(Tough) Love Letters to the Meetings & Events Industry, Vol 8: Let's Talk Hybrid

Over the past many weeks, the buzz word around the meetings and events industries has been "hybrid". Everyone is going "hybrid". From now on meetings, especially large scale conventions, will be "hybrid". But one thing that I have seen in speaking to so many people, reading articles and seeing what is being put out there is that there is no consistency on what a "hybrid" meeting is going to look like. Everyone just knows they have to have it.

So in the spirit of what has become such a customary approach within our industry over the past many months, I am going to throw my hat in the ring and put out there what my belief a "hybrid" approach to meetings will be. Because again since there just doesn't seem to be any true global leadership in our global industry that is going to help us move forward as a global industry from this (global) pandemic, we will be forced to set our own standards across the board... at least for now. Ironically enough, if there was ever a global standard that needed to be made, it's "hybrid" meetings - where the opportunities for a global audience at a meeting really is unbounded.

So let's start with a simple definition. MY definition of "hybrid" meetings is as follows:

A hybrid meeting is one which provides a global audience the opportunity to attend a meeting in-person or through a virtual connection, comprised of components that will provide a connected experience for all attendees, with the opportunity to bridge any and all gaps in interactivity throughout the meeting experience.

I know, it's a mouthful. And it's quite generic. But it's the basis for what I believe a hybrid meeting must be. Why are face-to-face meetings so important? What is it about F2F that has us all saying "online meetings will never replace face to face!!!". It's the interaction and human connectivity of being there speaking with another person one on one or in a group setting that allows people to absorb the conversations live and in the moment. The ability to read a person's expressions (beyond their mask), to shake their hand (or I guess bump elbows now), hear the intonation of their voice (albeit muffled), and really be able to have a fluid conversation about important topics. These are all things that have been lacking with any and all meetings technology. There are so many barriers in technology that to have a truly fantastic online meeting is nearly impossible. A meeting of 30 people requires not just one platform for all to connect - there are excellent technologies out there for this. It goes to the individual themselves. It requires that all 30 people have a strong internet connection, a computer with properly working microphone and camera, a place for each person to work quietly without interruption, and someone who can moderate the program that has knowledge of how to fluidly handle the program - without stopping to ask people to unmute themselves, mute themselves, point the camera up from their noses, speak closer to the mic, move away from the mic, and other simple blunders that can completely impede the flow of a conversation or presentation. That's a simple reason why face to face is more important.

But as we know, F2F is not always going to be possible so we have to have the ability for people who cannot travel to a destination to connect and experience a meeting... as if they were there. One of the key factors that must be addressed in a hybrid meeting is the interactivity for all guests. What is the amazing technology going to do to address the fact that participants around the world want to take part, but just because they cannot travel does not mean that their experience should be marginalized. So here are a few examples that we can look at to truly "hybridize" a meeting.

1. Open your virtual platform to all attendees. This should not be limited to those that are attending online. Every meeting nowadays has an app - where you can have the experience of setting up your agenda, in some cases being able to connect with attendees, and more. Forget the app... unless that app is your virtual meeting platform. Your in-person attendees should be connected to the same platform that your virtual attendees are a part of. Your online networking section of your platform should be open to all to connect and interact. The agenda that an in-person attendee sees should be the same as that of the virtual attendee.
2. Integrate virtual interaction into your live sessions. If there is one that that is a major drawback of live-streaming of a session is that those that are online for the most part feel they are just flies on the wall. Bystanders who are peeking in on the session but not really taking part. There is nothing there for them to really do but sit back and watch. Sure there may be a way for them to text in a question. Or hey even the possibility to take part in a poll. But what about getting them in on the action? Live video should be a two-way opportunity. Have your attendees who are at online take part through video interaction. If they have a question, the moderator should be able to call them up on the screen... same way as if an attendee were to stand up at the microphone. At the same time if your session has breakout points where participants work at their tables, do the same with breakout rooms in the online platform. Or better yet, you can have people at the tables logged in on a laptop and include those in the virtual world take part with live participants (with good speakers of course)... which leads me to...
3. Have virtual breakout and networking sessions where guests both in-person and virtual can interact throughout the program. Have pods available for quiet areas where people can connect on their laptops and have conversations with those around the world. Let the virtual attendee hear firsthand from the in-person what the experience is like... But even this can be taken a step further.
4. Create a virtual ambassador program. You can create small groups led by volunteers at the in-person meeting which can connect with anywhere from 1-5 people who are within the same business track, interest, or even company. Use these ambassadors to have conversations at key points in the day to discuss what is going on. Even use them as a guide for a physical walk-through of exhibitions where the virtual participant can really feel like they are there.
5. Have your exhibitors be online while they are on the show floor. Allow the virtual participants to be part of one-on-one meeting schedules. Meet someone in-person or meet them online. Integrate the schedules and activities of trade show booths into the virtual experience - take the virtual trade show an additional step further and ask your key exhibitors to dedicate a booth staff person to provide the virtual walk-through of products at their booths so the virtual attendee can feel like they are actually there.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to hybridization of meetings. But there should be one common goal, and that's to make every attendee, no matter where they are attending from, feel like they are a part of the action, the conversation and the connected global meeting.

I was having a conversation last week with a friend and industry colleague, very much revered in the medical meetings industry, and we discussed so many issues regarding what hybrid meetings should be about. One thing that I expressed to him is this linking of the experiences between in-person and virtual and how difficult it appears to be for people to find the right solution for making it happen. So I left it at this: Take a mental walk-through of your live event and put yourself in the shoes of a virtual attendee. How can that in-person experience be mirrored in a virtual world. There may not be an exact carbon-copy experience, but it can be close enough. It's important to remember that many people for quite some time may not be able to attend in-person meetings not because they do not want to, but because they are not able to. So keep those important attendees in mind and remember that personal interaction online can be taken much further nowadays than we have ever experienced in the past.