5 Tips for Event Production and Logistics with the New Hybrid Format

By? Sidney Stoper , Executive Producer

In the world of the permanently distributed workforce, hybrid production events – those hosting both in-person and virtual – will play an increasingly important role in a variety of business contexts such as conferences, B2B marketing, and internal training and team-building exercises. The hybrid event model works, with 86% of B2B marketers who host them seeing positive ROI for periods of seven months or longer afterward.

To help you take advantage of this opportunity, here are five tips for executing outstanding hybrid events with smooth logistics.

1. Give Equal Love to Both Audiences

Virtual attendees of hybrid events often report feeling ignored or excluded. Taking the time to ensure all attendees get the same high-quality experience will pay off in the long run.

2. No Surprises

Schedule pre-production meetings to review the event flow in granular detail. In more complex scenarios, do dry runs to test the readiness of the teams involved. A seamless session flows when everything goes live and will communicate a sense of professionalism to all attendees.

3. Keep the Audience off Their Phones

Today’s audiences have more fleeting attention spans than ever before and you’re always competing with everyone’s favorite distraction– the smartphone. Take the time to write an event schedule that keeps everyone engaged.

4. Hire an Event Emcee

Having a hosting personality – who doesn’t always have to be a comedian – can really anchor the event experience and drive engagement in transition times. Trivia and prizes work well along with host entertainment.

5. Elicit Feedback

Delivering killer events that meet or exceed the expectations of both virtual and in-person attendees is an art that requires practice to perfect. Every event you produce becomes a goldmine of insight after the fact. Elicit feedback in creative ways. Most attendees will ignore email surveys that pop up in their inboxes days later. Use social media and offer chance prizes during and immediately after the event to drive higher levels of attendee feedback.

To learn more about INSPIRE's event production capabilities, check us out at inspiresolutions.com. Stay tuned for the next installment of INSPIRE Industry Insights!