Hybrid Setup: Adapting to the Digital Era of Corporate Events

In the digital era, many traditional activities shifted online. These activities include attending church services, listening to school lectures, and organising events. In terms of organising corporate events, the traditional way is that people gather in a venue and participate in the activities depending on the event being held. It can be a team-building, seminar, training, or conference.

However, in recent years, the hybrid setup has been introduced, and most businesses are gradually adapting to it. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits and challenges corporate events should consider when adapting to a hybrid setup.

The Rise of Hybrid Events

Hybrid events are corporate events or gatherings that use a combination of online and face-to-face setups. It started when people gradually recovered from COVID-19. During the pandemic, all activities were done online for the safety of everyone. But as the threat of COVID-19 gradually decreased, hybrid events started to rise.

Hybrid events continue when companies realise that hybrid workplace set-up works. Besides, since the virus is still around, this allowed people with weak immune systems to continue working.

Benefits of Hybrid Events

1. Easy-access

hybrid setups for corporate events allow attendees to participate wherever they are. For instance, if you’re hosting an international conference the traditional way, some attendees might not be able to attend since they need to afford a plane ticket. With hybrid events if a participant can’t afford a plane ticket, they can just use their computer to be a part of the event. At the same time, if another participant has the means to go in person, they can do so.

According to professional corporate event planners, one of the benefits of hybrid setups is the increase in attendees due to their accessibility.

2. Flexible

Most of the time, attending an in-person conference, seminar, or training consumes more time than it should be. In addition, people are forced to travel and more resources are used even if it’s just a one-day event.

Fortunately, with the hybrid setup, participants have the option to do whichever they prefer. If they’re just a few minutes from the venue or don’t mind travelling for an in-person set-up, it’s as great as those who are embracing the convenience of a live stream.

3. Cost-Effective and Attracts More Sponsors

Organising a hybrid event can be cost-effective since you don’t need a big venue, and reduces travel and accommodation expenses.

In addition, nowadays, many companies are willing to invest in hybrid events since the scope is wider compared to the traditional or pure online set-up. However, corporate event planners should guarantee the sponsors that the event can equally reach the online and in-person participants.

4. Eco-friendly

By giving the participants the option to choose between in-person and virtual, the carbon footprint produced by organising a corporate event decreases. Specifically, fewer people are going to travel, less food is going to waste, and fewer plastics and other non-recyclables are used.

Additionally, you can invite famous speakers from around the world without the need to travel by plane or a long drive.

Challenges to Consider

While hybrid events offer a lot of benefits, there are also challenges that corporate event planners face. Some of these challenges include technical complexity, engagement, and content adaptation.

1. Technical Complexity

Organising a traditional, in-person event requires time, effort, and ample budget, so what more if you need to organise both online and in-person set-up in one corporate event? In terms of technical aspects, both set-ups for in-person and virtual should be attended equally.

For the in-person setup, secure the sound system, lights, and camera, while the virtual set-up requires a platform that can cater for all of the event’s needs and preferences. In addition, there should be someone facilitating the online set-up, so that the hosts can easily acknowledge the questions and comments of the virtual attendees.

2. Engagement

Another challenge corporate event planners face in the hybrid setup is the level of engagement of the virtual attendees. To solve this, organisers should incorporate the visual attendees in all of the activities done in the venue. If they feel a little left out, it would be difficult to get their attention during the entire event. When that happens, you might lose attendees since it’s easy to leave online.

So, if you decide to organise a corporate event in a hybrid setup, make sure you have enough staff to manage both online and in-person participants.

3. Content Adaptation

The content should be effective on both set-ups. If you plan to have an interactive presentation, the visual audience should be able to participate as well as the in-person audience. You can either create the same content in two different formats or create it in a way that’s effective on both set-ups.

Final Thoughts

Hybrid setup in corporate events is a great approach that addresses the modern needs and preferences of the audience. Instead of forcing people requiring people to travel from far away places, they now have the option of whether they want to participate virtually or in person.

Embracing new and innovative ways of organising corporate events isn’t just beneficial for businesses, but also to the stakeholders.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aliana Baraquio is a content writer for Pink Caviar Events Sydney, a full-service event management and decorative hire company located in Sydney. When she’s not typing out blog posts, you can find her watching anime series or baking cupcakes.