your remote attendees. You can ask them first or allow more time, so more questions arise. Just be sure to balance it between the two groups.
8. Ensure great audio
For your remote attendees, a clear and robust virtual experience is essential. Unfortunately, audio problems have become far too common throughout the past year. To avoid poor audio experiences, suggest your virtual attendees use headsets or earbuds instead of relying on built-in microphones and speakers on their devices.
9. Work with venue partners
Many hotels and venues are creating an immersive experience and establishing a strong partnership with the in-person venue for all types of meetings. It is crucial to have high-speed internet access and an experienced A/V team to deal with potential technical challenges. It also means optimizing the room layout and breakout spaces for remote attendees.
10. Send a survey to get feedback
It’s critical to ask each attendee about their experience with the meeting. Differentiate between who attended in-person and virtually so you can filter the information and find similarities and differences. Did your in-person attendees feel more engaged? How can you improve your virtual attendees’ experience? Cover all aspects of the meeting in your survey so you can make the necessary improvements for your next event.
It is inevitable that in-person meetings will return in the near future. However, there is a possibility that some people will continue to attend meetings virtually even after the eradication of COVID-19, so being flexible and adapting is crucial. Following the tips given above will help ensure your hybrid meeting is a success.