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Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In the past few years, the world has witnessed a massive shift toward virtual events. With the emergence of virtual events, the event industry has experienced an entirely new way of delivering events called hybrid events. Hybrid events have gained popularity because of the convenience and flexibility they offer.
If you are not familiar with a hybrid event, it is a combination of a physical and virtual event, where physical attendees are participating in-person and virtual attendees are participating virtually through an online platform.
Hybrid events are usually organized by corporations, associations, non-profit organizations, and event planning companies and require careful planning and execution, as it presents unique challenges compared to traditional physical or virtual events. For this reason, we will discuss with you a few ways that will help you to organize a successful hybrid event:
Define the Purpose and Audience of the Event
First things first, define the purpose and audience of the event. Before you proceed any further, you need to define the purpose of the event, such as What do you hope to achieve with this event? Are you looking to generate leads, build brand awareness, or educate attendees?
Defining the purpose and goals of the event will help you determine the type of content, format, and delivery method required for the event. Without defining the purpose, it would be difficult for you to organize a successful hybrid event.
In addition to the purpose of the event, make sure that you also define the audience of the event because the audience is also a crucial factor for a hybrid event as it determines the level of engagement, interaction, and communication required. After you define both of these things, you will have a clear understanding of how to plan the logistics and content of the event.
Choose the Right Technology and Equipment
Since a hybrid event is different from a physical or virtual event, it requires choosing and arranging the right technology and equipment for the event to ensure a smooth event. To make sure that communication and interaction between in-person and virtual attendees is seamless, you should select a reliable platform that can handle multiple attendees, provide a smooth user experience to all the participants, and is available across all app stores including Play Store, AppGallery, and App Store.
Additionally, the technology or platform that you are choosing should support various features, such as live streaming, chat, polls, and Q&A sessions. Moreover, the equipment that will be used for the event, such as microphones, speakers, cameras, and screens should be of high quality to ensure a successful hybrid event.
Choose The Right Venue
After technology, choosing the right venue is important for hybrid events. As a hybrid event will consist of both in-person and virtual attendees, you should choose a venue that can accommodate both types of attendees. This means choosing a conference hall or a meeting room that has enough space for physical attendees and access to high-speed internet to interact with those participants who will be joining virtually. Always try your best to choose a location that will work well for every participant in the event.
Create Networking Opportunities
One of the major benefits of in-person events is that they provide an opportunity for attendees to meet & greet with one another and build their network. Although hybrid events don’t provide the same level of face-to-face interaction as a physical event, it is still important that you create networking opportunities for all the attendees.
Consider using a unique platform like GBWhatsApp that allows attendees to connect through chat or video conferencing or creating a virtual breakout room for all the participants where they can interact with each other.
Plan Your Schedule
To conduct a smooth and successful hybrid event, pre-planning is essential. While planning, there are some important things that you need to consider, such as allocating enough time for each session, allowing for breaks in between, and communicating the schedule with your attendees in advance so that they can plan their participation accordingly.
Prepare Your Speakers
Along with other things, preparing your speakers is essential for a successful hybrid event. You should provide your speakers with clear instructions on the format, content, and audience of their presentation. You should also conduct a rehearsal session with your speakers to ensure that they are comfortable with the platform and with the technical arrangements that you have made.
Be Prepared For Technical Difficulties
Despite careful planning and preparation, technical difficulties can arise during a hybrid event. No matter how well you plan everything, technical issues can happen at any instant and it is important to have a backup plan in place to address any technical difficulties or issues that may occur.
Having a backup plan involves having technical support staff available to troubleshoot any problems and ensuring that backup equipment and internet connections are readily available. In case a technical difficulty does arise, all the attendees should be communicated and informed about it and given the latest updates on the progress of the event.
In conclusion, organizing a successful hybrid event requires careful planning and coordination. By following these tips and best practices, you can arrange a successful, engaging, and informative hybrid event.
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
