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Hybrid and Virtual Events

Hybrid Events

Planning a business event is hard right now. So, rather than letting COVID-19 get in the way of your business event plans like it did that European holiday, let’s talk about Hybrid Events.

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We hear you. Planning a business event is hard right now. So, rather than letting COVID-19 get in the way of your business event plans like it did that European holiday, let’s talk about Hybrid Events.

Lobby 2 edited

Hybrid Events

96% of business events across Australia were cancelled or postponed in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 and we know that organisations, particularly associations, rely on business events or conferences as:

  • primary source of annual revenue;
  • an opportunity for members and delegates to grow their network;
  • provide professional development; and
  • an opportunity for sponsors to engage with members and delegates.

Put simply, another year of cancellations or postponement may disrupt the momentum that you have worked so hard to build.

So, what if we told you that a hybrid event may be the solution? In Australia, we have already seen 41% of businesses pivot from traditional events, and plan to host their next event as a hybrid or virtual experience. A hybrid event overcomes the current barriers which include reduced venue capacities, domestic and international travel restrictions and budget restraints.

Yep. That’s right. A Hybrid or Virtual Event may just be the answer to your problems when planning an event for next year and beyond..

What is a Hybrid Event?

A hybrid event connects people in person, just like a normal conference, as well as an option for an audience to join online. It is the perfect solution in a time where there is so much uncertaintly which means you can continue to make plans without the fear of another year of cancelled conferences.

There are also plenty of benefits:

  • Reduced event costs across catering, accommodation and travel.
  • Eliminates the risk of conference cancellation
  • Provides an opportunity to connect with members and clients
  • Allows you to connect with a broad and global audience.

The key to creating a successful hybrid or virtual event is to plan your program with both audiences in mind. The journey for both customers is important so your event will need to deliver value and faciltate collaboration between attendees whether they are attending in-person or online.

What is a Hybrid Event?

A hybrid event connects people in person, just like a normal conference, as well as an option for an audience to join online. It is the perfect solution in a time where there is so much uncertaintly which means you can continue to make plans without the fear of another year of cancelled conferences.

There are also plenty of benefits:

  • Reduced event costs across catering, accommodation and travel.
  • Eliminates the risk of conference cancellation
  • Provides an opportunity to connect with members and clients
  • Allows you to connect with a broad and global audience.

The key to creating a successful hybrid or virtual event is to plan your program with both audiences in mind. The journey for both customers is important so your event will need to deliver value and faciltate collaboration between attendees whether they are attending in-person or online.

What are your options?

DIGITAL EVENT SPACE

It’s a new world, in the virtual and hybrid event space but new technologies allow you to build a great environment for an online conference or event. The virtual event world is an interactive way to connect with delegates so that they can meet, mingle and learn about your products and services.

The hybrid event is about creating an experience that people love whether they are attending the venue or online. There are loads of virtual event platforms out there but rather than streaming a webinar through zoom, it is worth looking at digital event spaces. These are technologises which create seamless delegate and sponsor experiences by utilising customisable platforms and creating simulations of real life interactions.

There are platforms available which intergrate features like live presentations with green screen feeds, avatars with teleportation, help desk support, social media engagement, group discussions, Q&A’s, polls, fun games and activies and in-depth analytics.

All of these features add value to your audience and generate a far better overall event experience. We also know that sponsors need to be able to connect with people so offering platforms that allow discussion may even mean you’ll see a spike in your sponsorship too!

Finding it hard to picture what your digital event space could look like? We’ve chosen some of our favourites to show you.

STUDIOS AND STREAMING

If you’re looking for a simple solution to convert your event online only then we can provide solitions to your team on how to use videoconferencing, streaming or studio filming. This solution is perfect if you’re looking to produce a virtual event on a budget whether that be a webinar, AGM, conference or online event.
Plan, Broadcast and Connect!

