Hybrid meetings utilize cutting edge equipment and technology to connect virtual and in-person attendees for a unified experience. The problem is, most businesses don’t own the equipment needed for a hybrid meeting, or know how to operate hybrid meeting technology. Yet, companies must quickly adapt, or they will be left behind as the world goes “hybrid”, which is happening fast.
McKinsey & Company, global leaders in business strategy, estimate 90% of organizations will adopt some combination of remote and on-site work as they emerge from Covid restrictions. A survey conducted by Upwork, the world’s largest talent marketplace, indicates by the year 2028, upwards of 78% of teams will have remote workers. If your company wants to stay relevant, you will need to offer hybrid meetings that actively engage both virtual and in-person attendees.
With the right equipment and technology for your hybrid meeting, and an educated team that knows how to run the show, hybrid events elevate both the in-person and virtual experience. Far more sophisticated than their casual cousin, video conferencing, hybrid meetings are vastly more complex to conduct than meeting in-person or virtually. Even the experts at the Harvard Business Review note that hybrid events are “easy to do poorly and hard to do well.”
To produce a quality hybrid meeting experience, you will need impressively built equipment that includes a variety of cameras, microphones, and speakers, and the cables, switches, and splitters necessary for professional live streaming setups. Perhaps most important are video encoders that enable high-quality video and audio to be streamed in real-time, expertly configured to ensure they don’t overload any processing systems.
Hiring an experienced team of hybrid and virtual event production professionals is a smart choice to ensure a first-class experience for all in attendance.
Choosing a virtual platform is as important as choosing a venue. When a hybrid event is done right, virtual attendees are able to have the same interactive experience as those attending in person.
Specialized hybrid event technologies offer a variety of ways to engage both your in-person and virtual audience, bringing them together for a shared experience. Technologies like live polling and Q&A sessions keep viewers watching, surveys and knowledge tests are a great way to ensure participants pay attention, and gamification adds an element of fun, and incentive to participate.
Hybrid Meeting Equipment Checklist
Having the right equipment for your hybrid meeting is as important as the content you will present. A successful hybrid meeting depends on equipment and technology. To start, you’ll need a stable, secure internet connection, speakers with crisp sound, microphones that guarantee every word is heard clearly, cameras that capture all content and attendees, and much more. This hybrid meeting equipment checklist can help ensure you have what you need:
By now it’s clear that, for most businesses, your smartest and most likely safest move is to partner with a hybrid event management company, rather than to try and produce your event by yourself. Hiring a team of experts saves you time and money, reduces stress, eliminates worries, and empowers you to focus on what you do best: creating content that wows your audience.
A hybrid event can be complicated to pull off, as many pieces need to be seamlessly integrated to be engaging for all who attend. It’s best to hire a seasoned team of professionals who’ve successfully produced thousands of events, helping companies like yours with every aspect from planning to production. When considering a hybrid event management company, look for the following services in this checklist:
One does not “wing it” when hosting a hybrid event. Each moment must be thoroughly planned out down to the most minute detail. Producing a high-quality hybrid experience requires high-tech equipment you probably don’t have, and hybrid technology you most likely don’t have access to, nor the time it will take to learn how to use it. In short, producing a hybrid event is complicated, and hard for a beginner to pull off successfully.
Your hybrid event might include camera changes from keynote speakers to speaker panels, switching from live feed streams to prerecorded portions, dynamic presentations, engaging your audience with interactive games or live virtual networking opportunities, or dozens of other segments that are best managed with the help of professional hybrid event management experts.
The team at AMP Event Group is ahead of the curve, providing event planners with recommendations for the optimal equipment, platforms, and technology to communicate their messages with a positive and memorable impact. Capable of fulfilling unique hosting needs, AMP Event Group helps generate custom-designed content using state-of-the-art tools that allow for complete creative control of a conference, meeting, or event. No matter your industry, from your first idea to the final implementation of your hybrid meeting, the experts at AMP will deliver everything you need to host a first-class hybrid event. Contact AMP Event Group today to get started!