Feat. Lisabeth Kane, Senior Logistics Manager at All American Entertainment
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Organizations are quickly realizing the power and reach of hosting hybrid events. So far this year, clients are excited to return to planning in-person events, but want to be cognizant of the virtual audiences they’ve grown over the past two years. Hybrid events are a great way to engage both audiences, live and virtual.
I recently chatted with Lisabeth Kane, Senior Logistics Manager here at All American Entertainment, about what she and our other expert logistics managers are seeing so far this year. Here are her top 5 insights into hybrid events in 2022.
1. Budgets are on the rise. Event technology budgets have increased from 2021 to 2022 to accommodate for hybrid events. People’s experience with tech in 2021 have made them more comfortable investing in better audio visual production equipment to create outstanding experiences for both in-person and virtual attendees. This year, everyone wants to go back to in-person events, but we’ve come to an extreme comfort level with technology. Because of that, there has been a natural integration of virtual experiences into in-person ones for hybrid events.
For example, in 2021 people were still positioning cameras for their speakers from straight on, but this year we are seeing people using multiple cameras for a more dynamic experience for viewers online and in-person. Not to mention, there are so many opportunities during an in-person event to create creative before, during, and after content. Releasing this content online is a very economical way to increase an event’s ROI, and makes an investment in technology worthwhile. Event producers are also being hired at a higher rate to take on this huge responsibility of handling the new tech. Their expertise is being used to take in-person content and transform it into virtual content.
“For example, in 2021 people were still positioning cameras for their speakers from straight on, but this year we are seeing people using multiple cameras for a more dynamic experience for viewers online and in-person.”
Lisabeth Kane, Senior Logistics Manager
2. More events are using emcees for their hybrid events in 2022 than in 2021. My clients are finding that an effective emcee is not just a department manager, vice president, or president – it takes a different skill set. You want a talent that is really adept at providing an emcee experience. In-person, a great emcee can keep the energy high and provide a seamless transition between in-person and virtual speakers.
For online attendees, an emcee can also provide much smoother transitions between content and help everyone stay on the same page. Emcee’s can also facilitate interactions between in-person and virtual attendees using the more sophisticated chat and polling functions we have in 2022.
3. Health and safety considerations are here to stay. Venues and planners need to have routine cleaning for any technology being used during registration, regular sanitation stands set up throughout the facility, and onsite testing plans need to be in place, at least for the short term. Never underestimate the power of hand sanitizer!
Venues looking to invest even further in health and safety can look into transforming their outdoor spaces into more usable venues. Lots of clients are looking for a more weatherproof outdoor option for dining, networking, happy hours, and more event activities. Making an outdoor space viable for an extended season using covers, fans, or heaters is a huge part of health and safety planning and gives customers more options when booking.
4. Venues should invest in audio-visual resources. An investment in the latest technologies can also give venues a huge advantage over the competition. With hybrid events increasing rapidly in popularity, a venue that has its own in-house AV equipment and a staff trained to operate it is a huge plus for event planners. This saves event planners from having to source equipment and use it in a facility they have little experience with. Another essential is 5G wifi available everywhere in the facility. For hybrid events to run smoothly, everyone needs to have the best connection possible. An investment in digital technology is a huge added value perk when booking venues.
5. Plan ahead. Lastly, if you’re an event planner or a venue owner, you need to be encouraging clients to book in advance as much as possible. Staffing issues with hotels and service providers are around for the foreseeable future, and the only way to avoid this is to book further in advance. This leaves ample time for planning. The great thing about hybrid events is that there is an automatic “Plan B” built into your event, which should be a huge anxiety reducer as you book your event earlier. No matter what happens, the show will go on.
The same is true for booking speakers for your hybrid event – the earlier you book, the more likely you will be able to secure your ideal hybrid event speaker for your upcoming 2022 event. We’re even booking into 2023, so as soon as you know the event is in the works, reach out to us and we can help.