Industry experts predict that the future of events is hybrid. While it offers solutions, it also brings about new challenges, which this group hopes to address in its upcoming offering.
vConferenceOnline, an online event platform provider, has announced that it will host a webinar that tackles hybrid event planning and management. The online session will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021, at 1 pm Eastern Time.
More information is available at https://event.vconferenceonline.com/microsite/html/event.aspx?id=1893&cid=amp1
The newly announced session offers organizers insights on how to safeguard events and identify revenue opportunities while providing engaging experiences to their attendees. It is timely as the hybrid model is steadily replacing purely virtual meet-ups as pandemic restrictions are gradually loosened.
The webinar will be hosted by Stephen Wynkoop, vConferenceOnline’s founder and CEO. He has over 20 years of experience in organizing virtual community events as part of his work in the SQL Server Worldwide User’s Group, which he also created and led.
Besides introducing participants to the rudiments of hybrid events, Mr. Wynkoop will share his approach on how to keep their online and offline components from cannibalizing each other, which is a common, yet preventable, issue.
Cannibalization pertains to the reduction of participants in one portion of the event due to their being concentrated in the other. To prevent it, vConferenceOnline says that organizers must structure events in a way in which the online and live portions complement each other to ensure maximum attendance and revenue opportunities.
Hybrids are events that have both virtual and in-person settings. They became popular among organizers who were looking for ways to provide more options to attendees who still cannot participate physically owing to pandemic safety concerns and border restrictions.
Media outlets reported in June that hybrid events are likely “here to stay”, citing a survey that found that 85% of organizations plan to offer more hybrid events moving forward. The author said that this is not surprising, as this type of event is accessible, safer, and more cost-effective than live gatherings.
A similar sentiment was echoed by AMEX Travel in its recent forecast, where it called hybrid meeting formats a “necessity”. While it offers more options, a hybrid event also presents a fresh slew of challenges, such as trying to make both of its sections engaging.
“It’s critical to architect a hybrid event plan that adds value to your in-person events, both for attendees and for exhibitors,” vConferenceOnline states on its website, “In this webinar, we’ll be presenting considerations, how-to information, planning information, and thoughts about best practices for hybrid events.”
For further details, interested participants are encouraged to visit https://event.vconferenceonline.com/microsite/html/event.aspx?id=1893&cid=amp1