Hybrid Event Planning
Quickstart Guide:
Five Ways to Create an Amazing Dual Experience
INTERACTIVE PDF
M&IW Hybrid Event Planning Quick Start Guide | BACK | MENU
The rst step in event management is to clearly
understand the goals and objecves of the meeng
or event. This remains constant despite the selected
delivery method of in-person, virtual or hybrid. The
more complex the aendee journey becomes, such as
in the instance of mulple audiences in the case of a
hybrid event, the more crical this rst step in the event
management process becomes.
As a result, the various aendee journeys become the
backbone of the planning. With a variety of content
delivery methods, various engagement strategies, and
overlapping audience types, planners must REIMAGINE
the event management approach with everything from
event design and sourcing to communicaons, stakeholder
consideraons, and nancial aspects.
Overview
Event Design
Stakeholders
Sourcing
Communicaons
Financial
Bonus: Management Tips!
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Event Design
REIMAGINE Event Design by rst understanding that a hybrid event is more than an in-person and
virtual meeng mashed together.
Two Aendee Paths:
The paths of the in-person and virtual aendee, as well as
the in-person and virtual speakers, and how they align is
the backbone of hybrid event management.
Top Consideraons:
1. The path of the virtual aendee and the path of the
in-person aendee need to align cohesively to create
one synergisc event.
2. The format and structure of each component of the
hybrid event may not need to be idencal in terms of
number of days or hours per day.
3. The in-person component will look dierent than what
was typical in the recent past due to social distancing,
health and safety protocols, COVID-19 tesng, travel
restricons and other factors.
Best Pracces:
• Diagram the experience for the dual aendee and
speaker paths. Consider the interacve experience,
depending on the locaon of the speaker and audience
(both in-person, both virtual or one of each).
• Design agendas with visual coding and a clear outline of
what the aendee will experience in their parcipaon
format.
• Consider engagement, entertainment, meals, and
giing to enhance the experience for both the virtual
and in-person aendees.
• Outline and budget accordingly for both the digital and
in-person technology requirements.
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Stakeholders
Early stakeholder clarity and support will enhance the hybrid event strategy. While many factors
tend to evolve over the course of the planning process, clearly idenfying a path becomes
imperave to success.
The top priories and role of the event stakeholders and
execuves has evolved.
Top Stakeholder Consideraons:
1. Consider how the hybrid strategy aligns with and
supports the goals and objecves of the event.
2. Meeng and corporate policies and may need to be
updated to address hybrid events.
3. Emergency preparedness planning is more crical than
before.
4. Understand the budgetary dierences between virtual
and in-person events.
Best Pracces:
• Seek professional advice to re-evaluate corporate policies
as it relates to reimagined events moving forward.
• Engage internal stakeholders and consultants to revise
meeng policies as needed.
• Update emergency preparedness plans before you
begin to provide event managers insight on elements to
consider in execuon.
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Sourcing
REIMAGINE sourcing by encouraging crical event management decisions well in advance.
More Than Logiscs:
At rst glance, it may appear the greatest adjustment in
reimagining events lies within the way event managers
plan and execute. While it is true there are enormous
shis in how event planners approach logiscs, the largest
adaptaon is how buyers and event managers will need to
engage to source a hybrid event.
Top Consideraons:
1. Event managers and buyers must change the way they
have sourced in the past with numerous decisions
regarding the logiscs of the program and agenda
conrmed well in advance.
2. Consider mulple in-person event locaons versus one
central venue to address travel and health and safety
concerns.
3. Local rules and regulaons are constantly changing.
Best Pracces:
• Decide on virtual vs. in-person components before
sourcing the in-person venue(s).
• Assign responsibility to a lead to understand and stay
on top of local regulaons.
• Develop a new sourcing discovery process that
addresses the objecves, revenue goals, success
metrics, mix of aendees, program agenda, event ow,
technology, and experienal engagement.
• Work closely with the hotel and venue partners, as
many properes are making changes and increasing in-
house capabilies to adjust to the growing virtual and
hybrid event requirements.
Financial
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Communications
REIMAGINE communicaons by placing an increased focus on strategic event markeng for your
hybrid events.
More Targeted, Less Flu
In the past, events were familiar to aendees. There was a
certain level of understanding the aendee had going into
a conference, sales or leadership meeng, product launch
or training event. That is not the case any longer. What
to expect at events moving forward comes with a level
of uncertainty for aendees, sponsors, and stakeholders.
