For entrepreneurs trying to grow their businesses, effective engagement has never been more important. Events are a great way to achieve this engagement, and in-person events are beginning to dominate calendars as restrictions lift. But a return to face-to-face risks losing the valuable customer insights which virtual events offer, as in-person events present fewer opportunities to gather insight-rich data from delegates. The result will be a data ‘black hole’.

A ‘black hole’ of data, a hybrid approach

The pandemic has witnessed many new trends, with one being an explosion in the use of virtual events as a response to social distancing restrictions and lockdowns. Data from Eventbrite shows that by November 2020, attendees were spending 34x more time attending virtual events than they had been in January 2020. One virtual events platform saw growth in use of 1000%. 

This growth in virtual events may have required adaptation for many businesses, but it has also given companies a new level of insight into their audiences. This is because data analysis can show which content has generated the most meaningful engagement. Hybrid platforms which track both digital and in-person engagement offer the best of both worlds. Events retain the flexibility of virtual platforms whilst offering the social perks of traditional engagement. They maximise opportunities for data-driven business growth; a model which businesses should be working to make the standard. 

Proper implementation needed

Though businesses should approach with caution. Without proper implementation, a hybrid event may fall short of its potential engagement- and data-generating potential. A hybrid event in the scantest definition of the term – an in-person conference with a video camera included as an afterthought at the back of the room – will never deliver the experience and insights of a hybrid event which considers the interplay between the physical gathering and the remote one. 

The virtual and physical elements must be of the highest quality and on equal footing. Businesses must consider the equality of each audience type. In-person attendees and remote delegates may receive different experiences, but experiences on a parr with one another in terms of quality. Technology is the answer to this, and both event providers and businesses should invest in tech that will stream live events whilst also offering the interactive digital elements that we have grown used to.

If a hybrid event can achieve this, meaningful engagement and an accurate, intelligent post-event data report will be the result.  

Enabling a shift to greater sustainability

The events industry prior to the pandemic was one of the worst offenders in terms of carbon emissions. In-person events come with a significant environmental impact and often require long-distance travel. Now, some of the largest organisations in Europe are pledging to reduce business travel time by as much as 50%. 

The fact that hybrid facilitates remote participation means that a large proportion of attendees no longer have to worry about carbon emissions and travel. Hybrid events will allow businesses to be more sustainable without sacrificing levels of engagement, and business leaders should consider this benefit as a factor in reaching their zero carbon goals. 

Value of time

Lockdown, the end of the commute and spending more time with loved ones has all contributed to a fundamental shift in how we value our time. Hybrid events, with their flexibility of choice, allow people to engage with consistently relevant content through whichever channels offer them the best value for time. Furthermore, more accessible content can be available for longer, enabling speakers to reach a wider number of people.

This revolution in engagement, brought about by hybrid events, is something young and growing businesses can take advantage of. They make sense from an environmental, commercial and inclusivity point of view, built on the belief that no walls, no clocks, means no limits.