What is a Hybrid Event & What Does it Look Like?
In 2024, 76% of event organisers reported a growing demand for hybrid events. Although we’re post-remote working as a necessity, hybrid events matter even more so, as they provide attendees with flexibility and accessibility to attend from across the world.
As a result, organisations that aren’t offering hybrid events risk falling behind, as people have come to expect both in-person and online attendance options.
But what exactly is a hybrid event, and what does a successful one look like? In this guide, our experts will answer these questions and explore the affordable, effective hybrid event AV solutions.
What Are Hybrid Events?
Hybrid events utilise both in-person and virtual elements to create an integrated space where attendees have the option to either physically or remotely join. Hybrid events are often praised for their ability to create a broader reach of accessibility while still offering engagement and networking opportunities.
As hybrid events have grown in popularity, you’ll now see them taking place in town hall meetings, conferences, training sessions, and many more situations.
However, it’s important to remember that hybrid events aren’t just an in-person meeting with a camera. Let’s take a closer look at what a hybrid event looks like.
Hybrid events aren’t just an in-person meeting with a camera, they can be large-scale events.
What Does a Hybrid Event Look Like?
Just like an in-person event, a hybrid event will be in a physical room with presenters and attendees, with a remote audience joining via a digital platform.
The space will be set up with cameras, microphones, and screens, which act as a bridge between both audiences.
Organising a high-quality event is always a top priority, but for a hybrid event, this is crucial. Low production quality negatively impacts everyone, but for remote attendees in particular, poor connection, sound, and visuals affect their engagement and impression.
This puts a lot of stress and pressure on event organisers, especially as an event starts to scale up from a simple internal meeting to a high-production broadcast. That’s why finding the right digital platform is essential.
Choosing the Right Platform: Teams vs Zoom vs Other Platforms
With numerous options available, it can be challenging to select the ideal platform. Here are some of the digital platforms our expert team works with at hybrid events.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is the default option for any professional hybrid events, which means any event with high production value.
Best suited for:
M365-based organisations
Public sector and related bodies
Blue-chip and enterprise clients
Key benefits:
Native M365 integration
Security and compliance
NDI integration for professional workflows
Enables split feeds and higher production values
Zoom
Zoom is another strong option for hybrid events, especially where specific features are required.
Best suited for:
International audiences
Events requiring live translation
Music or audio-critical applications
Key benefits:
Built-in language interpretation
Hi-fidelity audio options
Other Platforms
Webex and Google Meet are also effective digital platforms to consider for your hybrid event, and the one you choose should depend on your event goal.
Webex is best suited for:
Organisations using the Cisco system
Industries such as finance, healthcare, and government
Large-scale events
Webex’s key benefits:
Strong security and compliance
Advanced host controls
Scalable with a consistent user experience
Google Meet is best suited for:
Organisations using Google Workspace
Internal events and training sessions
Teams that value simplicity and speed
Google Meet’s key benefits:
Easy guest access
No additional software needed
These solutions deliver reliable connectivity, clear sound, and high-quality visuals for your hybrid event.
Hybrid Event Production Doesn’t Have to Be Complex or Expensive
It’s a common misconception that hybrid event production is expensive due to the setup and components being complex. However, this isn’t true; at Spartan AV, we’ve designed hybrid event AV systems with short turnarounds to save our clients time and money with minimal disruption to the event space.
These hybrid event AV solutions include:
Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras
Custom control platforms
Single-technician operation
These solutions deliver reliable connectivity, clear sound, and high-quality visuals for your hybrid event, with one operator being able to manage multiple camera angles from a single camera.
As a result, this creates a solid foundation for your event, allowing you to steadily increase your production value over time without unnecessarily inflating costs.
Let’s Create a Successful Hybrid Event Together
To summarise, here’s a useful checklist of what makes a successful hybrid event:
Clear audio for both audiences
Camera angles that keep remote viewers engaged
Seamless platform integration
A production approach that matches the event’s purpose
Technology that supports people, not the other way around
So, hybrid events don’t need ‘all singing, all dancing’ production to provide a high-quality experience. Simply making the right platform and provider choices can ensure efficiency without being over-engineered.
To find out how we can support your next hybrid event to fit your organisation, schedule, and budget, get in touch with the team today on 02920 481797 or at quotes@spartanaudio.co.uk.
