In the Covid era we find ourselves in, creating events that are fit-for-purpose means thinking hybrid from the moment the brief drops, not as an after-thought or a ‘nice to have’.
At DesignScene, we’ve more than dipped our toe in the water when it comes to hybrid delivery. In fact, we dived straight in so here is a little of what we’ve learnt along the way to build the case for thinking hybrid first and some tips on how to activate successfully.
Increase your reach and diversity
It is DesignScene’s mission to create scenes that global audiences want to be part of and, the bigger the audience, the bigger the scene. Meaning that hybrid’s a natural fit for the global brands we work with. The spotlight is still the spotlight whether your audience is watching from the front row of a live event or joining a stream from their sofa. Hybrid events bring the enormous additional advantage of reaching potentially limitless pairs of eyes and ears with your message.
Don’t just take my word for it. Surveys of event organisers have revealed that 80% have increased their reach by taking a hybrid approach. And, with greater numbers of attendees, comes greater audience diversity, putting your message in front of people who might never have been exposed to it had they been expected to attend an event in-person.
We’ve worked with the Association of Independent Music’s (AIM) as their events agency to deliver 3 different activations, typically, their awards show is a live event with A-list performers and a sit-down dinner for VIPS held at The Roundhouse and the Brewery in London.
In 2020, of course, the only place VIP parties were happening was 10 Downing Street, so we moved the event online. The result? Instead of the usual 500 attendees, 20,000+ music fans joined our live stream, thousands of whom actively participated by voting in the awards.
Our content included ground-breaking XR (extended reality) music performances from artists such as Little Simz and AJ Tracy. Amplifying the AIM brand and its mission to a whole new audience who could be reached after the fact with content created for the event, re-purposed as social posts and marketing material. Effectively extending the lifecycle of the event, redoubling its impact and more than justifying the original investment.
Unlimited creative content opportunities
Hybrid has the advantage of opening a world of engaging, creative content formats too. By their very nature, hybrid events need to deliver differently because online audiences are just a click away from doing something else. Which means you must consider, not only the people in the room, but how you’re going to create a complete run-of-show that will hold the attention of virtual guests across the event’s entire duration.
We did this very thing with Amazon Advertising for AdCon in 2020. Delivering a
magazine show-style format with lots of varied, snackable content. Casting
within the organisation for great, natural presenters who work as well on stage
as they do on screen. And treating the virtual event, not as a webinar, but as a
complete entertainment experience.
Get interactive
Polls, quizzes, and ask-the-audience sessions are great ways to unite In Real Life (IRL) and virtual viewers, giving both groups equal sway and an equal voice. Ask people their opinion and, in most instances, it’s harder for them to stay quiet than speak up. Having mechanisms available that allow you to share audience poll results instantly brings immediacy and authenticity to the proceedings.
The AIM Awards were a vehicle for creative experimentation, as the client was eager to unite their audiences and create an interactive experience. It just made so much sense to poll their passionate music fans live during the event, share back poll results, and get them involved in voting and picking the award winners on the night, as well as do social shout outs during the broadcast to make the viewers have a truly immersive hybrid approach.
Invent IRL exclusivity
Given the smaller number of IRL audiences (compared to almost limitless virtual ones), think about giving those who attend in person the VIP treatment. It makes being there more attractive and can even be used as a reward/inducement for ongoing events within a larger series.
A smaller audience can also be hosted in different kinds of venues, places that can’t accommodate large numbers but will add interest, uniqueness and relevance to your subject matter. Finally, be smart with your staging, ensure you’re thinking about how everything being filmed at, and streamed from, the venue will come across online to maximise its impact without getting in the way of your IRL audience.
If you are grappling with how to tackle hybrid events, want to banish virtual event fatigue and unite you IRL and virtual audiences with compelling content, don’t hesitate to reach out.
