It’s no surprise that people are eager to get back to live events. Human connection is vital, and there’s a level of energy that comes with in-person interactions that can’t be matched. If we’ve learned anything in the past year, there’s increasing evidence and support for keeping hybrid and virtual events in the event equation.
Why? Well, for one, with the use of virtual platform technology, more people can enjoy events; more specifically, more people from different geographical regions can enjoy the same event. By allowing attendees who are unable to make it to the in-person portion of an event to engage virtually, organizations are able to expand their reach at a global level.
Virtual and hybrid events can further be measured by the savings and impact they have across the board.
Live events are costly. Regular upfront expenses like catering, venue choice, marketing materials, décor, and entertainment, as well as hidden costs like the total time and resources needed to execute the event itself, must all be included when budgeting. Now, with COVID safety and sanitization precautions and protocols, there are even more costs to consider when planning for an in-person event – including increased staffing for registration to ensure COVID compliance, sanitation materials and stations, and even bigger event spaces for fewer attendees to follow social distancing protocols. Although adding digital integration and virtual support can potentially cost more than in-person events, the possibility to gain more attendees while reducing expenses for food and space rentals can level the playing field.
From a global standpoint, the greatest savings from hybrid and virtual events are related to the reduction of carbon emissions. A virtual event sustainability report conducted by 6Connex, the leading provider of virtual event solutions, and WSP, a leading engineering and professional services consulting firm, found that travel to and from in-person events was the primary driver of carbon emission impact for most conferences and trade shows. The negative environmental impact increases when more attendees travel by airplane to an event (events with a higher number of local attendees resulted in lower emissions from travel). By integrating a virtual component into your in-person events, more people will have the opportunity to attend virtually, and potentially help to reduce your organization’s carbon footprint.
Hosting an event using a virtual or hybrid model often means a better return on investment – not just financially, but also digitally through analytics. Event platform software allows planners to track and measure attendee behaviors and needs more effectively, before, during, and after an event. Virtual platforms also allow you to track content trends so you can test marketing effectiveness. This creates a domino effect for all future events to continue to evolve.
In-person events will never go away, nor do we want them to. But the prevalence of hybrid and virtual events in the last year have shown us another way that is rich in data, inclusive, dynamic, sustainable and has the potential to provide bigger gains for planners and a more immersive experience for attendees. Choosing an event platform that is well-rounded with a knowledgeable is vital to the success of any organization. While many new players have joined the market recently, 6Connex has been creating virtual environments for the past 11 years and knows the ins and outs of virtual and hybrid events.
It’s not a matter of whether hybrid events are here to stay – they are. Now it’s up to industry professionals to use the knowledge gained during the pandemic to create even better events going forward now, and into the future.
Want to learn more about virtual and hybrid events? Chat with a 6Connex event specialist today!