NEVER AGAIN WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY

The big question raging in marketing discussions and meetings to plan for the second half of this year is: what will events be like in the post-pandemic era?

The statistics are positive and the infections are falling. A real possibility of defeating COVID-19 is beginning to emerge. Hopefully we can go back to the reality we knew before the pandemic, but this period of emergency has taught us so much. The only support that allowed us to overcome mandatory isolation was technology. Using computer devices and an internet connection we tried to do our job remotely where possible. After countless hours of DAD and virtual meetings, we realized that “digital events” keep us away physically, but in practice allow us to be close. Hence the new rule: never again without technology.

According to a survey by Global DMC Partners, third quarter 2020 events were all moved in 2021 and turned into hybrid events. This allows you to visit a stand in person, but also to participate in demonstrations and discussions while being on the other side of the world. This is how a new trend began.

WHAT IS A HYBRID EVENT?

Hybrid events, also called Phygital events (Physical+Digital = Physical+Digital), are physical events, organized in a location with speakers in presence, integrated with digital interventions by other speakers and public connected via the web. There are many possible variants: only multimedia audience, mixed audience, presenters only in presence or speakers in mixed presence.

BENEFITS OF A HYBRID EVENT

The potential of this type of event is high, as are the possible scenarios to conduct them. The mixing of physical and digital resources allows innovative and advantageous solutions.

Let’s say it’s the classic case where 1+1=3.

A company can invite a potential audience to participate in their physical event, but at the same time it can reach another slice of targets that is unable to intervene in person due to distance or restrictions. You can also enrich your physical event with the streaming intervention of a prestigious presenter who is on the other side of the world, or with live footage of something located outside the location. In a hybrid event, therefore, physical and digital resources support each other, bringing value and quality. Not to mention that the integrations we have talked about have a low cost, and decidedly low in relation to the quality brought.

In case the company strategy points to experiential marketing,digital resources have quite intuitable limits. If a company produces perfumes, for example, during a hybrid event it can have the new fragrance tested by the people present, but not by those connected via the web. This barrier is easily overcome, preventing you from sending a sample directly home of “digital” participants, after retrieving their addresses. Alongside the hybrid event with a creative marketing strategy, there are no limits.

WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY TOOLS

The tools to realize a hybrid event are:

• location property
• physical stand
• camera
• microphone
• digital platform

As is true for all recipes, the more quality the ingredients, the better the result will be.

Regarding digital tools(camera and microphone),there is no need to make an extremely expensive investment. You can also use a simple mobile phone. For each project it is necessary to evaluate the objectives and objectives to be achieved. On the basis of this you can decide what tools to use to achieve it.

WHAT VBSQUARE OFFERS

Thanks to our product you can integrate your physical events with valuable digital resources. Increase in prestige of fairs and exhibitions with the integration of external resources. You will find a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows you to manage a conference by showing up to 4 different sources at the same time. It’s called ROUND OFF and you can soon test it to organize round tables and online demonstrations.

VBSquare offers an innovative digital platform,born from the study of the needs of companies.

Cover photo by Damir Mijailovic from Pexels