A hybrid event production combines a live, in-person event with an online virtual event. Providing an online option often lowers barriers to engaging with your content and might even attract more participants to your next in-person event.
These examples of hybrid events show us what success looks like
Hybrid event production is a hot topic: more event organizers are planning hybrid for the future, and participants are starting to expect content to be offered in both in-person and online formats. See how these companies used a hybrid event platform to elevate their brand and reach a bigger audience.
Apple product launch events (Click to expand)
Apple’s product launches and special events draw a large crowd. When events of this size faced restrictions due to Covid-19, Apple took their exhibits, special events, and product announcements into a hybrid format. As a leader in innovation, Apple showcased how going hybrid launched their brand forward:
- Livestreams for large numbers of online viewers; small studio audience
- Building excitement to attract attention for the brand’s new products
- Recorded media uploaded to a digital online archive for a high-value return on investment
- Freedom in time and space: reusable media for product ads, social shares, and more!
TwitchCon
Normally, TwitchCon takes place in person in a city like San Diego. Twitch is a streaming service popular with livestreamers and gamers, and TwitchCon is their yearly conference. This time around, the Twitch community experienced the conference online with livestreams. TwitchCon excelled at bringing in these elements:
- Concurrent livestreams, like having different ‘tracks’ at an in-person conference
- Opportunities to co-stream and share content live using OBS
- Tournaments, competitions, and more entertainment opportunities in the digital space
As you can see, hybrid event productions can offer as much or more engagement than only in-person events!
Yellow Co
Yellow Co focuses on providing a supportive community for women in business, so naturally, in-person interactions, interactive break-out groups, and live connections are important for their events. In 2020, they decided to hold both virtual and in-person options with flexibility in these arrangements due to Covid:
- In-person event with fewer people (and the possibility to postpone)
- Online event at a different time with options to watch past events (recorded content)
- Focus on growing membership for their online community (pivoting business model)
Their hybrid event production plan used a sequential format, with the online event taking place at a different time than their in-person event.
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Planning a hybrid event production: Elements of Success
Before you go live:
We’ve worked with a variety of event organizers, from theater groups to churches and corporations. There is always something new to learn at each event, so don’t worry if it seems like there is a lot to plan and decide!
Download our tip sheet and make sure you’ve considered the points below before launching your event.
Prepare your host and speakers
With two audiences, it’s a good idea to make sure your speakers are practiced at giving attention to both your in-person and virtual audiences.If you’re offering captions at your event, make sure they speak slowly with pauses to improve captioning accuracy.
Choose your options for engagement
Getting your audience involved is a key part of an interactive experience. You can offer options such as submitting questions beforehand, pre-recorded Q&As, Facebook forum discussions, live polls during your Zoom seminar, or questions submitted through live chat.
Decide on what networking options you want to provide
The draw of in-person events is often the mixing and mingling that happens between speakers, participants, and staff. Newer hybrid events offer intentional meet & greets. Some software will even let you matchmake both online and in-person participants using networking tools that match participants’ interests. Hybrid event productions are the future of event planning, so don’t hesitate to try out this event format yourself. It’s best to start early and work with technology that makes your content accessible to more people. Whether you choose to go live online, in-person, or both, spf.io is here to help you with your captioning and translation needs.
Check your online resources, webpages, and hyperlinks
Whether you’re offering an online schedule or resources in the digital space, make sure your attendees have a seamless experience when they’re clicking through hyperlinks and navigating your page. Just like you would do a test run with your technical equipment, you’ll want to click through and check your online resources on a few different devices.