I am the CEO of MEBO International; the leader of Skingenix; and co-founder of the Human Heritage Project.
getty
The pandemic has left business leaders with endless opportunities. The ways in which we engage with our audiences are changing by the day. No longer are we limited to in-person events—we now have access to an entirely new way of engaging people virtually. Hybrid events are on the rise. Combining virtual and live content is appealing to so many because the reach is expansive. You can now deliver a unique yet consistent experience to attendees from all over the world.
What is the key to these hybrid events, you ask? Creativity, experience and participation. Let's dive in a little more.
Why Should We Focus On Hybrid Events?
Hybrid events are more than just digital supplements to physical events. They provide an opportunity to increase attendance by accommodating online attendees and even hosting events in multiple locations. The flexibility of hybrid events also allows for remote presenters and smooth integration of virtual and in-person attendees.
A recent Markletic survey revealed that "71.1% of event organizers say that connecting the in-person and virtual audience is their biggest challenge." Thanks to the advancements in technology like polls and Q&A features, however, it's becoming easier to keep all attendees engaged and actively participating.
The versatility of a hybrid event increases the potential reach of attendees, as participants can choose to attend the events in person or virtually. This also opens the door for a wider range of professionals to get involved, leading to decreased operational costs.
Additionally, such events open up new content creation and utilization opportunities, often resulting in a higher return on investment.
4 Strategies That Can Almost Guarantee A Successful Hybrid Nonprofit Event
Creating a hybrid event that resonates with attendees is no easy task. Still, with the right strategies and approach, hybrid events can be a powerful tool for driving engagement and achieving your nonprofit's goals. Here are some key strategies to keep in mind when planning an immersive event:
1. Encourage participation from in-person and remote participants.
Successful hybrid nonprofit events require the convergence of virtual and physical attendees. With two audience types at an event, both parties must be actively engaged. To increase participation in hybrid events, ensure engagement for in-person and remote attendees by creating opportunities for interaction.
The annual GO campaign is a great example of an event that fostered participation from both virtual and physical attendees. For the people who attended in person, there was a live performance and physical ways to donate. For those who joined online, the audience could interact with a QR code or phone number to make a donation. They also had a celebrity host who made shoutouts whenever anyone—in person or at home—made a donation.
A similar example would be Project Angel Food's live telethon, where on-stage guests could interact with the virtual audience, share inspiring stories and connect. Rather than artists taking turns performing as they did for the GO campaign, the artists actually showed up on stage to answer phone calls for those at home or shout for a donation for those in-person. This created a competitive atmosphere with both audiences and drove fundraising efforts.
2. Include feedback from the audience.
Just conducting a hybrid event isn't enough. It's important to gather feedback from attendees to gauge success and identify areas for improvement. This can be done through surveys, polls or suggestion boxes.
The G20 Health Summit in July 2020 successfully blended virtual and in-person participation by providing certificates to all attendees and creating a voting system to gather feedback from both online and in-person participants. This helped the audience feel that their opinions were valued and appreciated.
3. Bring in collaborative technology.
The pandemic helped push the boundaries of innovation in every industry. Implement memorable experiences into hybrid events by using technology such as live streaming and incorporating virtual networking.
For example, the virtual UN Global Compact annual meeting created a communication platform where people could randomly join and chat for two minutes. This gave attendees a chance to meet and talk with many people.
4. Generate multiple sources for fundraising.
When choosing a fundraising tool for your hybrid event, it's important to see whether it can support all types of contributions, such as online donations, silent auctions, raffles, donation texts and recurring donations. By providing multiple channels for fundraising, you can increase the chances of reaching your financial goals and ensure the success of your event.
I believe hybrid events are here to stay and can be successful with the right technology, a well-designed format and effective facilitation for equal engagement of all attendees, in-person or online.
Hybrid event planners must engage multiple sources of the audience to encourage conversation and community building. Provide valuable content and networking opportunities to optimize for both online and offline attendees, breaking down barriers and capturing unity. Also, consider the event's type, audience, budget and desired outcome, using various tools to create a seamless experience for all attendees.
Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
