Hybrid Events – Top 5 ways to make them engaging
In the face of this pandemic, hybrid events are becoming increasingly popular. Some health restrictions are no longer in place, but there is still a large group of people (for a variety of reasons) who do not want to attend events. Businesses can reach a larger audience with hybrid events than they could through a traditional event. They can be difficult to plan and keep the audience’s attention.
Learn how we plan hybrid events. Ensure both audiences are fully engaged in the event.
1. Keep it short, sharp & interesting
Your event might have been run by many presentations of 1-2 hours. You may only have had lunch as your main break. You need to rethink your event when planning a hybrid schedule. To convert your event into a mixed event, you do not need to throw a camera in the room and broadcast it to Zoom.
Event Schedule
It can be challenging to plan the event schedule. Online audiences respond better to shorter sessions spread over several days. It is important to consider the audience in person. The audience may have to travel a long distance to attend an event. This delicate balance requires careful consideration.
Session Times
We recommend a maximum presentation time of 30 minutes when planning sessions. It gives the speaker enough time to get across their main points without losing their audience’s attention. You should also consider the speakers that will be attending the event. Unfortunately, not every speaker is skilled in hybrid events. Presenting simultaneously to online and in-person audiences can be difficult. Before booking, you should discuss this with your speaker. Interludes can be used to break up the speaker’s session. Quick fitness sessions get everyone out of their seats and allow the mind to reset before the next topic.
Shorter sessions, sharper presentations, and interesting breaks characterize hybrid events. It is easier to keep your audience’s attention. It’s important to keep in mind that planning an event online can be challenging. Online audiences are prone to distractions. If the audience is bored or needs to make a call, they don’t have to jump over their coworkers’ laps and sneak up the aisle. You need to keep your hybrid event short, sharp, and engaging. A memorable experience they won’t want to miss.
2. Customise the message for your audience
People are more attentive to things that interest them or have an impact on their lives. Maya Angelou said, “People people will forget your words, they will forget your actions, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.”
You can do this in many different ways. Ask your audience what they hope to gain from the event before the event. What areas are they in need of help? Do they have specific skills that they would like to acquire? What do they want to know? By asking these questions in advance, the organizer can plan sessions around the interests of the audience.
Customizing an event by gathering data about the attendees can be a great way to personalize it. Investigate their recent accomplishments & job roles. Ask their customers what they think is working well. Also, ask them what needs improvement. Incorporating personalized data into a presentation will encourage the audience to apply the lessons.
Live surveys, questionnaires, and polls can be used to customize the experience of the event on the day. Presenters can receive data in real-time on how well their presentation is performing. The audience’s understanding of the content. Suppose there is a particular area that needs more attention.
You will notice that the majority of your outcomes will be based on the main takeaways. Why not ask what your audience would like to see included?
3. Interaction
A successful event relies on human interaction. How can you encourage interactivity between an audience in person and an audience online? We must ensure that your online audience is not forgotten. We must give them a voice, a face, and the ability to interact with them as if they are present at your event.
Introduce Them
You can encourage the interaction between two audiences in a number of ways. First, introduce the two audiences to each other. You can do this by displaying the video panels of the online audience on the main screen before the event. Show a video pan from the live audience to the online group. This technique allows each group to realize that they aren’t the only ones who consume the content. It also broadens the audience’s thinking.
Q&A/Polls
Live Q&As or polls are another way to get audience participation. Live Q&As are most effective when the facilitator is able to hear the person directly (whether online or in person). A moderator can help if this isn’t possible. It is also useful to show the data that comes in live from polls. This reminds the audience that they aren’t the only ones who consume the content. It offers different viewpoints that can help to spark more discussion.
Breakout Rooms
The use of smaller breakout rooms that include both audiences is a powerful tool. This is a great tool to get people to talk and dig deeper into the topic. A “Hang out” room is another variation. This is a place where the audience can chat with each other, just like they would during a break at a regular event.
4. Motivate their attention
Everyone loves winning a prize, don’t they? Would you be interested in a prize draw that could take place at any moment during an event?
- Leave the office to answer the doorbell or perform another task
- Continue to play online for a chance to win
Incorporating random prize draws into a hybrid event is a great way to add value. This encourages participants to engage more in the conversation. This can be a great moment to promote a sponsor if they are donating the prize.
Virtual scavenger hunting is also very popular. Some online expos use a passport system, where visitors get a stamp for every stand they visit. Some events will spread out the virtual scavenger hunt across the entire event. They may include elements/images randomly throughout the event and award a prize to the first person who can identify them all.
Finally, gamification may also be implemented as a quiz. The first person who can correctly identify the main product specifications from the sponsor’s PowerPoint presentation will win a prize. This option encourages attendees to remain online. This option enables the attendees to interact with the presentations and remember key takeaways.
5. See and Touch Feel
By engaging all five of our senses, attendees can experience the event differently. It can be challenging to engage your online audience in this way, but not impossible. Your online audience should be able to engage with the event at the same level as the live event and walk away feeling informed.
Consider how your in-person event could be translated into a digital experience. You can be creative here, and some of the ideas we’ve seen in the past year have been fantastic. You can cater morning tea for your in-person audience. Send your online audience morning tea packages. You could also send them a voucher to order food for delivery during the lunch break. They can then enjoy their lunch and socialize with the other attendees.
We mentioned above that interesting breaks can be created in sessions to help the audience reset. These creative break ideas can include using a physical item (i.e., a yoga session may use a yoga mat). Send your online audience an event pack containing physical items that they can use. By giving audiences a tangible item they can touch, smell, taste, and hear, you will encourage them to engage with the event. Encourages attendees to interact with the event and other attendees.
The conclusion of the article is:
Hybrid events need to be well-planned, tailored to the audience, and encourage interaction between the audiences. The event must be engaging. We must give the online audience a compelling excuse to ignore their doorbells or emails. We must also provide compelling reasons for in-person audiences to leave their comfort zone, travel, and take time off their busy schedules.
Remember to include the audience’s experience when planning your next hybrid event. Want to make your mixed event memorable? Contact Events Outsourced to help you plan a truly engaging event.