Jenna-Leigh Schnell
IF YOU’RE an event planner, marketing executive, or business head it’s most likely that most of your in-person events and meetings have been put on hold since the start of the global pandemic.
The government recently moved SA to lockdown level 2 and eased meeting and event restrictions; 250 attendees can now be hosted indoors and 500 outdoors according to the adjusted regulations.
With vaccinations on the rise and summer approaching many teams may be discussing their future meeting and event strategies, which ultimately raises the questions of how do we do plan a safe and seamless event and what is the best event format to use?
The eventing industry has demonstrated both creativity and resilience during the past 20 months by pivoting meetings and large-scale events into the virtual world, offering clients and planners a selection of event formats to choose from. Before you start planning your next event there are five things that you need to know to ensure your future event plan is a success.
1. Understand the difference between a Virtual Event and a Hybrid Event
In 2020 we saw a huge spike in virtual events and it’s safe to say that by now most participant are comfortable attending and engaging in a virtual event. Virtual events are certainly the go-to for shorter meeting formats, they are economical and the event platforms on the market have enhanced the user experience and engagement opportunities. However this meeting format also has its challenges, a major one being screen fatigue and it is ideally suited to shorter meeting styles and formats.
In a 2021 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) study it was revealed that 76% of respondents felt that live in-person meetings were more effective than virtual meetings, indicating that many people still prefer face-to-face connection. It is human nature to want to connect authentically and with vaccinations taking place across the globe it has been possible to bring back the live event in a modified version; the hybrid event model. I have spent a large part of this year educating my clients on the various models of virtual and hybrid events and the considerations that need to be taken into account before choosing a model that best suits their event objectives and budget.
As live events have started to take place across the globe, hybrid events have become a global trend, it merges the live in-person experience with the virtual experience, so participants can choose to attend live or virtually. The offering, if designed and executed correctly provides an engaging and seamless experience to both audiences.
2. What you need to know if you select the virtual event format
According to the same 2021 GBTA study, 2020 saw a 290% increase in virtual events being hosted by companies from 2019. The virtual event model is still the dominant model due to the pandemic and accessibility virtual events offer. However, if you opt for a virtual event and your objective is to create an incredible and impactful event experience, using a standard video conferencing platform like Zoom or Ms Teams with live poll questions just won’t do…
Virtual events have made huge strides in the past year to beat screen fatigue and keep participants engaged. This has been achieved through high-quality content production and an array of virtual event platforms. Participants have been exposed to some beautifully crafted virtual events, a great example is Singularity U SA’s Summit which includes world-class content production, an array of incredible international and local speakers, virtual reality is incorporated into various aspects of the event ensuring the interaction is dynamic and participants use a highly engaging, international and multi-functional online event application, HopIn, to navigate and interact with the event.
If virtual is the best option for your event objectives and company policy make sure you:
- Provide sufficient budget for high-quality content production.
- Curate a virtual event participant experience journey which maps out the participant experience from invitation to post-event communication
- Select an easy to use and engaging event application to host your event on (my favourites are InEvent, Howler, and HopIn)
- Create a range of pre-recorded and professionally edited, dynamic event content and plan plenty of rehearsal time for your speakers and event team.
- Secure the right partners to help you manage the event design, content production, and technical support to produce a seamless event.
3. What you need to know if you select the hybrid format
Hybrid is the buzzword of the moment in the global eventing industry and we have seen a multitude of hybrid events take place across the globe. Spurred by the strong desire for people to connect in person, hybrid seems to be the answer for the future of eventing. There are a few things that both clients and event planners need to understand about the hybrid event model before planning their first hybrid event.
Hybrid eventing is a vast and multifaceted subject, in this article I’m only going to cover a few key points. One of the primary things I’ve been informing my clients about when consulting with them on their event strategy is that hybrid involves new line items in the traditional event budget, hybrid requires more production staff than a live or virtual event and it has the virtual elements that need to be accounted for, especially the event platform which is essential to all the participants’ event experience.
This ultimately results in higher costs, especially for a high-quality, seamless event. Clients are often quite surprised by these new costs, but if one considers what a hybrid event is; a virtual event with a virtual event team and event platform integrated into a live event that requires Covid-19 safety protocols, a live event team, larger event venues with outdoor spaces and a visually appealing set where your content will be streamed from, one can understand why the budget expands. A really good hybrid event will also have pre-recorded and edited footage that will be aired to the virtual event participants and a great swag bag couriered to them before the event so they feel part of the event experience.
Hybrid also requires a large degree of flexibility and sensitivity from the event team when it comes to understanding the various levels of comfort a participant may have. One would think that a hybrid event has two audiences; a live and virtual audience, however, what has emerged from the 2021 summer UK business event season is that there is a third participant. This participant is comfortable attending the live event but has different levels of comfort around the group activities and would like the option to move between being a live participant, for example attending the networking in person but avoids the plenary or group dinner and prefers to stream this content from their device in a quiet space in the event venue. An event planner of the digital age needs to be able to practise sensitivity to the various comfort levels that live participants may have and flexibility in meeting their needs onsite in real-time.
If hybrid is the best option for your event objectives and company policy make sure you have:
- Sufficient budget for the additional costs that a hybrid event requires.
- Understand that safety is a priority for everyone involved. Ensure that a Covid safety officer is on-site, aim to keep your event as contactless as possible. Use event health apps that can support you in managing participant health screening.
- Select an event platform that has been designed to support hybrid events.
- Make sure you have mapped out two separate participant journeys; one for the virtual participants and one for the live guests. Each journey will require separate communications to the guests and use event app engagements as bridges for the two audiences to connect, engage and network with each other.
- Ensure your virtual participants don’t feel like second-class citizens, provide specific content tailored to them and pre-recorded content they can engage with during the refreshment breaks for the live audience.
- The global lockdowns have also made delegates more protective of their family and personal time, so be conscious of this when designing your event programme and event timings.
- Make sure you have the right event partner to support and guide you through your hybrid event design and production journey.
4. Select the right event partner
By now you should be realising that things in the eventing industry have changed a lot. Gone are the days of handing over the event management responsibility to the corporate secretary or personal assistant. There are so many factors and components that contribute to designing and managing a seamless and safe event that only professionals can do. Source a professional event management company that can offer you a full suite of virtual, hybrid, and live strategic design and event execution. In this evolving and dynamic new world of events, you need the right partner to support and guide your internal team and ensure your participant experience is considered at every touchpoint.
5. Your event planners in your organisation need to be upskilled
If you have an internal team responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of your events, make sure you have provided them with updated knowledge and skills training so they are equipped to design and manage events in 2021. The eventing industry has changed dramatically over the past 20 months and event planners’ skillsets will be completely outdated if they haven’t remained functional in an event management role, navigating and learning from the evolving changes.
The new skills they will need to encompass include; understanding virtual and hybrid event design and management, the new event health and safety requirements, leveraging event technology for a seamless, safe, and contactless event, and how to design an immersive and engaging experience for your participants regardless of how they are choosing to attend your event to name only a few.
The new world of events is continually evolving and I do not doubt that South Africa will follow suit with the global trend to move back to in-person and hybrid events. All the changes can be overwhelming, however, having the right event partners and a freshly skilled team with a new tool kit of event management practices will support businesses in creating and executing world-class and safe events.
Jenna-Leigh Schnell is the MD at Magnette Academy & Magnette Event Management.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE