With 87% of event cancellations in March and April according to evenement.com, COVID-19 obviously did not spare the events industry. Lockdown, social distancing, and health guidelines are largely responsible.
Event creators had to react quickly. After the initial shock, this took shape as virtual events (webinars, video conferences, etc.), since almost every participant has a webcam and a microphone, especially with remote work becoming the norm (assuming you know how to get them working properly).
So in 2020, should your event be 100% virtual, hybrid, or in-person?
Virtual events, the pros:
- Your colleagues and attendees can join from anywhere in the world without having to take a plane or a train, which is good news for the planet (see other eco-friendly event initiatives)
- It's proof of your digital expertise (organizing an entire virtual event from scratch requires a solid understanding of new technologies and current tools)
- Recording enables replays and rebroadcasts (we'd all have loved to relive an event we couldn't attend. If the event was filmed, that's now possible!)
- Interaction and engagement remain possible (just like at an in-person event) through various solutions: polls, quizzes, or chats, letting everyone ask their question quickly without creating an interruption.
- Makes it easier to bring in high-level speakers
- No audience limit! You can scale your event to any size at zero marginal cost (unlike in-person events), since there's no venue to book, no caterer to pay, and so on.
- This format frees people up to speak: speakers are much less shy in front of their camera than on a stage facing the direct judgment of an audience.
Virtual events, the cons:
- No direct human contact (yet very important for relationship-building).
- Attention is much more fragile (which means a weaker emotional connection to the event); Americans, for example, tend to multitask (the number: 80% of Americans do several things at once on their screens).
- The webinar format has become commonplace and sometimes tiresome; these formats are time-consuming, making it hard to keep participants engaged.
- The event's success or failure depends on a smooth, stable internet connection (and if you're lucky, you'll have several people speaking from different locations: and you know you don't need to be in the middle of nowhere to lose your connection. That said, we don't want to offend anyone from the Creuse and this lovely region!)
- You'll need to manage video feeds, lighting, and streaming. Most of the time, you'll have to bring in a specialized technical provider (feel free to contact Digitevent if you need support with this).
- You need really good speakers to engage the audience (check out this quick tutorial on being a great speaker on video).
- No networking or handshakes: it often takes just a few seconds to form a first impression of someone. That feeling is part of what people look for in a networking event, and virtual formats can't fully replace it.
Get the best of both worlds with hybrid events!
Hybrid events combine several strengths inherent to both in-person and virtual formats:
- A hybrid event lets you keep a physical connection with your VIP guests or with those who aren't comfortable with video conferencing technology. It also improves the experience for remote attendees, since they feel like they're watching a real show rather than a simple web conference.
- With a hybrid format, your in-person event is smaller and therefore costs less. It also lets you keep the entire event content, so you can capture leads by creating a landing page where people can download your replays!
- You comply with health guidelines while continuing to communicate with your clients through your events
- It fits into the era of flexible work formats (remote or in-person at the office), giving you even more flexibility.
To keep this ability to react quickly, choose virtual or hybrid event solutions with Digitevent, for greater agility in an ever-changing environment.
