Stuttgart, July 30, 2020 – Crowds of people flock to the exhibition hall in search of the most innovative products, employees cheer the keynote speaker at the annual kick-off, shareholders applaud politely at the Annual General Meeting – we haven’t seen such scenes for many weeks. And somehow the idea of a major event seems quite unreal at the moment. Nobody knows when this will be possible again. And what that could look like. Nevertheless, there are many companies that have to organize large events right now – because the legislation dictates it or they can no longer afford and do not want to do without personal contact. One possible way out of the event impasse: hybrid events.
Hybrid events – what are they actually?
This new event implementation combines the old with the new world, the analogue meeting with the digital extension on the Internet. In a hybrid event, only a small group of participants meet directly on site, e.g. the Executive Board, Supervisory Board and a handful of shareholders at an Annual General Meeting, and all other stakeholders join from home via an online platform. During the live part, of course, all hygiene and distance regulations will be observed and the online guests can of course also actively participate, ask questions and, where necessary, exercise their voting rights. What the platform must be able to do depends on the purpose of the event. Large conferences with several lecture rooms, workshop sessions and personal exchange with individual participants during the breaks are also possible without any problems.
Why hybrid events now?
Because companies can achieve several goals at the same time. Even in times when larger crowds should be avoided, major events will be possible again. A hybrid event bridges the physical distance that currently exists between us and opens up the event to broad audiences who would otherwise not have been able to attend. A positive side effect: If you can attend an event on the other side of the world from the comfort of your own office, you save time and travel costs. If the hybrid event is documented appropriately – informative, entertaining and offering added value – you can also reach target groups that would not have been able to participate for time or other reasons. And: As an organizer, you now have the opportunity to try out new event formats with little risk and to reposition yourself for the future.
What could something like this look like in concrete terms?
Imagine the following situation: Your company wants to introduce a new product family to its employees – especially from sales. Normally, about 2,000 colleagues would be invited to a major German city with the appropriate infrastructure for two days. Not so this year. The invitation to the one-day event will be sent to you by e-mail – including a registration link, agenda and tips and tricks on which technology you can use to successfully participate from home. There is also already an IT hotline that can help with setup.
On the day of the event, you log in and land in a virtual lobby where the CEO personally welcomes you as the event host. Behind a calendar icon, your personal daily schedule is waiting for you with all the lectures and workshops you have chosen in advance. Via the speech bubble next to it, you can reach the respective chat rooms in case questions arise later. The keynote speech at the start of the event will be left by the management to a trend researcher who will take a look into the future together with you. Like the other speakers of the day, she is at the corporate headquarters, where all the livestreams of the day are recorded. The Head of Product Development then presents the product family that you will soon be able to present to your customers. You find a product particularly interesting and you can secure a visit slot for the virtual showroom at the click of a mouse to find out more there.
This is how the day continues: A breakout session on the topic of sales strategy, then lunch break with the family at your own dining table. When visiting the showroom in the afternoon, you were able to chat with the product developer himself for 15 minutes and ask all your questions. In between, a virtual coffee break with an American colleague, with whom the exchange rarely takes place due to the distance and the time difference. After the lecture on the topic of sales psychology, there is a summary in the large lecture room at the end – a rapper has packed the whole day into rhymes and you tap your foot along. And then the CEO announces another surprise: The picture switches to a studio decorated as a living room, where a hip band is giving a 30-minute unplugged concert. Just in time for dinner, you shut down your computer – and plan to take a look at the recording of the other workshops next week that you didn’t attend today.
What should you look for in hybrid events?
A problem-free process is the be-all and end-all of an event – and of course this also applies to hybrid events, regardless of the occasion. Here are the five most important tips:
1. Think carefully about what content you want to convey during your event. Create a healthy mix of information, face-to-face interaction, and entertainment. The event concept is the linchpin of all further planning!
2. Be sure to choose the right platform for your event. It would be a shame if you can’t implement a good idea because the tool doesn’t offer the appropriate technical requirements.
3. Ensure smooth participant management and appropriate IT support for less tech-savvy colleagues. Also, keep in mind that the threshold for leaving an event online is lower than in real life – especially in the case of technical difficulties.
4. Brief all participants on site and train them on the unusual situation of interacting with a non-visible audience. An internal test run is mandatory!
5. Be open to the opportunities offered by new event formats and show courage by breaking new ground now. And: Look for the right partners for the implementation.
Are you planning an event and would like to learn more about hybrid events and how to implement them? Then Sebastian Wiese looks forward to your e-mail to sebastian.wiese@followred.com or a call at +49 (0)711 90140-23.
