How do you organise a hybrid conference?

Conferences are hosted to serve various purposes. But the significant reason for hosting a conference is discussing particular topics. And depending upon the subject, a conference can be categorised as Academic, Business or Trade. And these conferences are crucial for lots of people.

Since last year, all the events have shifted to the online world. And we saw a diverse range of virtual events. It also included virtual conferences. But now the situation is changing. One can expect the return of the conferences to the physical world. However, this time in the form of a Hybrid conference. But what is a hybrid conference?

Hybrid events and conferences

A hybrid conference belongs to a vast category of hybrid events. These events are physical in nature. But they also host virtual audiences along with living audiences. This makes the events more accessible. And provide the audiences with more choices to attend the event. Also, a hybrid event allows you to communicate face-to-face.

To host a hybrid conference, you need a physical venue and a hybrid event platform. And if you are seeking how to host a hybrid conference, just follow the steps mentioned below.

Steps to host a hybrid conference

Decide the basic

Start planning your hybrid conference by deciding the basics about your event. Does this include what the conference is about? Or whom you are targeting with this conference? And so on.

After this, pick the date and time of the conference. And prepare the list of potential speakers and guests. Also, estimate the number of attendees, both live and virtual.

2. Budget for the conference

After deciding the basics about your conference, it’s time to prepare the budget. But before working on the budget, consider all the factors and requirements for the event. For instance, a hybrid event requires a physical venue and a Hybrid event platform to host both audiences. So prepare your budget accordingly.

3. Event Venue and platform

Apart from the budget, the event venue and platform are the most essential things. So you need to be careful while booking the venue and the platform.

While booking the venue, consider the estimated number of live audiences. And for selecting the Hybrid event platform, you need to consider other things like interface, engagement features and networking tools.

4. Inviting speakers and guest

Since you are hosting a conference, you need to invite guests and speakers. But to get the desired guests/speakers, you need to send the invitations in advance to get confirmation. Also, include necessary details about your event like the date, time and venue.

5. Promoting the conference

You need to spread the word for your conference to get the audience. Start promoting your conference a few months before the event date. Build a website for your event. And use social media platforms to direct people to this website. For this, you need tailored content for each social media platform. And an effective strategy to reach a broader audience on social media.

6. Reaching out to sponsors

A hybrid event has the potential to host more people in comparison to physical events. So use this factor to your advantage and get as many sponsors for your conference as you can.

Apart from monetary gains, sponsors can help in promoting your conference. Also, the image of your conference will be formed based on that of the sponsors. So popular sponsors can help in attracting more people to your event.

7. Share platform tutorial

To ensure a smooth experience for the virtual audience at your conference, provide a platform tutorial. Try to get the tutorial in video format. It will help the attendees get familiar and comfortable with the Hybrid event platform. Thus, reducing the chances of confusion during the event.

8. Rehearsals

The last thing that is left is rehearsing the event. It includes checking the event arrangements like the venue and the Hybrid event platform. Also, go through the event schedule.

Apart from this, you can identify potential issues. And can address these issues. Hence, increasing the chances of the success of your event.

Follow these steps to host a successful Hybrid conference.