Five features that will define your hybrid event success in 2021

Two years into the pandemic- the live conferences and events landscape has completely transformed. What would earlier be looked forward to for its in-person interaction, seminars, and games has now largely moved to virtual platforms and hybrid event platforms.

But, if you’re lamenting how you’ve lost out on potential business thanks to virtual events, we have news for you. 

Be it a virtual event or a hybrid event- where a few people join in-person and others participate virtually- are the new normal and these can be used very effectively to garner and engage with leads and convert them into long-term clients too. If you’re wondering how then read on. 

Planning for a hybrid event 

A hybrid event needs more meticulous planning than an in-person event. This is because one needs to account for the virtual aspect of the event. It’s easier to engage someone when they’re in front of you. 

But keeping your participants’ attention intact is much more challenging when you’re going it virtually. So, you need a solid plan in place. 

What should your plan entail? 

• Firstly, decide whether your target audience is your employees, your clients/prospects, or both. 
• Next, run a quick audit of your marketing tools to identify gaps and make necessary preparations. 
• Most importantly, make a list of your objectives. What is the purpose of your event and what do you suppose will be the biggest takeaways?  

When should you have a hybrid event? 

• Hybrid events are great when you have a lot of data/information to be presented like in a 
  • Sales conference 
  • Trade show 
  • Global town hall
• They are also very apt when you have a global team and gathering them all in a single place is expensive. 
• They work perfectly well for small venues that have a limited seating capacity. So, you can choose locals and other important people (like the board, for instance) for the in-person event. 

How to choose the right virtual platform? 

So, you’ve decided that you want a hybrid event and you have picked out the right team to handle everything related to the offline part of the event. 

As we discussed earlier, having the right partner to work on the virtual aspect of your event is crucial because engagement is hard online. 

So, look for a few key elements or features that can ensure that your hybrid event is a success. 

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Five features of a good hybrid event platform that will set you up for success

The best hybrid event platforms ensure that both their virtual and onsite audiences are engaged and learning. 

1. The right technology at its core 

Creating an event and putting up a show virtually is no easy feat. It requires a platform that has the technological capacity to pull off an entire show. 

From being able to host content in different formats (video, large data-heavy presentations) to ensuring participants can chat, talk, provide feedback in real-time- there is a great deal to look out for. 

So, make sure you look for a virtual conference platform that is backed by good technology. 

2. The right marketing tools 

If you have attended a hybrid event, you know that things get interesting with polls, surveys, quizzes, and games. 

These are fantastic marketing tools that any company can deploy to engage their audiences. A good hybrid event platform knows this. So, when you are filtering out options, make sure to check whether the platform has these tools. 

When your audience is engaged, it is easier to get them to follow you and make them do what you would like them to. For instance, they might register interest, request a callback, or be interested in obtaining a quote because they loved one of the quizzes that they played on the hybrid event platform.

3. The right customizations 

Every company is unique and so is yours. You might want a festive atmosphere for one of your hybrid events. But what if the hybrid event platform cannot help you set up one? 

To avoid disappointing scenarios like these, look for a platform that is easily customizable. Whether you would like 3D representations of your ‘rooms’, or ‘stage’, or you would like a certain background or sound- all of these must be included. 

A good hybrid event platform is AI-powered and quick to understand the needs of each client and even make suggestions based on their interests. 

The best event platforms in India or anywhere else should let you customize to the point where your brand stands out and talks to your participants. So, customization is a very significant feature to keep in mind. 

4. The right streaming technology 

Platforms like Virtex make use of a virtual lobby control room that enables the host to manage live streaming at their fingertips. Anyway, what is a hybrid event without live streaming? 

Live streaming is the lifeline of any virtual event and a good hybrid event platform must provide at least high-definition streaming with little to no buffering, no audio lags, no drops in quality, and others. 

The cherry on the cake is the ability to chat live with speakers, guests, and hosts while the event is being streamed live. All of this requires excellent technology. 

5. The right analytics 

While your event is running, and after it is done, you require data and numbers to know what went right and what didn’t. So, choose a platform that provides both real-time and post-event analytics. 

Analytics can help identify with data like: 

• • The number of participants/attendees 
  • The engagement level with each program 
  • The time spent on interactive games, puzzles 
  • The industry that attendees were from and more 

As you can see, a large part of the success of your hybrid event depends on the platform you choose. Almond Virtex, through its hybrid event management platform, can provide all the above-mentioned features and more. So, it’s about taking a call for robust technology, AI-driven insights, easily customizable tools, highly adaptable marketing automation, and valuable and insightful analytics that can help drive business decisions and growth.