What are the most important audio visual support considerations for hybrid events?

1 Define your goals and audience

Before you start planning your audio visual support for your hybrid event, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. What are the main objectives and messages of your event? How do you want to measure your success? Who are your target audiences and what are their preferences and expectations? How do you want to connect and interact with them? These questions will help you define your goals and audience, and guide your decisions on the format, content, and technology of your hybrid event.

3 Design your content and delivery

Another key audio visual support consideration for hybrid events is designing your content and delivery to suit both your in-person and virtual audiences. You need to ensure that your content is relevant, engaging, and consistent across all channels and platforms, and that it can be easily consumed and shared by your attendees. You also need to consider the optimal length, format, and style of your content, as well as the balance between live and pre-recorded elements, and the use of visuals, audio, and interactive features. You need to plan your delivery carefully, and ensure that you have skilled and trained speakers, moderators, and technicians who can handle the technical and logistical aspects of your hybrid event.

4 Test and rehearse

One of the most important audio visual support considerations for hybrid events is testing and rehearsing your platforms, tools, content, and delivery before the actual event. You need to test the functionality, quality, and performance of your platforms and tools, and make sure that they work well together and with your other systems and equipment. You need to rehearse your content and delivery with your speakers, moderators, and technicians, and make sure that they are comfortable and confident with the hybrid format and the technology. You need to identify and resolve any potential issues or glitches, and have backup plans and contingency measures in place.

5 Monitor and troubleshoot

During your hybrid event, you need to monitor and troubleshoot your audio visual support to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that your attendees have a positive and memorable experience. You need to have a dedicated team of audio visual professionals who can oversee the technical and operational aspects of your hybrid event, and who can communicate and coordinate with each other and with your other event staff and stakeholders. You need to have tools and processes to track and measure the performance, feedback, and engagement of your platforms, tools, content, and delivery, and to address any problems or complaints that may arise.

6 Follow up and evaluate

After your hybrid event, you need to follow up and evaluate your audio visual support to assess the outcomes and impacts of your hybrid event, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your audio visual support. You need to collect and analyze the data and feedback from your platforms, tools, content, and delivery, and compare them with your goals and objectives. You need to thank and acknowledge your speakers, moderators, technicians, and attendees, and solicit their opinions and suggestions for improvement. You need to use the insights and lessons learned from your audio visual support to plan and execute your future hybrid events.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?