The hybrid has been a buzzword for world events for the past two years. Some of you are excited about it. Some are still confused, perhaps unsure of their desire. Here are the top 5 hybrid events pros and cons to consider before hosting an event.
StreamGo recently conducted a survey on the return on completely personal events.
Out of more than 600 respondents, 90% of people said they would prefer the opportunity to attend events for almost everyone.
That’s a great count!
The thing is, hybrid events aren’t really a new concept. You may have already hosted or started planning a hybrid event without even realizing it. The development of technology is what’s new, which has given us so many more ways to execute them in a hybrid event platform.
That’s why we’re going to cover the hybrid events pros and cons. Choose one that is most suited to your event’s needs.
Table of Contents
Hybrid Events Pros & Cons to Consider before Planning an Event
Mirrored Hybrid Event
The mirror hybrid event uses exactly the same content for personal participants as for virtual participants. The content presentation can be two-way, so broadcasting capabilities are essential for personal and virtual audiences. The mirror hybrid event is always ideal for content-driven events, such as information and educational events, user conferences and more.
Attendees come in person to gain more emotional personal contact and deepen attendance, but you add the benefit of an expanded audience by helping attendees virtually reduce the cost of hotels, transportation, food, and so on – the most considerable hybrid event pros.
Pros of Mirrored Hybrid Events
- All content is valid regardless of presence. Personal guides are free to move between delivery methods.
- It’s easy to understand and comprehend what’s going on from the audience’s perspective.
- The possibility of exposure to exhibitors, sponsors and partners has expanded.
Cons of Mirrored Hybrid Events
- There is a lot of planning and manual attention to detail – probably adding a new role to the hybrid management activity.
- For virtual participants, it was a long day or several days of activity as they sat in front of their computers and listened to the meeting. This effect can stimulate the behaviour of virtual participants to choose the sessions that are most important to them and to skip others.
In-Person First Hybrid Events
The in-person hybrid event is the place where the event takes place in person, with selected sessions and experiences designed to enhance the experience. Selected sessions will be broadcast to the virtual audience. These selected sections are likely to include keynote speakers as well as some expected speakers or topics. Personal and virtual attendees will expand their experience with virtual event centres and event applications.
This hybrid event technology is more expensive than a virtual ticket which is the most considerable hybrid events cons.
Pros of In-Person Hybrid Event
- Improved experiences for personal participants.
- It is possible to reduce your event budget by paying for speakers that is broadcast remotely.
- A great solution for planners who want to publish an experience instead of an information event.
- By bidding online for activity, you increase your overall reach and return on investment.
Cons of In-Person Hybrid Event
- This is a limited experience for virtual participants only.
- More targeted reach due to limited virtual space and experience.
Virtual-First Hybrid Event
The Virtual-First Hybrid Event is a full-featured virtual event where audiences participate in virtual sessions (live, simulation, or on-demand), with personal components that add to the experience of one or more geographical locations. These geographical locations should be selected on the basis of historical data showing where a higher number of registrants are located. Personal components can be watching parties, networking events, evening events, sessions or breakouts. You need to tailor the experience for offering a slightly more personalized experience by utilizing the hybrid event platform benefits.
Virtual Hybrid Event Pros
- Great for big events. A great choice for content-heavy events.
- Provide fewer networks and personal sessions in particular locations
- A large virtual presence increases your revenue and overall return on investment.
Virtual Hybrid Event Cons
- Networking plays a different role in this type of activity and must be managed.
- It’s a long day or days of activity for virtual participants to sit at their computers and listen to sessions that are difficult inside.
- The impact of attending a big event can be masked by virtualization – taking further steps to make the experience specifically for the participants.
Spoke Hybrid Event
Spoke Hybrid Event has different personal content in different cities and moves to one virtual event. All of these human sessions can take place on the same day or several days in a given period, but they will all be recorded. All recordings will be uploaded to the Virtual Event Center, where participants have access to these recordings as recorded virtual events. This recording feature creates the most impact on the hybrid event pros. Tickets can also be sold to virtual participants who cannot attend the meeting in person.
Pros of Spoke Hybrid Events
- The intimate hybrid style of events is because people attend small personal events or sessions locally.
- Includes the emotional connection of human events with the target audience.
- An interesting opportunity for touring events to adapt the interior to different cities or regions and at the same time provides a commissioning experience for everyone.
- Participants do not have to commit to a large allotted period of time to attend the event.
- Take advantage of local speakers at a lower cost
- It is more cost-effective for participants to attend a local lunch or evening than to travel to a multi-day event.
Cons of Spoke Hybrid Events
- People have to wait until they get all the content they might be interested in.
- The relevant content may not be personal in the participant’s city and will need to travel or view it virtually.
- More commitment to time and resources by planners
Multiplier Hybrid Event
Multiplier hybrid event is the same solution that people repeat in person in different cities and is supported virtually. It is called a multiplier because it gradually builds (multiplies) the audience’s exposure to the event. To further break this concept: multiplier hybrid actions are repetitive actions with a smaller audience in different geographical locations. So, you can run an event anywhere at any time, the preferable hybrid event pros to consider.
Pros of Multiplier Event
- Ideal for a highly targeted audience.
- Great for product demos or tours.
- Maintain small, close groups of participants for networking. Many experiences and places open up for small groups.
- It is more cost-effective for participants to attend a local lunch or evening than to travel to a multi-day event.
- Repeated delivery of content results in improved presentations and the final product.
Cons of Multiplier Event
- Requires more time for group activity.
- Reduced costs for participants, but for additional costs for planners (T&E).
- More time is needed to complete the overall activity.
Do you still feel a little lost about the hybrid and what it means to you and your events? Explore our platform called HexaFair to get a uniquely engaged hybrid event platform experience. Request a demo and explore now. Or contact our team to know more about the hybrid event pros & cons and tips to get started with your event.