Events used to be straightforward, in that they were live, physical things. Then along came Covid-19, and virtual events (which were already growing in popularity) became the only way to deliver a comparable experience. Now, with pent-up demand for live events bubbling over and the experiences industry preparing for a lifting of restrictions, how will events look in the future? No one truly knows the answer, but I can offer some hypotheses from a year working on virtual events (and 20 working in physical before that).

The coming return of live events in 2021 is exciting, but the energy and enthusiasm around digital experiences shouldn't be forgotten. I believe the future of events is hybrid – an intermingling of digital and physical experiences. The challenge of hybrid live events is how to ensure that both online and physical audiences have an equally great experience no matter the type of event: concert, festival, business conference, charity, trade show or community event. This time presents event marketers with an incredible opportunity, if done right. Hybrid offers the prospect of reaching large audiences using digital while reducing the carbon footprint of a physical event, as a smaller proportion of attendees will travel and join in person. It can interweave lots of different audience needs and preferences, creating innovative experiences for both online and in-person attendees.

Having a hybrid approach will also allow for events to switch to all-virtual on short notice if new health-security issues and/or travel restrictions are imposed. As we know too well, guidance can change quickly, so marketers need to be able to pivot to digital-only at a moment's notice.

Hybrid comes at a cost
For hybrid events to deliver high-impact experiences to both physical and digital audiences, they need to be planned and created as two distinct experience journeys, but with some overlap under a single event banner. For example, a hybrid event will have elements that really work in physical settings, like conversations in a loud, buzzing room, and elements that can be very effective in digital - like learning through interactive gameplay. These elements can exist within the same event but be quite different for each distinct audience. This opportunity, though, creates challenges when it comes to planning and budgeting. Producing unique physical and digital experiences is likely to come with additional costs and complexity, not to mention live-event planners needing a host of new skills. Biosecurity is also a top priority, as keeping physical participants safe and ensuring that they feel safe is essential. To accomplish this, live events may be broken into clusters to keep numbers at any one venue small, and they may be more local, using techniques such as drive-ins, pop-ups, or touring events.

Innovation in hybrid events will come with the overlap of physical and digital elements, where both audiences still have an amazing experience. Creativity in the overlap is inspired by the best of what we know from digital experiences with innovative approaches to physical events. For example, a concert which physical participants get the excitement and energy of being in the crowd and digital participants are able to control camera angles and sound to personalize their experience. Both audiences are enjoying the concert but in different ways. Another example: taking the artificial-intelligence-powered matchmaking enabled by digital technologies and enhanced attendee profiles and creating networking opportunities for both physical and digital audiences - and between the two. Imagine getting recommended event connections sent to your phone during an event and being able to meet people you really want to meet from both physical and digital audience groups. These types of approaches will connect the physical with the digital into a single event that feels entirely live.

Best of both worlds
People are increasingly integrating physical and digital experiences in their everyday lives, so why should we not do the same with events? Through the use of custom technology stacks, experience companies such as Smyle are able to bring digital attendees into the live world, giving them the ability to control experiences remotely from their individual locations. Similarly, attendees who participate in person can be given tools to share in digital experiences through technologies such as haptics and mixed-reality devices. This combination will help all attendees, regardless of how they participate, to have incredible experiences.

Hybrid events of the future need to be entertaining, multisensory, individualized, and attention-grabbing. They also need to feel live, with real moments that give participants shared experiences and interactions. Yes, good hybrid events will be more challenging and likely more expensive to put on, but what is clear is that live events are not going back to the way they were any time soon. Hybrid is the only viable way forward, and it's our job as event marketers to deliver experiences that are effective for both physical and virtual participants.