HYBRID EVENTS: THE FUTURE OF THE EVENTS INDUSTRY – News Block

The events industry is, naturally, one that has borne the brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown restrictions that come with it. Many of the events that many of us expected were wiped out in a puff of smoke. Revenue was lost and sponsors were dejected, in the sense that the events industry would witness an implosion of tectonic proportions, literally.

While events have been postponed and event planners are already gearing up for events to return in a big way in 2021, we’ve come to embrace online events, such as conference event app platforms and much more. From there will arise the birth of hybrid events, an offline event that is also broadcast online in parallel. In this article, we’re going to take a look at tips and tricks for making hybrid events work and how to prepare for the future of events when in-person events resume.

As we mentioned, in-person events will start again soon, but most of them will be a mix of virtual and in-person events with live streaming options. Therefore, it is imperative that we have an adequate response to the enormous challenges that the classification of infrastructure and related technologies can pose for us.

In some cases, for places large enough like a hotel or a conference room, it is necessary to take care of even more sophisticated technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The rise of a 5G world brings many opportunities to host ongoing events across the vast expanses of the world with people of different backgrounds mingling. We present a list of tips for efficient hybrid event management.

1. Use the right camera: It’s not news that good cameras provide a rich and sharp viewing experience, and in fact, it’s one of the key necessities of running a hybrid live streaming event.

1. 1. Do you have discussion boards that need close-ups? Do you have a wide range of guests who need a pan and focus accordingly? What are your camera requirements?

1. 1. b. Screen size: You need a camera that can stream on all the screen types a user might use to tune in to this event.

1. 1. Do you need a rich visual feature that supports HD streaming?

• High quality microphones: People who work with event registration applicationsAudio quality has been lauded as one of the top things you need to make sure that it is delivered in uninterrupted quality without noise. Wireless lavalier microphones are proven to be noise-free and look more elegant on your conference speakers and provide less ambient noise. Consider implementing an audio operator who will be in charge of sound quality and mute and unmute microphones as required. In addition, you’ll need microphone operators to reach the audience for Q&A, as remote listeners will become involved if they can hear questions directed at speakers.

• Robust internet connection: It goes without saying that in order to live stream smoothly, it is of the utmost importance to have a stable and independent internet connection to stream smoothly around the world. You must ensure that there is a cable connection dedicated solely for Livestream purposes and that no other devices have access to the Internet. A frank discussion with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will help you determine the bandwidth required to host events at your scale.

• On-site technical support: With these hybrid events now going to be very technology intensive, it is imperative that there is a team of support professionals in place to help with any system hiccups. They must be people with complete knowledge of the technological parts involved in the organization of the event.

• Test, test, test: Before the event begins, take some time to ensure that the equipment, electrical need is met, and the settings that need to be in place for the event to run smoothly. Lighting, camera, and audio are your holy trinity to ensure in addition to supporting technology.

Embrace a combination of virtual + face-to-face events, that is, hybrid events are the future of events. “No event will be 100% offline,” say industry experts. All is not lost though, events still need hosting venues and a lot of additional supporting technology which means our event core will remain intact and we must say that with the new virtual events our ability to host events will only see an increase in reach and audience engagement.