Auckland’s experience with Covid-19 has left it with a strategic advantage in conferences and events - vast amounts of experience in producing high-value hybrid events. 

Meredith Drucker, General Manager of Auckland-based The Events Group says: “The venues and suppliers in Auckland are used to having contingency plans in place. Your event is safe in Auckland - we’ve done it all before and we have the expertise.” 

Drucker says The Events Group has been working with businesses to provide team building and events that help staff with large numbers working from home to reconnect. 

“People feel disconnected. Your staff is your biggest asset. It’s hard to achieve anything if they can’t work together. It's hard to create that office culture virtually without help. The technology is there and the hesitance to do hybrid is less now. It’s more about what we can do to elevate the experience and take it to the next level. 

“The biggest benefit of hybrid is that conferences become more accessible while servicing everyone's comfort level in this climate.” 

Rachel Cook, Business Director, Conference Innovators, agrees that hybrid events have become the norm. “Hosting a hybrid event allows for face-to-face networking and education while catering to other attendees’ needs around safety, or preference to attend virtually. 

  “Planning for a hybrid event from the outset means not only are you enabling speakers and attendees to join who otherwise may not, but also allows the flexibility to transition between in-person and virtual as necessary. 

  “This flexibility, combined with the government’s extension of the Events Transition Support Payment (ETSP) scheme to business events, will give assurance and financial security to those planning conferences and meetings as we move through 2022. 

  “Go ahead and book your event! The most important thing is to partner with a professional conference or event organiser with the experience and expertise in virtual and hybrid delivery – it takes a specialist approach.” 

Hybrid and virtual are core business for Mike McMinn, Account Manager at Vidcom, an audio visual supplier specialising in livestreaming and video conferencing. “We offer a range of hybrid event solutions, from ‘studio style’ with presenters in studio live streaming to an online audience, to the traditional hybrid style with some ‘in-room’ audience and a wider online audience. Or multiple site events with different venues connected together, for example an Australasian event with a NZ hub. We’ve had AGMs with CEOs dialling in from overseas, and association conferences with virtual audiences interacting via polls and Q&A on Slido app.  

“We’ve had hybrid events in many different places, from our venue partners, to a hospital, or a farm field. All our livestream solutions are backed up by multiple 4G internet connections so we can operate reliably and completely wireless. All of our solutions work well as long as you’ve got the right plan in place, the right technology and people to do it. There’s definitely an appetite for it and the options are highly flexible. 

The biggest challenge I find is getting people familiar with the technology. It can be a learning curve for speakers presenting online or getting engagement out of an audience that may not be used to attending online events. But the clients and their audiences we work with catch on really fast and enjoy the experience. Talk to your event organisers or suppliers about how you can make a hybrid event work for you.” 

 

 

Rachel Cook, Business Director, Conference Innovators TOP TIPS FOR HYBRID 

  • Allow for interactivity. Remind the speaker to acknowledge the virtual attendees and interact, whether that’s by a live Q&A, polling, gamification, or small group break out rooms to discuss content. 
  • Factor in entertainment in the breaks and elements to engage with - nobody stays in their seat in the auditorium and watches for eight hours in a normal face-to-face conference. 
  • Remember that with hybrid events you’re rewarded with content that you can use later. That creates a really good value proposition - delegates can revisit content post-event. 

 

 

Meredith Drucker, General Manager The Events Group TOP TIPS FOR HYBRID 

  • REHEARSE - A run sheet goes from 2 pages to 30 when an event goes virtual. Every cue is noted. 30 secs of dead airtime feels like five minutes online. Ensure everyone involved gets a proper rehearsal ahead of the event. 
  • VIDEO IS YOUR FRIEND - Use pre-recorded video content to give your speakers a break from presenting live; that level of intensity is pretty draining. Remember to allow time to check the video in advance to make sure it’s on brand and on message. 
  • NOT EVERYONE’S WFH SITUATION IS THE SAME - Some people have kids, flatmates, poor internet connection. Pick times of day when people working from home have the least distractions e.g. while school is in session, for your event. 

 

 

Mike McMinn, Account Manager, Vidcom, TOP TIPS FOR HYBRID 

  • What is the goal of your event? How can you achieve that goal in a hybrid environment? For an awards dinner is it celebrating the winners, creating engagement, and providing visibility for sponsors? For an AGM is it a slick production and the ability to convey clear information to investors and stakeholders? 
  • What technology works best for your message and goal? Live streaming is a one-way broadcast like watching TV;  video conferencing is a two-way conversation where the presenters and audience you can interact. 
  • Have a contingency plan for every situation. If your presenter has to self-isolate or gets sick can you get them to dial in live, or do a pre-recording? 

 

 

The team at ACB are experts in connecting you to the right people to make every element of your event a success. Talk to our team now, our support and advice is free  – [email protected]