How To Host A Hybrid Event

As an organization, you want to ensure your employees feel safe and comfortable. Due to Covid 19, the practice on how to do this has changed over the last few years. When hosting an event you want to ensure that your guests and employees are not only abiding by the rules, but also feel comfortable gathering. This is where a Hybrid event is a great solution.

Thanks to the implementation of vaccine passports, in-person events are becoming more popular once again. With in-person events being allowed, there are a number of rules and regulations that must be considered. Also, many guests may not feel comfortable gathering yet. So, how do you navigate your event planning to accommodate all employees and respect their level of comfort? You plan two events. One in-person and one virtual event thus creating a Hybrid event experience!

What Is A Hybrid Event?

A Hybrid event is as simple as it sounds. It is an event that uses a combination of in-person and virtual event aspects custom-designed for your audience. The goal of this style of event is to connect the two audiences through shared experiences.

It’s no question that planning an in-person event is second nature to most. However, there are a number of things to consider when planning a Hybrid event that also includes virtual event aspects. Below we share with you some Hybrid event planning tips. If you feel out of your comfort zone, please feel free to reach out! The Bright Ideas team would be happy to help with your event planning needs.

Important Aspects To Consider

For starters, you will need to plan two different experiences, as some guests will be attending in person, while others will be attending from their homes.

You will begin by planning your in-person event as you normally would. Then design a virtual event experience for your online attendees to match the in-person event. Typically, the online portion is shorter than the in-person event and may include different elements.

When planning both events, it’s important to focus on connecting the two different audiences through shared experiences. Some Hybrid event ideas that connect the two audiences include interactive games or break-out sessions. Include chat rooms where guests can interact with each other or team-building games such as game shows, quizzes and debates. When planning the elements of your Hybrid event, it is important to put special emphasis on your virtual attendees, as they can often feel forgotten. Be sure to treat the virtual event attendee’s experience with as much respect and care as the in-person event experience.

Some of our personal favourite ways to connect the two audiences involve the shared experience of eating together. During your event schedule, include meal breaks in groups or provide an interactive class like a cooking demo or mixology demonstration to connect guests.

Since this style of event production is a relatively new concept, there is no formal playbook on how to host a Hybrid event. That is why we’ve bottled our 33 years of experience planning in-person events along with Sharon’s certification in virtual event meetings and management to provide you with a seamless hybrid event planning experience.

Be sure to reach out if you are hosting an event and need help planning. We’d be happy to chat!