Strategies to propose hybrid events to physical and virtual participants

1. Strategies to propose hybrid events to physical and virtual participants How can organizers market their hybrid events to stand out and attract attendees both in person and in virtual mode? Hybrid events require organizers to attract attendees in attendance without alienating those who would like to participate virtually and compete for a virtual audience's attention in a saturated market. As a result, organizers' new challenge opens up: their virtual offerings must be compelling enough to attract a remote audience overrun with a surplus of choice but not compelling enough to discourage in- person participation. The resolution consists in framing the marketing activities in terms of the advantages offered by each possibility, not in terms of why one is better than the other. Ideally, the event's marketing efforts should seamlessly integrate with its hybrid format. Therefore, given the event, the marketing campaign should emphasize: •the engaging experience that comes from the presence in person; •the possibility for bidirectional interaction between live participants and remote participants. Thanks to which strategies it is possible to achieve the objectives mentioned. Host an event preview to familiarize attendees with the virtual event platform. One benefit of an online format is that it offers many opportunities for pre-event engagement. For example, a live streaming teaser broadcast can allow potential attendees to preview the content of the event while, at the same time, showing the engagement and interactivity offered by your platform. This gives potential virtual attendees the ability to explore the online format in advance. Those who plan to attend in person will also be incentivized to familiarize themselves with the platform in advance.

2. Offer audio-only content to avoid zoom fatigue Limited to the virtual aspect of hybrid events, potential attendees may experience "zoom fatigue" - and fatigue not only from being watched but also from watching others on a screen - and some may prefer engagement through audio-only. While it's still a good idea to offer video content and more interactive features, like questions and answers, it's a good idea to design some sessions that work in a similar way to podcasts. On the other hand, online involvement is all based on choice: you can go from the minimum concentration required by the background audio to the maximum participation, facilitated by strings of comments and live polls. Position small events as exclusive rather than limited. When marketing the live experience, organizers must think of unique experiences worth being physical. Potential attendees may find a small event disadvantageous and wonder what the networking potential of an affair with 10, 20, or 45 people are compared to the hundreds they might be used to. Since attendees can tune in to events anywhere in the world through virtual attendance, organizers need to think about highlighting their event venue. To promote in-person participation and optimize cross-promotion opportunities, the idea of hosting an influencer on-site for a pre-event interventionist may be considered. Take advantage of hybrid interaction to reassure potential participants. The event's marketing should also take into account the interaction between the audience present in person and the virtual one. Setting up an "ambassador" system through which live participants would be matched to a group of remote participants. Assuming the role of influencer, the ambassador present in person will volunteer to share the highlights of the event and answer questions. Use social media to create an online community aimed at constant engagement The planning of social media event activities should be long-term oriented: true events, Facebook groups, hashtags that are kept alive and in circulation, Instagram accounts that show behind the scenes of event production and highlight both the speakers that the influencers, as well as the particularly active members of the community with interesting things to say. Creating a social media community around the event and its brand will provide future iterations, spin-offs and more with an audience ready and waiting. Ideally, in-person attendees and remote attendees should actively interact online even before the event begins. In conclusion, hybrid events represent a marketing challenge and represent an opportunity for innovation that translates into unique strengths.