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Insights on events, technology, and the future of gathering
Quick answer: The most useful event management tools for hybrid events serve both audiences at once: a registration engine with separate paths per ticket type, on-site check-in with badge printing and QR scanning, live and on-demand streaming, cross-audience networking, segmented notifications, gamification, and real-time analytics. Canapii combines all of these in one platform.
The move to virtual during the pandemic showed event managers what technology brings to events, even ones that had been running for decades: the high value of real-time analytics, a positive impact on diversity and inclusion, and the automation of tedious tasks that leads to happier organizers and fewer human errors.
The real transformation of events begins now. Returning to events without technology, without an app, and without a way to network digitally puts organizers at a serious competitive disadvantage. This guide covers the lessons we have learned from hosting hybrid events, and the Canapii tools that make hybrid work.
Hybrid events serve two audiences with different expectations, costs, and measures of value, so four decisions deserve attention early in the planning process.
Give yourself time to define your attendees' experiences. Should attendees who have invested time and money in attending in person get the same experience and value as those joining virtually? Will they generate the same ROI, or pay the same registration fees? There is not necessarily a right answer, but the key is to make a decision early in the process.
Traditional in-person costs such as venue, production, and travel still apply, but organizers should expect hybrid event costs to be higher. Hybrid events typically need a production agency that manages both the on-site show and what is shown in the virtual world, a venue that can accommodate in-person and virtual meetings, and a much stronger Wi-Fi network - we cannot stress this enough - for the remote experience to be sleek and valuable.
Organizers should also see higher revenues from a hybrid approach: larger audiences joining from different locations, more brands supporting remotely, and other added value. Higher costs and higher revenues should balance each other out, making your event's contribution the same as before or higher. Allocate some contingency budget, as there will certainly be unknowns.
Some event management tools let you define different registration paths for different ticket types. This lets organizers charge differently, ask different qualifying questions, and surface different features depending on the path: a delegate visiting the venue needs travel plans, badge collection, and on-site entertainment, while a remote attendee wants to know when key sessions go live and how to make the most of online networking.
This should not be an afterthought. The ROI of your event for someone who attended in person will differ from someone who spent an hour or two watching a session online. Reporting and studying the two groups separately is essential - each needs its own messaging and follow-up, so give both the time and effort they deserve.
With those decisions made, here are the event management tools in Canapii that will get you excited about hybrid.
Registration and arrival set the tone for both audiences, so Canapii covers the whole journey from ticket to badge.
Deliver a smooth guest experience and increase attendance with an easy-to-use registration system. Create and customize ticket types, simplify ticket selling, and monitor and manage access restrictions.
Welcome attendees when they arrive by seamlessly checking them into your event from the live attendee list, and track event data in real time to make on-the-fly changes and improvements.
Eliminate stress and long registration queues by printing badges at check-in. Organizers can customize A5 badges, printable from the onsite attendee list, with branding, a QR code, attendee name, company name, profile photo, event agenda overview, and sponsor branding. Standard templates are easy to adapt to your brand.
Manage and validate guest entry through QR scanning, track attendance for every session or meeting, and link event-related resources and promotional materials to maximize impact. Attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors can scan each other's badges to instantly save contacts to their smartphones.
Hybrid audiences need different information at different times, so communication tools have to segment and automate.
Keep the audience informed with notifications targeted at different attendee types - updates for people at the venue, staying in different hotels, or speaking other languages - and segment on-site delegates from virtual-only attendees. Pre-schedule notifications to promote onsite activities, meet-and-greet opportunities with keynotes, early access to future events, exclusive promotions, and more.
Organizers can record hotels, travel bookings, airports, cities, and modes of transport in the Canapii event console, view delegate travel requirements in real time, and get notified via the live travel dashboard. Attendees track and manage their confirmed bookings within their event profile.
Upload floor plans, seating or exhibition charts, layouts, and other documents to the app for attendees to view.
Engagement tools connect the two audiences instead of running them in parallel.
