Maximizing Venue Potential for Hybrid Events With Lluís Plans

Hybrid events, which combine in-person and virtual experiences, have become the new norm in the event industry. They offer the best of both worlds, allowing organizers to reach a broader audience while maintaining the engagement and interaction of traditional in-person events. 

However, maximizing the potential of your chosen venue is crucial to the success of a hybrid event.

In this event industry expert series, Lluís Plans shares his expert insights to enhance both in-person and virtual experiences, ensuring that your venue is fully equipped to support a successful hybrid event.

Insights From Lluís Plans

– What are some key considerations venues should take into account when planning for hybrid events, particularly in terms of technological infrastructure and logistical support?

After the pandemic, many people thought that hybrid events would be the future of the events industry and that organizers and companies would have to drastically change the way they planned their events.

However, time has reminded us that in the MICE industry, the ultimate goal is networking. People go to congresses to learn, see new products in person, maybe even try them, enjoy a dinner with their potential partners, and, basically, interact with other people.

Hybrid does not fit in here.

However, that situation did open the possibility of making meetings accessible to people who would not attend the congress and using the highlights of the speeches as a marketing tool.

– How can venues effectively balance the needs of both in-person and virtual attendees to create a seamless experience for all participants?

You can’t obviously do anything that matches the experience of talking face-to-face with another person, so you can only focus on providing a seamless experience for online meeting attendees.

As a venue you must provide a very good internet connection, one that really allows the organizer to broadcast the meetings at full quality. That’s the main point.

But you will also need to be able to provide excellent broadcast and AV equipment, and a very experienced team so that the people watching from home can enjoy a dynamic session rather than a boring static camera broadcast.

Watching a presentation for two hours from your computer or the tiny screen of your cell phone can be difficult, as there are multiple distractions around you. So, you better have a good product online if you want to keep the audience engaged.

– How can venues support event organizers in monetizing hybrid events, whether through ticket sales, sponsorships, or other revenue streams?

Again, the key is what happens in the sessions and the abilities of your broadcasting team with the signal they record and send. You can provide pay-per-view software to help the organizers charge for viewing the meeting, insert sponsors’ logos on the screen, or even à la carte registration fees.

We once had what we called “ A coffee with…” where people would pay to chat online with some of the speakers. Those were 1 to 1 sessions with experts, and people paid to meet with them.

– Are there any specific strategies or best practices you recommend for venues looking to optimize their offerings for hybrid events?

Invest in your internet connection and look for good AV partners with excellent broadcasting experience. Everyone should focus on these points.

For more in the Events Industry Experts series, check out our interview with Jonathan Pritchard, Shawn Cheng, Olivia Preston-Lee, Patric Weiler, Shameka Jennings, Janice Cardinale, Courtney Stanley, Helen Moon, Danica Tormohlen, Ashley Brown, Jason Allan Scott, Brandt Krueger, Corbin Ball, Will Curran, and Stephan Murtagh today!

Are you interested in sharing your insights or viewpoints with the events industry? Join the Eva Talk.