The Pinnacle of 2020 & beyond – Hybrid Event Activities

You’ve accepted the invitation to your first hybrid event – but what exactly is it?

 

Alive Event’s bespoke hybrid event activities, broadly speaking refers to our ability to create, manage and deliver a customised event experience both in-venue as well as digitally reaching the audience in the comfort of their own home – it’s the seamless blend of both refined services. When combined, we are essentially tailoring an event to include scalable real-world experiences in line with immersive & digital elements (and no it isn’t your run-of-the-mill business zoom with a presenter doing a mic-check every 30 seconds).

 

Over the last six months, in particular, there has been an obvious shift to the way in which the events industry have had to completely renovate their product offering – essentially doing a full 180 on a business structure that has remained relatively unchanged for many years. 2020 has proven that hybrid event activities are among the most successful that has been rolled out in recent times, and we’ve got the runs on the board – read what our clients have to say about Alive Events here.

 

Let’s be honest, now that we’ve spent a whole year in track pants half of your audience have gotten comfortable and would welcome the opportunity to engage from home, without feeling like they’re staring into an entirely pre-recorded YouTube vlog while they make their breakfast. The other half are itching to get into their work pants (which are a little tighter if you’re like us) and arrive at a physical environment to interact in real-time with another human…albeit six feet away.

 

The game-changer from a hybrid perspective is that the virtual audience engagement is exacerbated by the fact that the audience is often peering into a live-streamed event happening in a physical environment; think award shows, Ted Talks, conferences or a product launch. Conference presentations for example can be made more dynamic by adding in animation and the transitions required, ensuring seamlessness in a virtual environment.

 

The physical elements such as a product sample delivered on launch day are among the personalised components the Alive team can coordinate, and this amplifies the digital experience your customer settles into.

 

Breaking down the unique elements of the hybrid event experience – what can it do for your business?

 

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the hybrid event experience, let’s get into the virtual & physical activities Alive can create for your audience, aiming to obtain the same engagement that Tik Tok has with Gen Z – unwavering captivation & interaction!

 

The trick to keeping your spectators focused isn’t just a matter of incorporating an engaging speaker, whilst this is a vital part – planting the seeds of success lies within the lead up to your hybrid event.

 

Picture this, the mailman arrives – you scramble to remember which one of the 5 things it is you ordered online – but instead of parcel delivery, he hands you a personalised envelope from Sunglass Hut. You haven’t received an actual mailed card in years that wasn’t from the bank, and you open up a physical invitation to the event as well as a product sample (real-life assets being another key element). Instant point of difference! By mixing the key elements of physical & virtual, you’ve now catered to both audiences, those who want the physical interaction and those who need the virtual service to access the event.

 

Combined with the standard calendar invite everyone requires, as well as bespoke EDM reminders, which create excitement for the event and detail what’s needed to prepare for the day – engagement is now already at the forefront thanks to your hybrid event activities! These foundations also drive brand recognition through the use of logo’s and garner data collection simultaneously.

 

Notable hybrid event activities are successful due to the accessibility of virtual environments; your audience can “walk” through a virtual space such as an exhibition, venue or gallery as an avatar version of themselves, where they can interact with built-in presentations and even other users. This is a popular hybrid element because it gives the patron more than just someone explaining an idea on-screen, and actually experiencing it themselves in the virtual world.

 

Similarly, live performances streamed or pre-recorded are a fantastic way to retain viewer engagement and are welcomed by the audience, breaking up an event with music, comedy or a guest speaker. Our specialty here is the ability to take the in-person event to a virtual roadshow program, with the ability to portray this like a TV show in a studio environment, allowing for greater quality control and production overall.

 

Hybrid tools commonly incorporated also provide for live Q&A with talent in the studio/stage from which they are presenting. When an event can go from interaction with people in that arena to the audience member viewing remotely, it creates a sense of inclusion vital to the success of any hybrid event activity. This has been successfully undertaken by immersing the Kahootz programme to slot within an event to provide for interactive games and questions.

 

Lastly, the quality content that Alive is able to produce on a specialised level is where the peak of hybrid event activity offering translates to audience engagement. Blending pre-recorded and live content in a curated studio is what makes this experience not only unique but unforgettable. Alive has the technical capacity & skill set to advance the presentation you want the viewers to experience, such as virtual and interactive backdrops, set design, video product, music and of course voiceovers (we love a narrator).

 

That all sounds impressive…but what benefit will your customers actually receive from a hybrid event?

 

By embracing your audience from a virtual, interactive environment with physical elements combined in a hybrid event, it allows you to reach your audience anywhere in the world…that has WIFI. Alive provides the most tailored hybrid experience that can adapt your product to a remote audience whilst also engaging a physical space where needed.

 

These virtual offerings can also utilise website elements during the registration/introduction phase of an event, this way you’re able to set up separate links to state workshops and integrate social media links to share host content.

 

Overall you’re able to remove the roadblocks of orthodox event space, with the enabled service of providing a replay offering after the event has concluded. This can even be tied in with sponsorship opportunities to monetise your event; pay per view portals for example are used to review the experience again later on, just like you would to see a ticketed event a second time  – Prince circa 2012 was worth it. Not to mention the availability of live brand advertisements customised to fit themed content on the physical and virtual platforms.

 

Almost sold…but why should your company choose a hybrid event over a traditional event?

 

It’s all in the name, a hybrid event activity gives you two platforms, and traditionally gives you one. Whilst traditional events both online and in real life have unequivocal merit, today’s world demands a curated experience to elevate your audience engagement if you won’t be reaching people who have previously chosen only one or the other.

 

The ease of accessibility created by the Alive team provides support staff, technical crews & stage managers at any event, as our mission is to project your message with a diverse crowd and thus maximise the value of bespoke hybrid event activity.