Inntelligent News 2021

Sign up to our monthly enewsletter You'll be the first to know about all the exciting news from us! Email Inntel to register today marketing@inntel.co.uk For more information on our newsletters call Inntel on 0844 847 5500 or email the team at marketing@inntel.co.uk INNTEL EMAIL NEWSLETTER INNTELLIGENT NEWS - ISSUE 17 The myths around hybrid meetings Over the past year, the landscape of meetings and events has changed considerably, perhaps forever. Meetings, events and staying connected in general had to adapt very quickly to allow business to continue as normal. Most people are now used to attending virtual meetings daily and many are likely to have attended a virtual conference or large online event over the past year. It is generally accepted that hybrid events will be the way forward on the path to recovery as people transition from virtual to in-person meetings and events. However, the term ‘hybrid’ seems to cause some uncertainty as the perception is that hybrid events could cost more, are harder to plan and execute effectively, and could be less engaging for the delegates. These are the myths and we will demonstrate in this article why they are just misconceptions. Face to face meetings are always the best option There are many opportunities which can arise from a hybrid event as not only does it allow you to reach a wider audience but also allows the use of state of the art technology. This could either be a global audience attending an event spanning various time zones or a larger single market audience connecting at the same time from different locations. In addition to this, it is likely that not everyone will feel comfortable attending in-person events immediately and hybrid events provide the choice to join either in-person or virtually. Hybrid events require a larger budget Certain elements of a hybrid event budget will look different to that of an in-person equivalent such as the size of venue required and catering. Many venue suppliers have spent their time whilst being closed adapting their offering to include a hybrid package which means that you will not have the cost of an external supplier. Asking Inntel to source a venue with hybrid solutions will allow options to match any budget. You should also consider updating you meetings policy to include the option of hybrid events alongside virtual and in- person events. Attendees might not be as engaged at a hybrid event Event planners have to make sure that the virtual offering works alongside the in-person event to ensure that the objectives and ROI are met. This does not mean that they need to run symmetrical events but each group needs to feel equally engaged in terms of participation and networking. For example, having an event app available for both online and in-person delegates allows them to connect with each other. In addition, virtual networking opportunities are essential for online delegates to experience the same benefits as those attending in-person. You can also easily engage both delegate groups during sessions if speakers can see questions coming through from online attendees and both sets of delegates are able to seamlessly participate in polls. Meet better Going forward, people will choose more purposefully how to spend their time at work and it is essential that events, whether they are virtual, hybrid or in-person, deliver value to the delegate. Delegates will consider the educational content, the level of other delegates, the quality of the venue and catering and their travel time/method when deciding to attend an event. People will attend events if they can learn something, meet interesting people, enjoy the venue and food as well as it being easy and safe to travel there. As a result it is important to consider all these aspects when planning events in the future to ensure high attendance and engagement.