Defining the Term “Hybrid Event”
Photo courtesy of Google
What is in a name? Unfortunately, when it comes to hybrid events many are not sure yet.
A hybrid event occurs when a face-to-face event and a virtual event happen simultaneously to enable two audiences to participate as one.
A truly successful hybrid event is designed as one event with two unique audiences that are united to form one collective audience…as opposed to being designed as two separate events OR as a F2F event with a virtual component thrown in as an afterthought. This ensures that it will be a seamless process and will present a unified event to all audience members no matter where they are located.
Make sense?
Unfortunately, what I see too often is people planning two completely separate events and calling these two completely separate events a hybrid event because they happen on the same dates. But where is the joining, the blending, the combining? Where is the common purpose, content, objectives? After all…those are the definitions of “hybrid.”
I’ll explain more…
We create hybrid events for those that are unable to attend the F2F event due to budget, time, workload, family, health, or disability reasons. So why would we give them something totally different from what they would have experienced had they been able to attend F2F? Why would we not allow them to interact with those that are there onsite? Why would we make them feel like outsiders?
A hybrid event is ONE event. Since 1/2 of the hybrid event is the F2F event and 1/2 of the hybrid event is the virtual event, you have two separate audiences. But these two separate audiences are participating in the same event…just in a different manner, location, time zone, etc. These two audiences need to be united into one cohesive group…as opposed to being treated like they are different and not allowed to interact with one another. The two audiences are sharing in the same hybrid event experience, while at the same time having a unique experience all their own depending on if they are participating F2F or virtually.
Long live the hybrid event!
**Many thanks to Terry Thorpe who started a discussion on LinkedIn which helped me to organize my thoughts for this post**
Copyright 2011. This article may be shared or referenced as long as the source is cited and linked. No portion of this article may be copied or reproduced without express written permission by the author.
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