If you’re proposing a hybrid event to co-workers, senior management or an association board, it’s essential to outline all the benefits. With the right event objectives, budget, audience and platform, hybrid events deliver on more than just eyeballs.

After nearly two years of COVID-19, and with the Omicron variant still spreading, there is a clear shared desire to move on. While there is currently no “going back” to the way things were in 2019 and before, as our habits, technologies and approaches have evolved across the industry, there is still an optimism that in-person events will come back on some level. 

With many teams having been remote for much of the past two years, the morale of working from home has easily created a disconnect between colleagues and managers, on and off the screen. As we roll back into more in-person meetings, workshops and conferences, event planners are having to strategically plan while keeping safety in mind.  

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the use, or misuse, of QR code data by marketers. It’s a valid argument, albeit familiar, in the context of data privacy. Most people are aware that QR codes aren’t new, but they are back in the spotlight. This is due to a variety of reasons, the top ones being the acceleration of QR codes during the pandemic and the eventual dissolution of third-party cookies.

In my blog post Can Events Be Sustainable In a Post-Pandemic World?, I talked about the many ways event planners can continue to follow green practices in a safe and sanitary way.

But now that you know you can still plan green events, you may be wondering: should you?

We are seeing the “Great Resignation” take hold, as employees are suddenly realizing they have more options and are demanding better lives for themselves and their families. 

Commutes are out the window in favor of remote work arrangements, as many employees can now conduct their jobs from anywhere, and cities are being forsaken for suburban and even rural areas, with key buying priorities changing from the transport links to the Wi-Fi strength. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most individuals and businesses couldn’t imagine hosting an event with in-person and remote attendees. According to a recent survey by the Global Business Travel Association, however, three out of five respondents expected to host at least one hybrid meeting in 2021. This major shift underscores the importance of a solid content strategy for hybrid events.

Viva, in various languages, means long live, acclaim, support, live voice and more. I couldn’t think of a better word to describe the sentiment internationally around the industry—especially in these last few weeks.

Professionals have valued in-person events as a reliable way to make connections and network—and 68% of marketers say it’s hard to offer those opportunities in a virtual world. This challenge presents a massive opportunity, with 66% of event planners calling out the need to learn how to design digital event experiences for the future.

The world of corporate events was moving along quite nicely until the advent of COVID-19. But ever-versatile, the industry went online and survived virtually. Now, slowly but surely, in-person events are starting to grow again. 

However, it appears that Pandora does not go so quietly back into the box. By all accounts, 73% of event planners believe that virtual and hybrid events are here to stay, even after COVID-19.