Hybrid events are the future of the industry.
According to data gathered by different players in the EventTech industry, more than 47% of the event organizers plan to make their events hybrid in the coming years..
Why? Because hybrid events bring together the best of both worlds: the flexibility, inclusiveness and reach of virtuality with the human interaction and active participation of face-to-face.
We learned a lot about virtuality during the pandemic. The remote work industry exploded, e-commerce took hold, and event organizers realized the usefulness and value of virtual events.
Instead of thinking about returning to an old normal, wasting learnings, as the world reopens; we are thinking about applying these learnings in a post-pandemic environment, making the most of technology and digitization.
In this article we will explore 5 key benefits of hybrid eventsand why you should always consider them in your event planning strategy.
What are the benefits of doing Hybrid Events?
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Increased Reach | Increased Revenue
Digitizing your event allows you - and your sponsors - to reach a much larger audience at a relatively low cost. You are no longer limited by the size of a physical venue or the ability or decision of your audience to travel to the venue.
On the contrary, you will be able to attract a geographically distributed audience with unlimited reach, who will be able to enjoy your event virtually. With this you give a flexibility never before experienced for your audience to be able to choose the way they experience your event, it can be one day virtual, two days in person or any other way, that's convenience.
In the end, this allows your investment to be scalable, increasing your brand recognition, lead generation for your sponsors, your revenue and the recall of your event in the minds of your audience.
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Broad and Inclusive Participation
As with purely virtual events, hybrid events allow presenters, sponsors and attendees the flexibility to enjoy the event from anywhere in the world.
This can help to improve the quality of your event, as you can attract better speakers that you might not be able to attract in person. At the same time, you create a much more inclusive experience. By allowing your audience, no matter how or where, to listen to speakers, interact with your sponsors and other attendees, you create a more inclusive experience. greater participation and interesting diversity of perspectives.
This inclusiveness can extend to accessibility considerations. Participants for whom it may have been difficult to attend a certain event due to physical or health conditions may now be able to actively participate in the event, contribute to it and interact with others.
Using a event platform such as BmotikWith the new "in-person" feature, both remote and in-person attendees will have a variety of interesting ways to interact with each other, between audiences, with sponsors, and with different digital and real activities. Connecting all your event participants with your content and your brands, whether they are comfortably in their pajamas at home or in a suit at your convention center.
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Higher ROI
By increasing your reach without significantly increasing your event costs, hybrid events will clearly allow you to achieve a higher return on investment (ROI).
Generally, virtual events are less expensive to produce, in terms of money, time and effort than purely face-to-face events. So transforming your event into a hybrid, by bringing in an additional audience and providing an alternative connection to your participants, will result in a higher participation and lower cost per attendee.
Additionally, there will be other items that will represent savings, such as travel and accommodation costs for speakers and even some participants. Your sponsors will also see a better return on investment by getting more leads and increasing the reach of their brand.
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Sustainability
As we have already discussed, hybrid events attract a larger audience that connects remotely. Adding this digital component to your events allows you to attend more participants without increasing your carbon footprint.
The result of providing opportunity and flexibility for your audience to attend remotely or in person ultimately results in: less travel, less pollution, and less waste generation at the physical location of the event. Clearly, without sacrificing the scope and quality of your event.
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Data and Analytics
Something very interesting about hybrid events is that because they are "digital-based", using an event platform, your event will be generating valuable data as your audience interacts. Which can mean improvements in the understanding of your participants' behaviorsYou can use it in the future to generate better content, marketing or business strategies.
An event platform like Bmotik will provide you with information on how attendees interact with the content of your event. Both virtually and in person. This includes data on:
- Records, both remote and face-to-face
- Assistance, both remote and on-site
- Sales, differentiated by category
- Visitors per room/session
- Visitors per Booth
- Participation in networking
- Time of attendance (can be linked to certificates)
- Comments, NPS and/or feedback
This data will provide you with a better understanding of your audience, as well as valuable information for your sponsors in future events.
Conclusion
As we move toward a post-pandemic global re-opening, we have the opportunity to pioneer new ways to connect, learn and participate, without limiting ourselves to the spaces or possibilities of the physical world.
Hybrid events allow for greater outreach, more inclusive interaction, and flexibility, which is becoming increasingly important in people's lives. They help us to breaking down barriers We are still enjoying the human warmth of being with others in person when we choose to be with them.
For more information about the hybrid model and how you can implement it at your event, please contact contact us at.
