This article has been co-authored by our very own Arianna Rehak and Leah Lazzari CMP. The two have been a dynamic duo in designing for excellent hybrid experiences – Arianna bringing her virtual event planning experience, and Leah bringing her face-to-face event experience.
We know you’ve heard this before, but we’re going to say it anyway: The year 2020 has been filled with unexpected turns and tons of learning curves. Organizations have had little choice but to produce their content virtually, and in turn the virtual platform isn’t so intimidating to participants anymore.
The silver lining of it all is that the world is discovering the perks of going virtual. There is no denying your community is thirsty for face-to-face interaction, but the good news? You don’t have to choose between in-person and virtual.
This is where ‘Hybrid’ comes in: what if you could host an event where attendees can participate either in-person, or on the virtual platform? It can certainly be done, but to make your event enticing for everyone, both perspectives have to be considered every step of the way.
Designing in 2021
There are a few important things to keep in mind when planning a hybrid conference for 2021. Hybrid events hosted before the pandemic were often designed around the in-person conference, while the virtual experience ended up being more of an afterthought.
In 2021, most of your audience will probably attend virtually, which means designing the format of your sessions should start through the lens of virtual engagement. Another important consideration is that zoom burnout is real, and we have all experienced it. Your virtual audience will not be able to stay focused as long as your in-person audience will, and that’s okay. Plan for quality over quantity and include breaks along the way.
So what’s this tri-brid?
When we came together to tackle the design challenge of blending together the virtual and in-person audiences, we struggled with each configuration until we realized we were sacrificing the experience of one community for the experience of the other. Live streaming to a virtual audience tends to create feelings of missing out on something better (or FOMO: Fear of Missing Out). We were also aware there was danger of over-compensating for the virtual, taking away from the experience of those gathering face-to-face.
The most difficult part about planning a hybrid event is making sure that neither audience experience is being sacrificed for the other. To optimize this design, we have created the Tri-brid Model. We use Tri-brid to help conceptualize the total number of experiences being broken down into each of the three suggested categories. This consists of three focuses:
- Experiences built for the in-person community exclusively
- Experiences built for the virtual community exclusively
- An experience designed to build community across two environments
Focus #1: Experiences built for the in-person community exclusively
It’s not a mystery that there are benefits to meeting face-to-face that simply can’t be replicated online. As you design, keep your in-person audience in mind. Lean into the authentic benefits of sharing a physical space. There is a certain energy in every physical space determined by those who inhabit it. These attendees will crave that shared connection! Another in-person advantage? The bar! Some of the most cherished memories taken from an in-person conference stem from conversations held after-hours at a reception or the bar. In simple terms: this is where attendees have the most fun!
You know what’s not fun? Watching a livestream of people connecting in person. Which brings us to our next focus:
Focus #2: Experiences built for the virtual community exclusively
Just as in person events have their unique benefits, virtual events have their own advantages. A prime example is flexibility; there is no need to schedule travel and make hotel arrangements. Virtual content can also be accessed beyond the initial moment of delivery, meaning attendees can re-watch sessions on demand and re-read chat messages after the fact.
Although these attendees won’t be able to meet at the hotel bar, it’s important to realize the flexibility that comes with networking virtually. Instead of networking with others based on which attendees are standing the closest, as they would in person, you can create networking rooms on the premise of shared interest. Use these flexibilities to your advantage!
Focus #3: An experience designed to build community across two environments
COVID-19 will impact your face-to-face attendance. People who have consistently attended your in-person conference for years in the past will be tuning in virtually. Building a bridge between both mediums will help bring a sense of togetherness at a time when most of us feel more isolated than ever before. Before and after your event each attendee will be participating virtually. This creates an easy opportunity to capture everyone together. Here are some examples of experiences designed to build a bridge and help foster connections between both your audiences!
Before the Event:
- Host a Virtual Attendee Meet & Greet for similar affinity groups
- Matchmaking
- Use a mobile app to connect attendees
- Broadcast a session teaser
- Gamification
During the Event:
- Volunteer connectors and animators to spark deeper conversations
- Shared polling
- Showcase virtual chat and pictures at an in-person event (and vice versa!)
- Dedicated Emcee in the virtual event to connect both audiences
- Airing pre-recorded panel conversations where all attendees are participating in the chat
After the Event:
- Post-event resources (articles or eBooks)
- On-demand sessions
- Affinity group virtual meetings
- Offer a virtual summit sparked from hot topics from your event
We encourage you to build your team, either internal or external, to go on the Tri-brid planning journey with you. As you design your future event, remember that there is something powerful for an attendee to know they are part of something bigger than what is happening before their eyes. Create a sense of togetherness at a time when humans are craving connection more than ever before.