Enable attendees to spontaneously interact and exchange ideas, privately or as a group, and turn discussions into connections by scheduling meetings without hassle. Canapii facilitates in-person meetings and cross networking between the online and live audience.
Offer attendees the chance to build and customize their experience by selecting only the sessions and activities they are interested in, all integrated within their own personal agenda.
Keep both online and in-person attendees engaged and make feedback easy with polls and surveys optimized for your event.
Make your hybrid event more lively by featuring attendees' social media posts from both audiences. Curate content from your event's official hashtag or social channels and display it on a screen before and after each session, or embed it on your event page or live stream.
Set up a points-based system that rewards attendees for all sorts of activities, such as sending chats or visiting sponsor booths, using the gamification tool.
Content tools give speakers and organizers full control over how sessions reach each audience.
Provide a dedicated area for speakers, moderators, and event organizers to connect and engage before going live on a virtual stage, run important tech checks, and more.
Choose to broadcast live, simulate, or run on demand, giving more flexibility and convenience to speakers and audience alike.
Deliver an inclusive experience with live captions at your event. Machine-generated AI transcription displays spoken language on screen in real time.
Upload translations to on-demand videos so viewers can switch to their preferred language while watching.
Because part of a hybrid event runs on software, almost everything can be measured - on site as well as online.
Streamline the attendee experience by replacing physical tickets with RFID bracelets or badges for in-person events. RFID and beacon technology track attendee movement and behavior, such as meeting or session attendance and footfall counting, without any scanning required.
Gain real-time insights into both virtual and in-person performance, including session data and audience behavior, with powerful reporting.
Connect sponsors with online and in-person attendees for greater reach and value. Sponsors and exhibitors can promote their brand through in-person and digital signage and exhibit in a virtual or in-person exhibit hall.
Explore and connect best-in-class software providers through Canapii integrations.
The virtual side deserves the same care as the venue. These capabilities keep remote participation sleek and valuable:
Time zone capabilities: attendees select their own time zone from a drop-down menu, and all times throughout the event auto-translate to match.
24/7 worldwide support: receive ad hoc support around the clock from anywhere in the world, plus help guides and event kits.
Virtual networking: an embedded live chat runs across your virtual event, and live breakouts let attendees build connections in smaller groups.
Instant downloadable resources: upload collateral in formats such as MP4, MP3, PDF, PowerPoint, and Word for attendees to download.
Recommendation engine: set up recommended sessions and matchmaking based on attendees' interests.
Social media integrations: cross-post sessions to social media such as Twitter and Facebook, with sharing buttons on the live site so attendees can boost engagement themselves.
Accessibility compliance: built-in features like language translation, subtitles, color contrast, and text size adjustments accommodate every attendee.
Look for a tool that is easy and simple to use and connects seamlessly to your event needs. If you find a platform that combines both the physical and digital aspects of an event, give it a shot - and consult your event provider about capabilities and limitations before launching your hybrid event.
At minimum: a registration engine with separate paths per ticket type, on-site check-in with badge printing and QR scanning, live and on-demand streaming, networking that connects online and in-person attendees, segmented notifications, and real-time analytics.
Usually, yes. Expect extra costs for a production agency covering both the on-site show and the virtual broadcast, a hybrid-ready venue, and stronger Wi-Fi. Larger audiences and remote sponsorship should raise revenues to balance those costs, but keep a contingency budget for unknowns.
No. Separate paths per ticket type let you charge differently, ask different qualifying questions, and surface the right information: travel plans and badge collection for on-site delegates, live session times and online networking tips for remote attendees.
Separately for each audience. The return for someone who attended in person differs from someone who watched a session or two online, so report on the two groups separately and give each its own messaging and follow-up.
Yes. Canapii combines registration, check-in, streaming, networking, engagement, and analytics in a single platform, and has powered 2,000+ events for 300,000+ attendees across 45+ countries since 2020.
Learn how Canapii can help you host successful hybrid events - get in touch with us today.