Hybrid: Intentional Checklist

Excerpt from Intentional Event Design, Our Professional Opportunity (Endean, 2017)

Checklist Five: Hybrid Events

Hybrid events combine face-to-face and virtual audiences and allow you to share your content across a much broader audience. With appropriate use of back channels, either private within the selected platform or other social channels, a hybrid has the power to connect across borders and boundaries. In our current state where audiences may or may not be travel or gather as we near the end of a global pandemic declaration, hybrid events offer a great solution for bringing together the largest audience.

If you just need a short primer to incorporate these, here you go!

Ten Basic Steps to Hybrid Event Success

• Start with WHY you are having a hybrid event.
• Plan the structure of your meeting to consider how you will integrate the two audiences.
• Have an event timeline that allows you appropriate time to setup, test all your lines and rehearse both setups and integration. Long before you go live.
• Work with trusted partners – venue, audio visual (AV), live streaming, internet – everyone has an important role.
• Create a collaborative space before, during and after the event, involve a chat moderator who brings the live experience to the virtual audience.
• Consider the whole environment. What does it look like on camera? Do you need a studio set for your virtual host?
• Cameras are critical – minimum of two please.
• Sound is critical – don’t skimp on microphones.
• Define team roles and fill with the appropriate people both backstage and in front of the camera.