Hybrid events have become a smart way for businesses to bring people together, wherever they are. By combining an in-person event with a virtual experience, you can reach a wider audience without losing the energy and connection of being in the room.
But successful hybrid events need more than a camera and a video call. From choosing the right venue and technology to keeping both audiences engaged, there are plenty of details to consider. Here’s our step-by-step guide to planning a hybrid event that works for everyone.
What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event combines a traditional, in-person event with a virtual experience for people joining remotely. The two audiences take part in the same overall event, even though they may be experiencing it from different locations.
Hybrid events can work particularly well for:
Conferences and seminars – allowing speakers and delegates to join from anywhere.
Company meetings and AGMs – bringing together employees, stakeholders and shareholders across different locations.
Training and workshops – giving employees the flexibility to attend in person or online.
Product launches – combining an engaging physical launch with a wider online audience.
Panel discussions and thought-leadership events – making it easier to include speakers and guests who cannot travel to London.
For the in-person element, the venue still matters enormously. A space such as One Birdcage Walk offers modern AV capabilities alongside distinctive surroundings, while RSA House combines flexible event spaces with built-in AV – useful ingredients for a hybrid format.
What are the benefits of hybrid events for businesses?
Hybrid events offer businesses the best of both worlds: the atmosphere and networking opportunities of a physical event, alongside the reach and flexibility of a virtual one.
1. Reach a wider audience
Not everyone can travel to London for an event. A virtual option means international clients, remote employees and busy stakeholders can still take part.
2. Increase accessibility
Hybrid events can make it easier for people with travel, mobility or scheduling requirements to participate. With the right planning, you can create a more inclusive experience for your audience.
3. Reduce travel requirements
Fewer people travelling to the venue can help reduce the overall travel footprint of your event, while giving attendees greater flexibility.
4. Extend the life of your content
A hybrid event can create valuable digital content, from recorded presentations and interviews to clips for social media and future marketing campaigns.
5. Give attendees more choice
Some guests love being in the room, while others prefer joining from their desk. Offering both options lets people choose the format that works best for them.
6. Create more opportunities for engagement
With the right technology, your virtual audience can take part in polls, Q&As, live chats and discussions rather than simply watching a livestream.
How to plan a hybrid event step by step
Planning two connected experiences can sound complicated, but breaking the process down makes it much more manageable.
1. Start with your objectives
Before choosing a venue or technology, decide what you want the event to achieve.
Are you launching something new? Sharing knowledge? Bringing teams together? Generating leads? Your objectives should influence everything from the format and speakers to your choice of venue.
2. Understand your two audiences
Think about your in-person and virtual attendees separately. What does each group need from the event?
For example, people attending in person may value networking and informal conversations, while remote attendees may prioritise accessible content, interaction and flexibility.
3. Choose a hybrid-friendly venue
Your venue needs to work for both the people in the room and those watching remotely.
Look for:
- Reliable, high-speed internet
- Good-quality AV equipment
- Suitable lighting
- Multiple camera positions
- Space for production equipment
- Strong acoustics
- A dedicated AV or technical team
- Breakout spaces where required
RCP London Events is a particularly interesting option for conference-style events, with AV support and livestreaming facilities that can help connect the physical and virtual sides of your event.
4. Design the programme for both audiences
Avoid simply putting a camera at the front of the room and calling it a hybrid event.
Instead, consider how remote attendees will experience every part of the programme. Build in virtual Q&As, online polls, moderated chat and opportunities to ask questions.
5. Get your technology right
Technology can make or break a hybrid event.
Choose a reliable streaming platform and test everything well before the day. Check cameras, microphones, presentations, internet connections, lighting and streaming quality.
Most importantly, have a technical plan B. If the Wi-Fi drops or a microphone stops working, you want your team to know exactly what to do.
6. Rehearse
Run a full technical rehearsal before the event. Ideally, have your speakers practise presenting both to the physical room and the virtual audience.
Check transitions, slides, microphones, cameras and any interactive elements. A rehearsal is also the perfect opportunity to identify anything that could confuse or distract remote attendees.
7. Have someone looking after the virtual audience
Your in-person event team shouldn’t have to monitor everything.
