Gone are the days of having your entire team in one office building – for better or for worse, depending on who you ask. This means that hybrid events have become increasingly popular. Hybrid events aim to unite in-person and virtual event attendees and create a “best of both worlds” situation – but it doesn’t always work out that way, especially without proper planning.
In this blog, we speak to Nick Defty, Founder of training and development business You Can Now, to share some best practices for creating a successful hybrid event or learning session – and guidance for when to avoid them entirely.
Keep reading to hear Nick’s thoughts and find out if hybrid is the best option for you.
How to create a successful hybrid event
What is a hybrid event?
Hybrid events are named this because they’re a cross between two things – the in-person event and the virtual event. As Nick puts it, “You’re delivering some stuff in person, but then there’s people dialling in virtually.”
Done right, this harnesses the benefits of in-person training while providing an accessible option to those further afield. This “works brilliantly when the tech is good.”
But on the other hand, “it works terribly when the tech is bad,” says Nick.
And technology isn’t the only factor defining the success of your hybrid event. How you plan your event, position your facilitators, your budget and even the size of your attendee list all play a role in your hybrid event’s success.
Planning your hybrid event
“If you’re going to deliver a hybrid thing, it really needs to be planned,” says Nick Defty.
Proper planning is crucial to the success of a hybrid event. This includes:
- Determining the goals of the event
- Defining your target audience
- Deciding the format that will best achieve your desired outcomes.
If your event is a training session on presentation skills, you’re probably not going to achieve your desired outcomes online (unless you’re training for online presentation skills, of course). On the other hand, if your session is around trying out a new piece of software, the in-person side would be trickier to manage. Plus, if you’re planning to introduce a tactile element to your session, you should consider how this could work effectively in a hybrid setting – Nick mentions posting resources to those joining remotely.
The important part is acknowledging the goals of your event and being realistic with the format. There are some situations where hybrid events simply do not work, and some situations, like a panel discussion or an event Q&A, where they work brilliantly.
Also, consider the number of attendees you have, and where they’re positioned. For a training session where both sides are encouraged to participate, Nick states, “Once you’ve got 30 people in the room and then 20 people dialling in, you might as well do them as separate sessions.” On the other hand, for a panel discussion, this may not matter so much – it’s probably the more, the merrier.
This all comes back to effective planning; only go hybrid if you know it will boost the outcomes of your event.
Essential technology for hybrid events
If you’ve decided that your event is a perfect candidate for going hybrid, that’s great – but now, you need the tech to facilitate it. Poor technology can be a death sentence for your hybrid event’s success.
In our conversation, Nick suggests the following tech setup:
- A big screen, so those in-person and online both feel included in the space
- High-definition cameras (and a good internet connection along with it)
- A microphone and speakers, so people at the back of the room can be heard by those online
- The opportunity to test the tech in advance to ensure it functions effectively
Explore our fully tech-equipped rooms
And the final piece of tech he suggests, which isn’t really tech-related at all, is having a virtual facilitator present with the remote attendees, in addition to your in-person facilitator.
Facilitators for hybrid events
While the right tech set-up is vital, it’s only as good as your facilitator – or facilitators, as Nick advises:
“The most important thing is that there is someone that’s actively at the same level as the virtual participants. The good thing about having a facilitator in the virtual space as well is that they’ll make sure that the virtual participants aren’t suffering in silence.”
These online moderators act as a close eye on the chat, helping those who can’t speak bring their thoughts to the discussion – as well as this, they are a spokesperson and advocate for those online, bringing them into the hybrid space.
Many of us have been in a situation where, in a hybrid setting, one side has been neglected for the other, and, as Nick puts it, you feel a bit of a “second-class citizen” – and it likely didn’t lead to a lot of value from the session.
It’s worth considering whether the benefit of hosting your event in a hybrid format is worth the additional cost of the additional facilitator. If not, it’s probably best to choose one format or the other.
So, should your event be hybrid?
When considering whether to host a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event, Nick believes that the format, by itself that is, does not significantly impact the outcomes.
“I don’t think it does, but you need to be really clear on the outcome that you need from any kind of gathering, whether it’s a meeting, event or training session. What do we need to have achieved by the end of this? How will we know this has been a worthwhile use of time?
“I don’t think that the environment affects the outcome so much as you would choose the environment based on the outcome that you need and resources that you have.”
In short, don’t choose the hybrid event first – build out your event or learning programme, then decide which format works best.
And if you do choose to go hybrid for your event, why not remove some of the stress and choose The Form Rooms? Our tech-equipped rooms and on-site team are there with you to ensure your event or training session goes without a hitch.
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