As the event marketing industry grows and evolves each year, we see trends come and go. One that I believe is going to have a permanent impact on our business is the marriage of live experiences with virtual/online technology, otherwise known as hybrid events.
By giving an attendee or consumer the option to choose how they want to experience an event and its content, clients can extend the life and reach of their events and maximize experience potential by blending both types of environments… before, during and after the physical event.
Benefits to Hybrid Events
Pre-Event Promotion: A virtual event before the live event can provide a cost-effective preview of what’s to come.
Participation: Online technology allows attendees greater freedom to ask questions and give immediate feedback.
Content Reach: A virtual recap of the physical event can extend the life of the event’s content well into the future.
Attendance: Online technology can greatly expand an event’s reach to those that could not physically attend. Also, virtual events tend to increase traffic to physical events and vice versa.
Post-Event Measurement: Analytics can be gathered from digital attendees, tracking their every move online. Clients have the ability to quickly see which topics and sessions are more popular by demand, etc.
Many of our clients have already begun or are strongly considering adding a mix of technology applications and digital media to their physical events.
Including:
- Text Messaging
- Podcasts
- Webcasts
- Twitter
- Social Media (Facebook)
- Video Sharing (YouTube)
- Photo Sharing (read about the EA PhotoShare Solution here)
- Virtual Event & Tradeshow Platforms
Face-to-face interaction will never be replaced completely by virtual technology in my opinion, simply because most people like to meet and discuss important topics in person; however, in the next few years, I would venture to guess that most events will have a virtual component to them. Especially, as people become more and more comfortable with online experiences in their everyday lives.
Read more "The year of hybrid events" by Inxpo's CEO Malcolm Lotzof, featured in B2B Magazine.
EA added social media to the mix with a Twitter cafe at the 2010 Sales Conference for United Airlines.