Consider having a dedicated virtual moderator who can welcome online attendees, manage questions, monitor the chat and flag technical issues to the production team.
8. Measure the results
After the event, look at both sides of the experience.
For example, measure registrations, attendance, engagement, poll responses, questions, networking activity, watch time and post-event feedback. This will help you understand what worked and improve your next hybrid event.
Ways to create an engaging experience for both audiences
The biggest mistake you can make with a hybrid event is treating your virtual audience as an afterthought.
Here are some simple ways to keep everyone involved:
Use interactive technology. Polls, quizzes, Q&As and live chat give remote attendees a reason to participate rather than simply watch.
Bring online questions into the room. Make it clear that virtual attendees can ask questions and give them the same visibility as people attending in person.
Use a dedicated virtual host. A host or moderator can welcome remote guests, explain what’s happening and keep conversations moving.
Keep sessions concise. Long periods of passive viewing can be tiring, particularly for people watching remotely. Mix presentations with discussion, interaction and breaks.
Create networking opportunities. Consider virtual networking rooms, facilitated introductions or online discussion groups alongside physical networking.
Make presentations visually engaging. Good lighting, clear slides and varied content are important for both audiences, but particularly for those watching on a screen.
Talk to the camera. Encourage speakers to acknowledge the virtual audience rather than focusing exclusively on the people in the room.
Hybrid event ideas and formats
There are plenty of ways to make a hybrid event more interesting than a straightforward livestream.
Hybrid conference
Host keynote speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions at a London venue while allowing remote delegates to join selected sessions online.
Hybrid product launch
Create an immersive launch experience for guests in the venue and stream the key reveal, demonstrations or presentations to a wider online audience.
Hybrid training day
Combine face-to-face workshops with online sessions, making it easier for employees across different offices or locations to participate.
Hybrid AGM
A hybrid AGM can allow shareholders and stakeholders to attend in person or participate remotely, with presentations and questions managed across both audiences.
Hybrid panel discussion
Bring several experts together in a London venue while inviting additional speakers to join virtually. This can make it easier to build a diverse panel without everyone having to travel.
Hybrid awards event
Host the ceremony in a memorable venue while allowing colleagues, nominees and guests who cannot attend to watch and participate online.
For something particularly memorable, a venue such as RSA House can provide a distinctive backdrop for conferences, product launches and other corporate events, while its flexible spaces can help you create different experiences throughout the day.
Common challenges and how to overcome them
Even the best-planned hybrid events can encounter a few challenges. The key is to anticipate them.
Challenge: Technical problems
Solution: Test all equipment, internet connections and streaming platforms in advance. Have technical support available throughout the event and prepare backup equipment where possible.
Challenge: Remote attendees feel forgotten
Solution: Build interaction into the programme and give virtual attendees dedicated moderation, Q&A opportunities and networking options.
Challenge: Poor audio or video quality
Solution: Don’t rely on basic webcams and microphones. Work with your venue and production team to establish professional camera, sound and lighting requirements before the event.
Challenge: Speakers focus only on the physical audience
Solution: Brief speakers beforehand. Encourage them to address the camera, acknowledge online participants and pause regularly for virtual questions.
Challenge: The event feels too long online
Solution: Review your agenda from a remote attendee’s perspective. Break up longer sessions, introduce interactive elements and schedule screen breaks.
Challenge: Different audiences have different experiences
Solution: Don’t try to make the physical and virtual experiences identical. Instead, make sure both are equally valuable. The in-person audience can benefit from networking and atmosphere, while the virtual audience can have digital interaction and flexible access to content.
A successful hybrid event isn’t simply an in-person event with a livestream added at the last minute. It needs thoughtful planning, the right technology and a venue that can support both audiences.
Start by defining your objectives, understand what your two audiences need, choose a venue with the right AV and connectivity, and build engagement into the programme from the beginning. Most importantly, rehearse everything before the big day and make sure someone is responsible for the virtual experience.
With the right planning, a hybrid event can give your business the atmosphere of a live event while extending your reach far beyond the venue.
Looking for the right space for your next event? Explore eve’s London venue portfolio or discover our meeting and conference venues and let us help you find a venue that fits your brief.