Getting the most from your events

With real human connection at a premium, event strategies are back

In the dynamic landscape of event planning, the past five years have seen transformative shifts that are reshaping how we connect, learn, and engage. Today's attendees seek meaningful, immersive engagements that are worth the time and expense. Remote audiences crave modular, on-demand content with a live feel. As a result, hybrid events—which blend the best of in-person and virtual experiences—are becoming the gold standard. This approach not only caters to diverse audience preferences but also introduces innovative ways to connect and build your brand. From eco-friendly swag to leveraging AI for enhanced accessibility, event teams are pushing every touchpoint to bring people back together. Moreover, hybrid formats empower participants to disseminate their newfound knowledge more effectively within their organizations, ensuring that the impact of each event extends far beyond its conclusion.

What to Consider When Creating a Hybrid Event

Define Clear Goals - Start by establishing clear objectives for what you want participants to take away from the event. Consider the distinct experiences of your in-person and virtual audiences to ensure that each group finds value and engages with the content provided.

Make the Most of In-Person Engagement - Use the in-person component of your event to introduce content that encourages continued engagement. You could create a gamified learning challenge that continues after the event, which live participants can then share and engage with their colleagues, extending the experience to a broader audience over the coming days/weeks.

Engaging Virtual Content - Understand what resonates most with your audience and design your hybrid content accordingly. For instance, Catalysis's creation of the Azure SQL Championship, a dynamic learning opportunity which offered participants a chance to test their skills and earn prizes via real-world challenges, expert videos, quizzes, a leaderboard, and an expert panel of judges. Game show experiences can introduce an element of fun and competition, helping both in-person and hybrid audiences to stay engaged and entertained, with in-person attendees often getting rewarded with a little extra SWAG.

Consistent Branding - Ensure that your event branding is high-quality and consistent across both physical and virtual components. This consistency helps reinforce your message and provides a cohesive experience for all participants. Events are a great source of content generation for social, blogs, and other organic reach. If they look great, it really shows, thus attracting more future attendees.

Insights Capture - Events offer up a unique opportunity to glean valuable insights from highly engaged audiences. We find that people want to provide brands, product teams, and communities with instant feedback. With insight capture as part of your original goal, develop built-in feedback mechanisms such as surveys and focus groups for both in-person and virtual attendees to extend your reach. Creating real-time dialogue with your hybrid audiences can yield the most authentic and timely insights.

At Catalysis, we have the strategic and creative capabilities to help you create engaging hybrid event content and experiences. Let us help you maximize the impact of your next event, ensuring that it resonates with both in-person and virtual audiences alike.