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Partner News: Putting a digital first event strategy in place to ride the Hybrid wave 

The events industry has been on a rollercoaster ride of change over the last 15 months from complete to partial lockdowns, to unsure if we are going to be locked down.

All these different states have required event planners to think on their feet on how events are planned, structured and delivered to keep all key stakeholders happy and keep the lights on.

An example would be looking at how to attract sponsors to advertise online and onsite to a wider audience by using online as a value add to the event. Different agenda topics could also be set for the online audience while onsite audience are in workshops or in breaks.

The next change on the horizon is Hybrid. If we look up the definition of Hybrid, it states “offspring of two dissimilar animals”. In event terms, the two animals are online and onsite.

Understanding how these two come together or not as the case may be, is the first step to mapping out a Hybrid attendee journey. Some key questions to ask when considering the Hybrid path are:

  • What technology will to use to manage both onsite and online stakeholders?
  • What resources and skillsets will be needed?
  • What is the plan B to be able to switch if there is a lockdown?
  • How will the event program be structured – simultaneous or separate?

Answering these questions will help create a digital-first approach to a Hybrid or online event.

Once the Hybrid path is decided, it will then determine the event flow.

An example would be looking at how to attract sponsors to advertise online and onsite to a wider audience by using online as a value add to the event. As different agenda topics could also be set for the online audience while onsite audience are in workshops or in breaks.

Having a digital first approach when designing an event will give much more scope on how to enhance the event experience, while providing a backup plan for the onsite segment if there is a lockdown.

Find out how EventsAIR can help put your digital-first event plan together.

Contact us at https://eventsair.com/

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