The pandemic has completely changed the way teams meet. Though some teams were already working remotely, the COVID-19 accelerated remote work across the world. Since many teams were totally dispersed through most of 2020, virtual meeting trends skyrocketed. In 2021, some teams started returning to the office on a part time basis. And in 2022, many people will continue returning while others will remain remote, working at least part time at home, or with hybrid teams. The new way we work is going to lead to new virtual event trends and hybrid events trends in 2022.
A hybrid event includes both in-person and virtual aspects. Some of the participants and speakers are together at a physical location while the others join online.
These experiences are hosted on virtual event platforms that can bring together both in-person and remote teams. These platforms encourage more than passive viewing of keynote speakers. They also engage participants on the ground and afar while facilitating interaction.
Hybrid events are able to draw attendees who could not usually attend events due to distance or financial constraints. There is a potential for the largest audience or attendance of any event in company history without the obstacle of travel. During hybrid events, attendees are able to participate more than they might attending a large in-person conference. Engagement is more accessible with the ability to ask speakers questions during a live stream instead of having to track them down after a keynote. Networking can be done by anyone willing to jump into breakout sessions at any time.