The shape of events may have changed forever. Our chameleon-like industry has adapted to a global pandemic by embracing virtual experiences and is now exploring new, digitally-enabled safety measures as we eye a return to in-person events.
Given the critical role of technology in helping event organizers adjust to change—plus the ubiquitous nature of technology in people’s daily life—it’s likely that hybrid events that combine face-to-face and online interactions will continue to expand.
But what makes for a truly successful hybrid experience?
It requires careful attention to how you’ll engage people across formats. According to recent research by Markletic, 71.1% of event organizers say that connecting the in-person and virtual audience at hybrid events is their biggest challenge.
Effective hybrid event management often requires extra preparation time and sophisticated use of technology. So why bother? Hybrid events are more inclusive and potentially more valuable.
Well-executed hybrid event management:
- Increase the audience and exposure of your event, brand, and content.
- Deliver ongoing value through access to virtual content post-live event.
- Increase opportunities for your business and sponsors to connect with audiences.
- Leverage digital touchpoints to collect rich data that drives evaluation and marketing.
- Enable deeper integration between events, digital marketing, and customer experience.
Here are three ways that Jomablue’s event platform can help you plan and deliver better hybrid events:
- Host content online to extend the life of your event
Providing access to tailored virtual content to sustain your audiences’ attention after in-person activity is one way to excel at hybrid events.
Jomablue allows you to flexibly host content and interactions online. We’ll help you build an attractive and interactive virtual environment to:
- Shift event activity from a moment-in-time to an experience that spans days, weeks or months.
- Capture a broader audience over a longer timeframe, maximising your lead generation.
- Enable attendees to revisit content again virtually, or catch-up on sessions they missed.
- Give remote audiences access or repurposed content as an online experience to boost revenue.
Hosting hybrid events on the Jomablue platform lets you build a better pipeline and maintain a dialog with customers for weeks, instead of hours. You can also pique the interest of people that engage online who might consider attending future events in-person.
- Boost live experiences with digital interactions
It’s hardly surprising that many live events now include a digital component given how much people love their personal tech. Jomablue is a leading platform for hybrid events in part because of the way our virtual spaces complement and amplify experiences delivered on-site.
For instance, by using Jomablue you can:
- Suggest networking connections based on similar digital profiles with our Intelligent Networking feature (we collect data on the interests and activities of both live and virtual attendees).
- Prompt people to download session notes via your online event pages, by automatically sending an email or text immediately after they’ve left an in-person session.
- Share up-to-date agendas and speaker bios digitally to in-person attendees to reduce printing and paper wastage.
- Give sponsors an on-brand, virtual exhibition space to support their promotional activities and present digital downloads and sign-up forms where it’s easy for attendees to find.
- Create unique experiences within one harmonious event
The ideal hybrid event is more than live event content in a digital setting. Live-streaming every session is probably not enough to make virtual attendees feel engaged and included.
How can you give all attendees an engaging experience?
- Consider the event as a whole: how can you combine in-person and online components, branding, and messaging to convey a cohesive look and feel?
- Recognize that people consume online content differently: design in-person and virtual event tracks that address each audiences’ needs in terms of what, how and when content is presented. Not all content needs to be delivered simultaneously or in the same format. Rather than stream a Q&A in real-time, you might use Jomablue’s video tables feature to facilitate a discussion group for virtual attendees.
- Identify opportunities to blend: find meaningful ways to bring people together across hybrid formats whenever possible. For instance, live and virtual audiences can both use Jomablue’s live chat feature to ask questions during a session.
Bridging the divide between live and virtual experiences can increase the reach and revenue generated from events. However, adopting the right platform for cross-format events is essential.
Jomablue offers one flexible solution for virtual, hybrid and in-person events. This integrated approach to producing and marketing events regardless of format makes it easier to take a holistic view of any event, design targeted interactions, and measure your success.
