Are you hosting a hybrid corporate event? A true hybrid event means you’ll have live and virtual audiences interacting throughout, and the potential to reach many more people. So, how do you start planning? It’s easier than you think!
1. Set your goals
Once you determine firm goals, it’s much easier to work backwards from the finish line and make sure every element of your planning aligns.
Set goals that are clear, achievable and measurable. For example if you're planning a product launch, your goal might be to generate a certain number of leads.
2. Devise a budget
With your goals in place, it’s time to crunch the numbers in terms of the budget. Factor in event catering in Sydney, entertainment and venue hire for those who will be attending the event in person. Consider approaching event sponsors to increase your budget.
You’ll need an online platform for virtual guests to attend. Event apps are available, so both in-person and virtual guests experience the same content. Streaming ensures online audiences see everything in real-time.
It’s likely you’ll want to record the event so you can share snippets on socials to keep the post-event momentum going, or to allow attendees to watch particularly relevant sessions again. If you don’t want to think about the tech side of things, factor a production team into the budget.
3. Consider how you will schedule sessions
Think about how you will schedule sessions to suit your attendees. For example, in-person and virtual attendees might enjoy guest speakers together in real-time. Afterwards, online sessions could incorporate interactive Q&As about products while in-person guests eat lunch. If you have attendees dialling in virtually from overseas, some of your sessions may need to be on-demand to accommodate time differences.
To keep everyone connected throughout, invite in-person guests to bring devices or laptops to the event. Then, schedule sessions for communication between both audiences with a facilitator.
4. Create a marketing plan
It’s arguably easier to generate a buzz for a hybrid event, as guests know they can join in from anywhere. Social media is key to spreading the word and keeping the buzz going afterwards. In the lead up, create an eye-catching event webpage and promote it on your social media platforms. Do this with professional photos or videos with applicable footage of your products or memorable moments with staff across the year. This gets people talking and interacting well ahead of time. Don't forget to share great moments post-event, so people will be keen to sign up for the next one!
And if you're keen to wow your in-person guests, talk to us about catering. Our hot dog cart or stand can cater for small groups right up to company-wide events. We can even brand our cart with your company logo. There's minimal set up, and we take care of the clean-up for you to make catering easy.