Plan
We will help you plan your event so that it meets your budget needs and delegate expectations. We can help your team with some video conference tips and tricks, host your webinar or work with video production to produce video content for your event. You might like to shoot your event from home, at the office or from a purpose built studio complete with lighting, cameras, mics, staging, LED screen backdrop, video and audio mixing. We can keep it simple or jazz it up, it’s up to you but we have solution to meet every budget!

Broadcast
We will facilitate a seamless experience to ensure your presenters know what they’re doing right from the start. We’ll then stream the event to meet the needs whether that’s a private, public, pre-recorded or live event, we have you covered!

Connect
We’ll connect your audience with features like live or on-demand, Q&A functionality and with multiple panellists. We can also share analytics and reports so that the full benefit of a virtual experience is tracked.

SATELLITE EVENTS

The solution to your event format might be a satellite events—small-scale, regionalized live events where brands invite customers to meet face-to-face and experience a combination of live and virtual event content including keynotes and educational sessions in real time.

If customers and attendees can’t make the live event in Sydney, or would enjoy the company of their peers while watching a virtual event on the big screen, a satellite event may be just the answer. These remote events are becoming popular and mean that even faced with travel restrictions, people can still connect in real life!. Recordings can also be created to ensure that audiences don’t miss out.

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People using zoom
Auditorium layout
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Statistics

$35.7 billion

Estimated maximum total business lost in the business events sector over the next 12-15 months

96%

Percentage of scheduled business events in Australia that were cancelled or postponed in 2020

41%

Percentage of businesses that plan to host hybrid events or move their event online

Benefits of Hybrid Events

  • Deliver a fresh and exciting conference that adds value to your clients and members.
  • Share your knowledge and expertise to a live and engaged audience
  • Position your organisation as an industry leader
  • Showcase your brand to a global audience without the expensive travel costs.
  • Attract new customers and members that haven’t been able to access your event before.
  • Build strategic national and global relationships through networking between local industry
  • Eliminate the risk of your event being cancelled.
  • Demonstrate that your organisation is evolving by utilizing new technologies.
  • Promote innovation and collaboration across governments, universities, industry, and research bodies through networking, leading to a more competitive and supportive business environment.
  • Bring existing or previous overseas run events to return to Australia, generating revenue for the local economy.
  • Promote the elite standard of conferences and business events hosted in Australia which will lead to longer term economic and social impacts for your organisation.
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"I would highly recommend connecting with Ellie when it comes to organising your Conferences and Events, I am sure you will be taken care of and with her experience, she will make your event a real highlight for you and your audiences."

Donna Morris, Book Speakers Direct
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"BCC Management is a professional event management company. They are responsive to client's requests. They manage issues in a strategic way in particular during the pandemic. On-going communication is maintained well to ensure their customer satisfaction."

Winnie Huang
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"Ellie's professionalism is on the mark. She is super responsive and thorough with her attentiveness to big picture and the smallest of details. Thankful to be working with Ellie and the BCC Management team."

Michael Knight, Peer Power Australia
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"We have worked with BCC on a number of occasions over the last few years. Our experiences have been great - the team is very professional, organised and have made what can often be a stressful process (exhibiting at a conference) easy!"

Nicole Carbone, Higgins
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"BCC Management are highly professional and are experts in Business Events and Conferences. They are highly organised with their coordination of these events and dealing with them and making the event a success is a breeze. I would highly recommend them in regards to hosting a Business Event or Conference."

Natalie Blacker
Start a Conversation with Us

We would love to help you with your next conference, business event or sponsorship opportunity so contact us via the link below and we will be in touch

Contact us

Hybrid and Virtual Events FAQ’s

Many PCO’s can assist with a digital event but it is often best to find someone who also offers DCO (Digital Conference Organiser) services. They will have greater experience planning those events and offering more up to date advice.
Yes, and it is the way of the future! Whether you want to offer a virtual keynote or an entirely digital experience, it is the way forward and a DCO can help you do that.
Whilst you will have to reduce the ticket price per ticket, often we see a surplus of tickets sold. Digital events allow people to access your event from right across the globe so it can certainly help your bottom line.