Hybrid events are the new normal after the pandemic but present unique challenges. Event planners must design for in-person and online attendees while ensuring the event is engaging and cohesive. This often requires new technologies and approaches that not all teams are familiar with, and they can struggle with creating a successful hybrid event.
If your company is having trouble making the transition to designing hybrid events, here are four potential areas you might want to focus on:
- Ensuring everyone on the team is on the same page, from objectives and goals for the event.
- Make sure your team understands the difference between designing for in-person and online attendees.
- Educate your team on the new technologies and approaches needed for hybrid events.
- Create a clear plan for executing and measuring the hybrid event’s success.
Now that you know some potential areas your team might need to focus on, it’s time to bang out a winning hybrid event design! But wait, before you do, read more to get guidance on what not to do.
Mistake #1: Not Giving Attendees a Reason to Attend
Whether your hybrid event is in-person or online, you need to give attendees a reason to participate. While the in-person portion might be obvious (after all, who wouldn’t want to attend an event in person?), the online attendees might not be as clear. You need to find a way to engage your online audience and make them feel like they’re a part of the event, not just observing it.
One way to do this is to ensure you have interactive elements in your online portion, such as polls, Q&As, and live chat features.
Mistake #2: Not Using Custom Event Management Software
Good event management software does a lot to make your life as an event planning team easier. It can help you schedule meetings and conferences, track registrations and manage attendees, or even import data from finance and marketing systems or CRMs.
Event Ready has all of these features and more. You can have complete control and visibility into your event, no matter how big or small. Schedule a free demo today!
Mistake #3: Not Setting Up A Proper Registration Process
Potential attendees will likely give up and not register for the event if your registration process is too long or complicated. Ensure your registration process is short, simple, and easy to understand. You should also include clear instructions on how to register for the event.
With Event Ready, you can process new registrations and payments in just a few clicks. As for the attendees, they can easily register for your event using our user-friendly interface.
Mistake #4: Streaming the Event Live without Testing It
How big of a bummer would it be if your live stream crashed halfway through the event? It happens, and it’s happened to even the most experienced event planners.
The best way to avoid this stressful situation is by testing your live stream before the event date. This way, you can ensure that everything is working correctly and that there are no technical issues.
The Bottom Line
You can do everything right when planning your event and following hybrid event’s best practices, but things can still go wrong. However, you can shine through the challenges and come out on top by partnering with Event Ready in Austin.
We are a trusted event management company specializing in online, on-site, and hybrid events. Our services include professional event management, registration, venue sourcing and planning, on-site or remote catering, and web-based event software solutions. We even have on-site staff members to help you run your event smoothly.
