Are you organising an event for invitees from all over the world? If so, the chances that everyone will attend are relatively small. But even with smaller, local events, there will always be some people who are unable to be present. Hybride events are the solution.
It may also be better to only invite your most important and most interested contacts, providing an alternative and less expensive option (both in terms of time and money) for the rest of your target group. After all, some people might only be marginally interested in the subject under discussion. But people who might otherwise never attend your event might be enticed to participate if you offer them a live feed. This will allow you to reach an entirely new public. And a wider reach is always interesting for potential sponsors. What's more, it can also work the other way around: sometimes it is keynote speakers from other parts of the world who are unable to attend in person. But this is something that can be made possible through a video link.
Fear of Hybrid Events
One of the biggest fears of the organisers of this kind of event is that all the invitees will participate online and that no one will actually turn up at the event venue. From our experience of many different kinds of events, we can conclude that this type of 'cannibalism' seldom occurs. It is simply not possible to compare the two different forms of participation in an event live or via the internet.
Nowadays, one of the main reasons that people like to come to events is so that they can extend their personal network of contacts. This is not possible if you only follow the event online. After all, cinemas have not closed down simply because DVDs are now available on the market! Of course, the cinemas have had to adjust, but there is no reason why events should not do the same. It is the same story with sport. Many people like to watch sporting events from the comfort of their living room armchair, but this does not mean that people no longer go to the stadiums. In fact, precisely the opposite! There are more 'live' supporters than ever before. And this is also true of events. In practice, the organisers of strong events often see that a live feed acts as a stimulus for people to actually make the effort to come to the event venue next time around. It gives the absentees the chance to see what they are missing!
