Virtual or Hybrid Events: Which Approach Is Best?

In the age of digitalization, when the world was taken over by the deadly pandemic, all the organizations across the globe faced difficulty in staying connected and communicating with each other. It was then we came across another way of hosting events; virtual format. Over time, when the world adjusted to the newest concept, another format took over; hybrid events.

Now that things are going back to normal, one thing that remains a major concern is: what is the future going to be like? Are people still looking up to the virtual world, or is hybrid the new normal? Statistically speaking, the year is all about going hybrid. Now that things are getting back on track, organizations don’t want to miss out on this opportunity and are looking forward to making the most out of it. Staying entirely online even when they can explore with the hybrid format would be nothing less than a fallback.

Now that both users and audience have had the taste of virtual events, they feel it’s best to move ahead and get their hands on the newest options available to them. The reason they feel this way is because several virtual platforms come with very basic features, and this is the reason both parties are not able to see something new.

If you are someone who is finding it difficult to comprehend, let us start again from the basics.

Virtual events are events hosted entirely on a virtual event platform. All the attendees connect and attend the event completely through their laptops or mobile phones.

Whereas, hybrid events are the ones that are hosted partly offline, as a physical event, and partly on the internet. One can define them as the combination of virtual and hybrid events.

Continuing with our discussion of what is better; virtual events or hybrid events, let us understand which of both formats is more of a beneficial deal for the event organizers. We will get through some of the myths that need to be debunked today and help you understand things clearly.

1. People believe virtual events are easier to organize:

A lot of organizers believe that virtual events require less time to plan and organize. However, this is partly true. There isn’t anything wrong with virtual events, and they do come with lots of benefits and convenience. But, to misunderstand this convenience with something else might cost the organizers the cost of their event. The biggest mistake that an organizer can make is taking virtual events for granted and not leveraging enough resources for their execution. Hence, the first myth that we felt needs to be debunked today is that virtual events require less time to organize.

2. Virtual Events Amplify Your Reach; So Do Hybrid Events:

Another common misconception is that virtual events help you expand your brand reach. There is nothing wrong with it. The only wrong here is, people believe that hybrid events aren’t as effective as virtual formats. Though you can make the best use of a virtual expo platform to reach out to a wider audience, physical and virtual events combine together to form one hybrid event. Hence, it is self-understood which of them is better at the job. Hence, one should focus more on leveraging the best technology to broadcast the event; irrespective of the format.

3. Branding Experience:

The physical execution of hybrid events happens only in one place. It means the organizers get an excellent opportunity to make the most of it and provide an exclusive experience to the participants. These kinds of experiences help the organizers to establish stronger relationships with the attendees.

On the other hand, there is absolutely no relevance of geographical boundaries and demographics in the case of virtual events. Hence, virtual events are an excellent way to reach out to a wider audience and amplify their reach and create a buzz about the brand.

4. Sustainability:

When it comes to sustainability, there is no denying the fact that virtual events go a long way. Since the world has shifted online, the waste has been reduced to almost zero. They don’t leave any carbon footprints; also, they don’t add to environmental degradation; leaving no negative impact on the ecosystem.

However, when we talk of hybrid events, they are not that efficient. Since half of the event is physical, they generate waste. Also, they include transportation and travel which leads to environmental degradation. However, to reduce the negative impact, the organizers can choose more sustainable alternatives. A few small steps can give huge results; for example, replacing the plastic glasses with glass, using metal straws instead of plastic ones. Also, to make people understand the importance of conserving the environment, you can also give them saplings as a token of thanks.

Now that we are discussing everything, one thing that you need to know is that both the formats have their own advantages and give their own experiences. There is no guide that states that virtual events are better than physical ones, or another way round. No matter what format one picks, the intent behind hosting the event always remains one. Hence, before hosting an event, it is necessary to understand that both formats are just channels to deliver the content.

Apart from that, since it is the generation of digitalization, people these days find virtual events more convenient. Also, for those who cannot step out of their house for any reason, virtual events will always come as a better option.

However, hybrid events come with physical formats, it becomes easier for the organizers to measure the success of the events. In virtual events, you need to have a virtual event platform with the feature of live event analytics.

Comparing all these factors mentioned above, one can say that hybrid events are surely going to be the future of the event organization. However, it doesn’t mean hybrid events are better than virtual events. Both these formats have their advantages as well as limitations. Hence, comparing all the stats and other factors, it is safe to say that hybrid events are going to take over the future of the event industry.