With the government repurposing major event venues like Marina Bay Sands and Singapore Expo into hybrid event studios, hybrid events will most likely be the new norm for the events industry.
In fact, hybrid events might even become more popular than fully virtual events as participants may still want to experience the event physically. Hybrid events are definitely the way to go for the events industry during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Read on to find out more about hybrid events and why they are an even better alternative than virtual events.
What are Hybrid Events
Hybrid events are events which are a “live” in person event with a “virtual” component. Any physical event that has both a physical and online audience and has segments conducted virtually can be considered a hybrid event.
Hybrid events work especially well for large-scale events like trade shows, virtual exhibitions and conferences which have traditionally brought together industry leaders from all over the world to share new ideas and network together.
In order to reach out to their online audiences, hybrid events will live stream the event in real-time.
We recommend engaging a professional live streaming service provider for your hybrid event who can ensure minimal disruption to your event live stream. This is crucial to ensure that your online audiences will be able to attend the event seamlessly.
Virtual vs Hybrid Events
Since this Covid-19 period, most of us have experienced at least a few virtual events. Some benefits of hosting these virtual events include:
- Time saved for both participants and speakers. Without having to travel to the event venue, participants and speakers just need to log into the virtual event platform to take part in the event.
- Lower costs for the event organiser. Virtual events remove costs like lodging for overseas participants or guests, rental of event venues, physical marketing collaterals etc.
- Faster data and feedback collection. Online event platforms are able to provide a multitude of data points for the event organiser. Organisers can look at the number of clicks, user journey and view time amongst other metrics to gain deeper insights about their participants. Participants can also give real time feedback to the event via comments and chat boxes.
- Wider audience reach. Your event can be marketed to a wider audience who can participate from anywhere in the world.
However, virtual events can also feel colder and less personal than physical events.
Without the face-to-face human interaction, some participants may find it harder to connect with the event hosts and participants. Online engagement tools like Kahoot and QnA platforms like Pigeonhole might not be enough to make up for the physical human connections that we are used to. This could be a strong factor to turn people away from participating in your virtual event.
Virtual events also have to worry about participant fluctuation. Participants might leave your event half-way, or simply walk away from their screens during the event. Some participants might even sign up but not attend the event at all. With all these different possibilities, it becomes harder for virtual events to keep participants engaged throughout the entire session.
Benefits of Hybrid Events
Hybrid events, on the other hand, are able to tackle these challenges faced by virtual events.
Participants who attend the event physically will be able to have physical interactions and network sessions with event hosts and participants. Even though participants will be 1 metre apart, this form of physical connection and social interaction in person might be more personable and warm than a chat on an online platform.
Physical participants are also more willing to engage with your event since they decided to attend the event despite the many social distancing measures in place.
Virtual participants who are unable to make it or who prefer to participate in the event virtually also have an option of attending your event from the comforts of their own home.
Hybrid Events in Singapore
Hybrid events are slowly becoming more popular in Singapore.
Recently, the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) hosted multiple hybrid conferences and talks regarding the importance of seeking cleaner energy sources. SIEW was held between 26th October and 30th October.
One of the conferences that was held was the Global Ministerial Conference on System Integration of Renewables. This conference, which was streamed on their website for virtual participants, had a mix of in-person speakers and speakers who connected in virtually.
Adhering to the Safe Management Measures
With phase 3 round the corner, hybrid events will be expected to adhere to the new Safe Management Measures being implemented.
Did you know that government agencies might ask for photo and video evidence to ensure that your hybrid event adheres to the Safe Management Measures?
We recommend engaging a professional event photography and videography service provider who can take event highlight photo and videos of your event. This way, your photos and videos will clearly showcase the Safe Management Measures implemented to keep your participants safe.
Our team will also ensure that we adhere to the safe management measures implemented at the event venue.
Providing Media Solutions to Support Your Hybrid Event Needs
At Vivid Snaps, event videography, photography and live streaming are our forte. We offer a wide variety of services to support our client’s event needs.
For hybrid events, we offer the following services:
- Live Streaming and Webcasting. Our dedicated live streaming technical crew can help you manage the live streaming segment of your hybrid event to provide the best live video viewing experience for the audiences who are joining in the even virtually.
- Event Photography. Showcase the highlights of your hybrid event with professional event photographs that capture the best memories from your event.
- Instant Roving Photography. We offer an instant print photography service where our roving photographer will go around and take photos of the event participants who are physically present at the hybrid event.
- Event Videography. We also have a team of videographers who can capture an event highlight video for your post-event marketing purposes. Event highlight videos can also be used to as publicity collaterals to promote your future events.
- Pre-event Videography. If required, our videography team can also conceptualise and film a promotional video for your hybrid event.
- Behind-the-scenes Photography and Videography. Why let your carefully planned event setup go to waste? Consider shooting professional behind-the-scenes photos and videos to show your audiences how you are able to hold your hybrid event while adhering to the safe management measures.
- Event Set-up Time Lapse. Our experienced team is also capable of shooting an event set up time lapse sequence, which can be incorporated into your behind-the-scenes or event highlight video.
Need a Photography, Videography or a Live Streaming Service Provider?
Whether you’re looking for a live streaming service provider to broadcast your event live, or an event photography or videography team to capture the highlights of your hybrid event, we can provide the media solution to support your hybrid event needs.
Drop us a message via the chat box at the side of the page today and we will get back to you.
