14 Sep 2021

Hybrid Resources For Today’s Event Experience

Social distancing, Wi-Fi issues, and more are threatening in-person events, but does that mean hosts have to cancel seminars, mixers, or conferences? Not quite. There are ways to safely please all attendees and deliver the best hybrid experience. By offering in-person and digital guests schedules full of a plethora of interactive and sensory activities, hybrid events may be an even better option than solely in-person events. There are solutions and tricks that can be implemented to host hybrid events without any hiccups, even for those that aren’t tech-savvy. When organizing today’s hybrid event experience there are three key resources to consider: starting with a solid venue, mindful technology, and a well-rounded team.

Hybrid Venues

As virtual events become more common, organizations need to prepare properly. There is no need to neglect in-person attendees for digital audiences and vice versa, since both are culminating to celebrate, address or network around a single unifying interest.

Virtual and in-person attendees should both enjoy their experience and feel as though they have takeaways. In order to throw an event that can transcend the physical distance of digital barriers, the venue must be fitted for the entire audience.

In-person attendees need proper space to safely enjoy festivities, guest speakers and presentations. Due to social distancing precautions, event spaces might restrict the amount of people allowed to attend. Check out the CDC’s suggestions for small and large gatherings in order to safely select a venue in your state.

Think about choosing a venue that has enough space to accommodate in-person guests, props, seating, and other structures. Sanitizing stations, social distancing dividers take up significant space.

Venues must also be fitted to accommodate television monitors, lighting set-ups, speaker systems, microphones, and other electronic devices for audiovisual hosting. If the digital guests need to speak, participate, and keep up with programming, then they need to be able to hear, see and communicate properly. It is crucial to select a venue that can supply the space and infrastructure necessary for a hybrid event.

The team at 3Ten events offers event management and production expertise which includes assistance with design and staging at event venues. We can assist clients with setting up the mainstage, audio & video systems, lighting fixtures, displays, and seating.

Hybrid Technology

A fine-tuned hybrid event should be more than the meshing of an in-person event and a Zoom call. It should be an opportunity to offer a fulfilling shared experience between attendees on and off site. To optimize the hybrid event experience, make sure you have access to all of the necessary technology needed, or make sure to hire someone that will.

3Ten specializes in audiovisual services to engage and entertain the in-person and virtual audiences collectively. We offer technologies and solutions such as Broadcast/Streaming Systems, Cameras, Video Projection, Sound Systems, Stage and Studio Lighting Systems, Content Capture, and Entertainment including DJ & Live Music, performers, and In-person or Virtual Photo Booths

We offer unique engagement strategies as well as the tools to launch a well-rounded event virtually. Our thorough and unique Digital Galaxy approach provides virtual staging, rehearsal run throughs to check out technology, brand activation to appeal to sponsors and viewers and assistance with the overall coordination of all components.

To take advantage of today’s technology and differentiate the experience, consider utilizing numerous forms of social media and platform engagement. Social media can be used to share livestream links, infographics, chats, threads, and significant downloadable content. Using social media may also allow hosts to engage the entire audience in questionnaires or surveys in real-time. Allow guests to mingle by presenting talking points and facilitating different ways they can exchange contact information.

Use platforms and handles to connect attendees, sponsors, presenters, and everyone involved. Virtual attendees might enjoy being able to have spotlight moments where they can be seen and heard on the main stage by in-person audience members. Dedicating segments of the event to merging responses and presentations from both groups of guests can help. Check out the power of platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok in order to prepare for your digital event.

Hybrid Team Members

Proper communication and coordination amongst event organizers, event planners and presenters should make on and off-site guests feel like they are attending one uniform event. By preparing to use social media platforms, audiovisual equipment and properly hosting guest speakers or panelists, audience members will understand and enjoy the overall experience.

It takes a different type of production effort to successfully bring together all the moving pieces of a hybrid event. With an in-person event, on the day-of you manage one production unit with all the work focused on-site. This makes it easier to coordinate and communicate with the team. For a hybrid event we prepare three production units, the on-site unit, the unit responsible for the virtual, and the team that integrates both environments.

By choosing 3Ten events, clients have access to our teams and our solutions. We utilize our resources to plan and execute so clients are never alone. 3Ten is adept to help clients discover their needs and vision, develop their budget and resources, and deliver their dream event through budgeting and outlining. By handling the progression of activities from start to finish and being detail oriented we bring events into fruition seamlessly. During the challenges of today’s evolving environment, we provide unique experiences that are safe and successful. With our partnership and services, small, and large-scale hybrid events can go from an idea to an engaging, exciting, and memorable event.

Contributor: Jahleah Santiago

Jahleah is a proactive Marketing Coordinator and Managing editor with published editorial experience for digital magazines and small businesses of cultural significance. A decorated graduate of Hunter College with departmental honors who is constantly looking to bring real stories to life through multimedia projects and written content.

Jahleah K. Santiago

Marketing Coordinator and Managing Editor at Spoiled NYC