Clear, concise, and authoritave communicaons will be
needed to alleviate that uncertainty.
Top Consideraons:
1. Aendees have a lot more quesons and don’t know
what they don’t know about events moving forward.
2. There will be many more segmented audiences based
on their aendee journey and parcipaon type.
3. How to incorporate a mulmedia strategy and leverage
mulple distribuon channels.
Best Pracces:
• Start with a well-dened, segmented communicaon
strategy and plan.
• Send communicaons early and oen; focus on a
consistent message.
• Clearly outline digital vs. physical expectaons and
elements and how they will support and engage with
each other.
• Incorporate the aendee journey into the messaging,
including, but not limited to the following:
- Website/virtual plaorms
- Invitaons and registraons
- Teasers and promoonal communicaons
- Reminders/instrucons/links to content
- Post-event access to content, surveys and
follow-ups
- In-person aendees’ code of conduct
(screenings, seang, spacing, masks, etc.)
- Speaker & presenter communicaon,
training, and rehearsals
- Creave design and video producons/
storage/on-demand content
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Financial
REIMAGINE nancial consideraons by allowing the inherent value of face-to-face meengs and the
leverage value of virtual to drive the overall value and need to invest in hybrid events.
Budget Variances:
Cost increases may include: Technology support,
producon, increased bandwidth, supplying PPE.
Stakeholders may see increases in hotel/venue F&B per
person to cover increased sta needed, room rental based
on the space needed for health and safety protocols.
Cost decreases may include: Travel (air, expense
reimbursements), overnight rooms, and hotel/venue F&B
overall with potenally fewer people on-site.
Budget reallocaons may include: “On-site” sta as
planners may need fewer people at the venue, but will
need to be reallocated to support the virtual parcipants.
Top Consideraons:
1. Hybrid isn’t necessarily less expensive; it’s just
allocang the investment dierently.
2. You can’t put a price tag on the face-to-face
experience.
3. Exhibitors and sponsors are looking for expanded and
dierent ways to reach both sets of aendees.
Best Pracces:
1. Don’t skimp on the virtual aendees! Think of
sporng events – the in-person and the virtual (TV)
audiences have dierent experiences, but both are
valuable to the sponsors.
2. Invest in pre-recorded content to maximize the crical
material that needs to be covered live.
3. If the event has exhibitors/sponsors, look at both the
virtual and in-person opportunies to drive revenue
and return for their investment.
Financial
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Bonus - Management Tips
REIMAGINE program management by understanding that basic assumpons may no longer hold
true and the way event planning is evolving.
If event managers are going to reimagine events starng
with hybrid, then the tools, templates, melines, planning
workbooks, SOPs and budget templates will in turn need to
be reimagined. This is an opportunity to not simply look at
these tools as taccal but as a consultave toolbox to lead
event stakeholder conversaon.
Top Consideraons:
1. This isn’t planning one event – it is two separate but
overlapping events.
2. Goals and objecves are the top priority. Building a
successful event starts with being able to arculate WHY
it is important.
3. The aendee is at the center of everything – whether
they are parcipang in-person or virtually.
Best Pracces:
• Start early.
• Create a comprehensive run-of-show that outlines the
program for both aendee types.
• Involve all the relevant pares in creang a cohesive
communicaon plan – not only the stakeholders
but the hotel/venue, producon company, ground
transportaon and any other vendors crical to the
success of the program.
Event Design Stakeholders Sourcing Communicaons Financial
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Resources
This is an opportunity to not simply look at these tools
as taccal but as a consultave toolbox to lead event
stakeholder conversaons.
Addional Resources:
• Hybrid Events: Unique Aendee Experiences
• 10 Consideraons for Sourcing Hybrid Events in 2021
• Virtual Meeng & Hybrid Event Producon
• Virtual Meengs & Hybrid Event Managment
• Giing Programs a Hot Topic for Hybrid Meengs
• Event Health, Safety & Emergency Planning
Looking for some Hand-On Assistance?
For more informaon about managing a hybrid event,
use cases or best pracces, call Meengs & Incenves
Worldwide directly at (262) 835-3553 and ask to speak to an
event management pro.
Already and M&IW Client?
Contact your dedicated program manager to learn how to
leverage the latest technology at your next hybrid event.
Financial
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