Hybrid Events – What are they?

Hybrid Events allow live events to take place, even when the audience is at home.

With Covid-19 changing the way that we work as a society both now, and in the future, at Premier we believe that the future of live events may well be Hybrid Events.

 

So what is a hybrid event?

Simply put, a hybrid event is exactly the same as a live event, the difference however is that the audience is at home watching the event on their laptops, as opposed to being sat in an auditorium. The presenters will still be on stage and they will be able to use Powerpoint and video content to deliver their message to delegates.

From a technical perspective the audience will be able to view HD footage from the event with crisp, clear audio and a seamless video experience. Live Q&A sessions can be incorporated to ensure that there is a high level of engagement. We can also add members of the audience onto the screen, such as award winners or guest speakers etc.

 

What are the benefits of a Hybrid Event?

For many companies today, the main benefit of a hybrid event is that you are allowed to do them!

In person gatherings of people are not part of the government guidelines and so a hybrid event allows you to deliver your message to your audience. Longer term however, if you are choosing between a hybrid event and a ‘normal’ event at a venue, some advantages of a hybrid event are:

• Better for the environment (only the presenters need to travel to and from a studio)
• Audience members have zero travel time (increased productivity)
• No hotels to book = cost savings
• No food / drink to pay for = cost savings
• Don’t need to book a large venue = cost savings
• AV Company not required to setup everything in the venue = cost savings

Without creating an extensive list, as you can see, it’s much cheaper and better for the environment to deliver a hybrid event as opposed to a ‘normal’ event.

 

What are the downsides of a Hybrid Event?

I think, as a business owner / event manager if you are honest with yourself, you appreciate that for many events on your calendar, they could technically all be held virtually / in a hybrid manner. The reason that you don’t however is that you appreciate that the benefits of people meeting in person, outweigh the cost savings outlined above.

We know from experience that ‘live events’ are a great way to re-enforce the culture of the company. For many of our clients the networking done during dinner or at the bar at the end of the night  etc is the real reason that they hold in person events as opposed to online.

People are inherently social beings, they want to be able to spend time with others and have shared experiences.

 

Where can I host a hybrid event?

At Premier, we have transformed one of our warehouses into a hybrid event studio, this allows clients to come in and present their events with the technical support of our AV team.

The studio features a 10m wide screen, PA system, lighting rig and numerous HD cameras to ensure that the end result looks fantastic.

 

What about streaming?

Our team can manage all aspects of the streaming for you, popular sites to host the live stream include Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, Microsoft Teams and of course Zoom.

Looking for something more professional? We can build you an event website which hosts the live stream as well as any Q&A interface that you want to incorporate.

 

Got any Questions?

Our team would be happy to answer any questions that you have about hybrid events. We have been delivering events for over 10 years and are trusted by a number of global brands to deliver theirs.