Rise in hybrid meetings proves live sessions not ‘gone with the wind’

The trend towards hybrid events seems to be on the rise, according to the event specialists at Bok Dams, one of the internationally leading agencies for events and live-marketing, reports conworld.net.

"Not only the increasing interest in hybrid elements expressed in client briefings, but also the great popularity of the Bok Dams study ‘Hybrid Events – Innovation Trend in Live Communication’ is proof of that," the site says.

But at the same time, the move towards hybrid meetings is also alleviating fears that physical meetings are fated to be an endangered species.

"The advent of hybrid meetings  —  online presence complementing and enhancing physical events  —  is putting to rest concerns that face-to-face meetings might be reduced even further or possibly become obsolete," writes meeting consultant David  Brudney.

"Meeting professionals no longer fear that virtual event technology will cannibalize their physical programs," wrote Maxine Golding in Conference Direct Meeting Mentor Online last year. "Instead, they project that online components of meetings will help organizations and corporations broaden market reach and deepen value to all constituents—members, customers, suppliers, (and) partners."

"We’ve reached the tipping point," said Michael Doyle, executive director of the Virtual Edge Institute. "It’s now a given that you need online presence with your physical event. Together they drive business engagement and create new revenue opportunities."

Doyle characterized hybrid meetings as a "powerful tool" that was still in its early stages of development.

"In today’s cost-conscious business environment, PMUSA forecasts that new technologies will also drive continued growth in hybrid meetings," reports PRWEB, attributing the idea to Publicis Meetings USA (PMUSA).

By incorporating hybrid components into their meetings, clients are saving money, achieving higher attendance rates and promoting sustainability, the site says.

Bok Dams has coined a formula to describe the combination of real and virtual elements. It works like this: hybrid events=live+MoSoLo (for mobile applications/social media/location-based services).

In addition to the definition of hybrid elements, the study also provides practical examples of how awareness of and involvement in events can be increased significantly.

This integrative combination of live-marketing and MoSoLo before, during and after an event fosters an efficient increase in achieving one’s goals through user involvement, says conworld.net.

"Let us hope these new hybrid meetings flourish; they’re a win-win for hotels, groups, suppliers and customers," said Brudney. "And please, let us not hear again that physical events and face-to-face meetings will be ‘gone with the wind."

By David Wilkening