While the Covid-19 pandemic may have sped up the move to using more digital platforms to reach a wider audience, there’s always been a use case to use technology in events to help bring together those who can not attend them in person. As we come out of the pandemic, the power of these digital tools has been proven and is here to stay, leading to the rise of virtual events.

Virtual classes and events bring a double advantage because they allow those who can’t attend for whatever reason to still take part while keeping the social element these events bring to their lives. This piece will cover what hybrid events are and how they can help improve the well-being and engagement of all participants. 

What is a hybrid event?

A hybrid event is a conference, meeting, seminar, workshop, or any other event that combines a live, in-person event with a virtual online element, giving participants the option to attend virtually or in-person depending on their circumstances. 

From a big multi-day conference to a small writing workshop, hybrid events allow participants to enjoy an event in person, or from the comfort of their home from miles away.

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What are the benefits of hybrid classes?

One positive of technology is they’ve allowed communities (virtual, in person, and hybrid) and people to interact and engage with a reach that’s never been possible before, allowing more people to participate in activities that may have been limited by geography. 

Another positive is that they are more budget-friendly and greener for organizers to deliver, which could help participants save money. One limitation of virtual classes is they may not always help in more social ways, and those participating may not benefit from the social interaction that an in-person event might bring.

The main benefit of in-person events is they bring communities together and offer social interaction in ways that technology struggles to overcome in digital settings. In-person events, though, are limited by geography and how easy it is for participants to attend.

Hosting a hybrid class helps bring all of these two styles together. They enable the positives of digital, such as reach and budget, but also help improve social interactions between participants, as hybrid events have more ways for virtual participants to engage than traditional virtual methods do (such as a solely live streaming event).

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Want to host some your very own hybrid events? Learn how to host: 

Virtual Trivia

Virtual Bingo

Virtual Karaoke

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How do I run a great hybrid class for my community? 

When looking at hosting a hybrid event, especially for those doing it for the first time, it can seem a little daunting, especially if you don’t know what you’re going to need to deliver a successful hybrid class.

1. Get Proper Materials 

As an overview for materials to deliver the hybrid event, organizers should look for a hosting platform for your event. This platform should be more than a traditional communication tool. To deliver an exceptional event, it should be able to provide recording tools, live streaming, virtual audience engagement, support, and the normal audio and visual tools required. 

It’s imperative that organizers look at getting a platform that can both record and livestream. This allows you to create content your participants can access on-demand at a later date, allowing for higher engagement and reach. Virtual audience engagement tools are also important as they allow for more user interaction and engagement, making it more likely your users will return for future events.

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2. Use High Quality Technology 

On top of this, organizers should ensure they’re using high-quality and engaging audio and visual materials. Data suggests that 90% of data processing is visual, which just stresses the importance of great visual and audio engagement in your events. If organizers can deliver this, it is likely to improve both event satisfaction and encourage more attendees to go to the next events.

3. Market the Hybrid Class

Once you have set up your event, the next and most obvious question is how can I best market it? At a high level, organizers should look at the obvious marketing tools at their disposal to get more attendees, such as optimizing their SEO and content creation to drive web traffic to their event, as well as email marketing. 

It would also benefit organizers to update their website, or event site, to make it more appealing to their desired customer or attendee base, depending on the event. Televeda has a great article on how best to market your event here, which will really help drive engagement and getting sign-ups and expand further on the above.

Conclusion: Bring hybrid events to your community 

Delivering terrific hybrid events can be a powerful way for organizers to keep all the benefits that digital events have shown during the pandemic while retaining the improved social interaction from in-person events. 

The hybrid approach only works, though, when organizers use tools that help deliver them. A great way to make sure these events go well is to use a technology platform, powered by an events management company, such as Televeda, to ensure organizers get the best of both industries powering their events.

Televeda offers brilliant solutions to help organizers deliver best-in-class hybrid events, with features that offer recording tools, live streaming, virtual audience engagement, support, as well as the standard audio and visual tools especially designed for older adults.

On top of this, we also help with outreach, marketing, and tech support to help both improve attendance rates but also make sure events run with no issues.

Schedule a call with us today to see how we can help scale your virtual and hybrid event offerings at your community center.