Before the pandemic hit us, many of us had heard of livestreaming events, engaged a little with a livestreamed event or possibly heard of other events intended to be livestreamed.
We are now more familiar than ever with live streaming and in many instances, there is an expectation that an event will be available to watch online.
What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is an event that is hosted both in person and online. There are multiple ways you can ensure both audiences are engaged in the participation of your event and can include:
- Streaming to social media where delegates can watch everything happening in the room and comment in the chat function. Event hosts may opt to dedicate a member of staff to monitor the chat function and ask questions in person that may be relevant to the topic.
- Streaming to Teams or Zoom where delegates can have a more interactive engagement with your event. This can include:
- Having a dedicated screen in the venue so that in person speakers and delegates can see who is attending online.
- Integrating polls or quizzes to ascertain your online audiences’ views, opinions and/or understanding of your topic.
Why should I consider a hybrid event?
One of the biggest advantages of making your event hybrid is the ability to engage with both speakers and delegates from around the world.
Delegates have lower travel and time costs to attend your event, saving time, expenses, and offering a greener option to attend.
By making your event accessible online, delegates and speakers can attend from anywhere in the world, as long as they have an internet connection.
How can I monetise my hybrid event?
It’s still possible to sell tickets to your hybrid event in the same way you sell tickets to your in person event. Here are a few suggestions you may consider:
- Payment wall: If you’re broadcasting to a wider audience, you may consider a payment wall integrated on your website. This is helpful to monitor traffic as well as control access to your event.
- Eventbrite or managed online event platform: Organisations such as Eventbrite can manage your online payments and offer the ability to send mass emails to your online audience.
- Individual payments: If you have admin assistance in your organisation, you can manage ticket payments in house and send a link closer to the time to those who have signed up.
Where should I stream my hybrid event?
The beauty of livestreaming is that you can stream to pretty much any platform that you have admin access to. You can stream to social media, your website, Teams or Zoom, or any location that has an RTMP link. Using a live streaming company to help you stream can offer you the solution to stream to multiple channels at once if you’re looking to increase your reach.
Online considerations for your hybrid event
Think about making your event interactive. You may want to incorporate a poll, quiz or thought map which attendees can engage with. Will your online audience be able to ask questions and how will you engage, and stay engaged with them?
To discuss making your event hybrid, drop us an email: info@redshellproductions.co.uk or give us a call on 0121 667 7898