Authentic Reasons Behind Popularity of Hybrid events in 2021

Hybrid events are a mixture of physical gatherings and virtual events, to say the least. While you may not completely grasp the concept immediately, let us tell you exactly why you should seriously consider them for any events you will organize in 2021. To put it simply, hybrid events are a big deal.

If you are planning to organize any event in the coming months, hybrid events should automatically be prioritized over any other kind. Since they are still ongoing concerns about safety and gatherings, you can deploy this effective alternative to traditional events to ensure everyone stays safe, and you can exhaust your resources in maximizing your reach.

We are all together in the global pandemic going on. Many countries and states have it worse than others. This means that even if you can possibly arrange a safe physical event, not everyone will feel comfortable attending it. Hence, we propose forth a combination of physical and virtual events. Here’s how you can organize your own hybrid events.

How do you organize Hybrid events?

The first question that arises before we can talk about the importance of hybrid events is how you organize mixed events effectively. It’s relatively easy, and at least easier than organizing conventional events.

Since you don’t have to arrange for the usual amount of people, you can hold your horses and limit your seating/arrangement to the number of people you are expecting to be physically present. Once you have sorted that, it is time to incorporate virtual functionality so people who can’t physically attend due to any reason can attend virtually.

The easiest and most effective way is to use an events site with the right functionality. We recommend using WP Event Manager on your event’s site to add virtual events functionality that will not only help you set up virtual events but will also provide you with the much-needed Zoom meeting feature that you can add with the Zoom add-on of the plugin.

Once you have set up the event on your Event calendar using the WP Event Manager plugin, it’s time to start inviting people.

Why Hybrid events?

The global pandemic only accelerated the inevitable; hybrid events. While they were getting popular gradually, the pandemic rushed them, and now everyone is adapting to such events. The significant benefits of mixed events include an unprecedented amount of reach, saving costs, and improving the environment too.

Are you confused about how all of that happens? Let us enlighten you.

• A tremendous amount of reach: With the inception of virtual events, you can basically invite hundreds and thousands of people to your events. Something that was almost impossible with physical events unless you were one of the world’s largest organizations. With a click, you can reach thousands of potential attendees.
• Cutting costs: While hybrid events do have physical seating, it is undoubtedly limited, with the focus mostly being on online attendees. Hence, you can save a lot of cost on seating, arrangements, and setup.
• Environment friendly: With fewer people comes less waste. This allows the atmosphere of the event to be much more eco-friendly than usual.

Hybrid events currently

The current state of hybrid events is undoubtedly fascinating. With physical events being allowed in small capacities, there was a vast confusion among the masses as to what kind of events one should organize. But hybrid events and virtual events take the lead, triumphing physical counterparts because of their flexibility and versatility.

With the pandemic getting controlled, these events are getting much more popular since they are the perfect blend of virtual and physical events. If you are organizing one, make sure it’s safe and follows all the SOPs for the physical part.

One of the best recent examples that followed this model was the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) that streamed more than 200 films for physical and virtual viewers.

Using WP Event Manager For Hybrid events

The WP Event Manager is a great way to organize, host, and manage hybrid events. With the Zoom add-on that comes with the WP Event Manager, you can easily set up hybrid events as you see fit with all the control residing with you. You can learn more about it here.

Conclusion

Hybrid events are here to stay and rule. 2020 has changed everything from the smallest industries to the most significant events. With virtual events getting incredibly popular, a hybrid approach works the best if you can nail it. With this kind of event, you will save costs and massively increase your reach.