The coronavirus pandemic forced many changes on the events industry. Perhaps the most obvious and immediate change was the move away from in-person conferences to virtual alternatives instead. In fact, it was reported that over the course of the pandemic the number of virtual events increased by over 1000%.
But as the world emerges from the pandemic, increasingly conference organisers are looking to the return of in-person events as being the natural step forward. Given the success of virtual conferences over the course of lockdown, it would be a shame to leave behind some of the benefits and advantages.
The benefits of virtual conferences
One of the reasons for the success of virtual conferences over lockdown was the fact that physical location was no longer a barrier to attending. Not only could attendees join from across the country, but even across the world, hugely extending the potential reach of the event. Additionally, attendees do not have to commit to a full day if they don’t wish to – it’s easy to simply drop in and out as necessary.
The fact that attendees can come from anywhere and that the size of the event is not limited by a venue, the potential for far greater levels of sponsorship opens up. Theoretically, virtual events do not have to have a limited number of attendees, so sponsors can enjoy better value for money.
The rise of hybrid events
It is important to understand, however, that while virtual events can offer a range of benefits, they also come with challenges as well as limitations that are not present at in-person events. Part of the appeal of traditional conferences is the opportunity to spend all day at the event networking and getting to know more about businesses in a specific industry.
This is also less in the way of spontaneity – virtual conferences put more of a focus on time slots for talks. It is no surprise that many in the industry are looking for possibilities that could include both virtual and in-person aspects to events, and this is the exact concept of the hybrid event.
In a hybrid event conference, there is a physical conference that is supplemented with virtual offerings.
The importance of integration
The key to a successful hybrid conference is ensuring a successful integration between the in-person attendees and those who are only attending virtually. A great option could be to use software such as Discord. Once a tool designed for gamers, Discord has evolved to offer a far more encompassing service that can allow attendees to join a group chat with a multitude of ‘rooms’.
It’s also a great idea to encourage participants of both the in-person and virtual events to utilise social media such as Twitter in order to facilitate greater levels of interaction between attendees. Encourage virtual users to watch the talks at the same time as in-person guests so that there is an opportunity for discussion, and make sure that the speakers take questions both from the physical room and from virtual participants.
Security and safety is a priority in person
It is also important to remember that having an in-person event in the post-pandemic world means putting a greater focus on security and safety. The world has become potentially more dangerous and it is up to organisers to ensure that their conferences can be run safely if they are going to run in person.
This isn’t simply a case of wanting to do the best for attendees – it’s a very serious issue for organisers too. As event security specialists Maltaward explain: “failing to have appropriate security measures can invalidate your insurance policies and could allow your event to be held liable for any damages that occur”.
The carbon footprint factor
There are many reasons that hybrid conferences are likely to become the default as we move forward. The benefits of both are too great for most organisers to ignore, especially when making an in-person event virtual as well is very simple.
It’s also worth noting that running events that attract attendees from a long way away could now have a virtual element that would cut down the carbon footprint. Rather than expecting attendees to travel to the conference, those who can’t make it easily can attend online.
Ultimately, as long as conferences can be run effectively and safely in person, this is the optimal way to do them. But being able to add in an element of a virtual conference too gives the best of both worlds without any real drawbacks.
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Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/hybrid-conferences-are-they-now-the-default/
