How to Increase Audience Engagement With a Hybrid Event

Hybrid events combine the principles of both online and face-to-face events. The attendees have the opportunities to interact with other attendees in live group discussions, with presenters via live chats, and get into otherwise closed sessions for questions and feedback.

But while hybrid events are on the rise, increasing audience engagement remains a huge challenge for the majority of event planners. The best place to start is to define and understand your audience and to whom you are going to be engaging with.

Once you have your audience persona, you need to define what engagement means to you. For some, engagement refers to how many people signed-up for their trial offer. Whereas for others it might simply refer to the number of people who attended the event.

After you define these core aspects of metrics, here are a few things you can do to increase audience engagement with a hybrid event and ensure that it is a success.

Tips to increase audience engagement with a hybrid event

Get the production part right

Hybrid events aren’t just about streaming presentations; you must choose the level of production that is not only expected from you but also one that your attendees expect from your brand. Remember that technical failures can lead to your attendees becoming disengaged and developing a negative opinion, so ensure that you master the technical aspects well in advance to avoid mishaps on the day.

This is why it is imperative to consider hiring the services of a professional hybrid event company to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day and that you are providing your guests with the best possible experience, both in terms of those attending in-person and online.

Encourage interaction

While audience engagement is a key part of any live event, it can be hard to know how to encourage questions and facilitate meaningful dialogue. It is easy for your audience to feel disconnected from an event if they aren’t being heard.

An interactive Q&A session - whether held between the talks or on the last day of the event - can help guarantee the attendees walk away from your event with worthwhile information. It will make everyone feel part of the discussion, allow you to answer individual questions more thoroughly, and act as a reminder for people when they think about your company or event.

Take breaks

While you may think hosting a longer event is ideal, the reality is that attendees can only handle so much information before they become disengaged.

Longer sessions are less effective at increasing audience engagement and ruin the experience. That's why events should be a series of experiences, where your audience can feel both inspired and informed.

You should give your attendees time to breathe by keeping shorter sessions and offering multiple breaks throughout the course of the day. That’s the best way to keep your audience engaged for the duration of the event.

Host an after-event networking party

It is common for attendees to leave right after the event is over either because they don’t know anyone there or they don't know what to do next. Fortunately, you can easily avoid this awkwardness by hosting an after-event networking party.

A networking session will not only help your attendees build connections but also amplify the value your attendees get. It will also allow them to leave your event on a lighter note after having friendly yet insightful conversations with their professional peers.

The success of any event can be measured by how involved the audience was throughout its course. With these approaches, you can ensure your hybrid event not only holds the audiences’ attention for a long time but also keeps them coming back for future ones, too.