Heard the joke about hybrid events? Ask ten people to define one and you’ll get ten different answers. The road to hybridization is paved with potholes  but the important thing is to design a hybrid that really indicates a deep understanding of your total audience -- both exhibitors and sponsors. The variations are endless, but I’m going to lump them into three groups, mostly a matter of pedigree and where they’ll  put their  money and efforts: 

Physical by BIrth:  This month  World of Concrete, produced by Informa, in Las Vegas garnered the spotlight as the first major trade show held in Vegas since the pandemic began. With 60,000 guests and 1,500 exhibitors, Word of Concrete did some of their programming virtually but the physical event was the gala cornerstone.  In Barcelona, the world is watching as  MWC, one of Europe’s largest  physical events, is getting underway.  MWC is expecting a smaller crowd (35,000 unlike the typical 150,000) and nearly ¾ of the speakers will be speaking remotely. It will have virtual tours, sessions and networking. These shows typify a philosophy that virtual will be an adjunct, and that this year is a gap year on the road to full in-person events.

 

Digital By Birth:  The opposite end of the spectrum takes place in the metaverse with  digital immersive environments. It's become fairly normal for hundreds and thousands of avatars to show up for an online event in Fortnite, where Travis Scott earned $20 million (more than he ever earned IRL at a show) , Roblox (where Lil Nas had 33  million viewers)  or Unreal.  Companies like Nowhere, RealVR.ai, Virbella, VII are all creating large scale 3D avatar driven based products. And RealVR is using Oculus to enrich the experience. These companies can augment the physical world, but they see a rosy future in digital only events. 

Hybrid By Nature:  For the foreseeable future variations of hybrid events will dominate the center of spectrum. Maybe it’s a once a year in person meeting with a year long “club” that meets virtually at intervals.  Maybe it’s a scenario where some speakers appear live in the conference room, joined by others who are beamed in remotely. Maybe it’s a subscription pass to mix and match as you see fit. 

But certain elements of hybrid events  become  increasingly clear. 

• Convention centers and hotels need to tech up. The cost of doing business will involve a broadcast facility and staff. Contactless check ins, less reliance on buffets -- all expensive changes. 

• The corollary to teching up is that costs will rise. And it’s doubtful It’s a one time expense because tech is always about Version 2.0.

• Moderators will need to be ambidextrous, juggling two audiences’ engagement at once.

• Smaller more intimate spaces will often replace packed conference halls. 

• Physical attendees will want to feel “special”. The buzzword is #emocurrency.  An emotional connection that’s the reward for showing up. 

• More outdoor spaces used for lunches, check in and activities. Ventilation, clear air, green conferences will be high on the list.

• Hybrid events will be sponsor friendly.  Audiences have come to expect that sponsorships will defray the costs and they’ve made peace with that.  Sponsors, in turn, will want more engagement with attendees.