Virtual and Hybrid Events to Take Center Stage in 2022 

Over the past two years, event planning has changed in so many ways. Instead of attending an event in-person, the world shifted to virtual events to cope with the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies scrambled to find the right virtual event technologies to host gatherings that went beyond video conferencing alone. As people participated in more virtual events, they started to expect a more robust environment that mirrored, as much as possible, in-person events. This raised the bar for event organizers and planners, as well as the companies providing virtual event technology. 

In 2022, expect conference planners to leverage collaborative technologies even more so to maximize the effectiveness of these events. Virtual event technology has become smarter and has evolved throughout 2021 to the point where a virtual aspect will be part of most events moving forward, whether they are responding to pandemic concerns or not. For organizers, it’s about creating a balance between in-person and virtual offerings to take advantage of the benefits both approaches offer. The last 18 months has illustrated the ROI of virtual components, which include cost savings, attracting a wider audience, and sustainability.

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Globally, the pandemic has changed many parts of society; in many instances, that change is permanent. This applies to the event industry, where event organizers, planners, and even attendees now understand the benefits of conducting virtual and hybrid events. The event industry in 2021 began to increasingly rely more upon technologies to support events of all kinds, including sales meetings, trade shows, and conferences. A portion of these collaborative technologies include “event tech,” which allows for both fully virtual environments and “hybrid” environments that combine the in-person event with the virtual event.  

Early on during the pandemic, many marketing professionals and attendees expressed mixed feelings about events. They soon realized, however, that attendance increased significantly with virtual events and the costs were reduced dramatically, for planners and attendees alike. Yet, many miss the hands-on interaction that in-person events provide. One study conducted by The Drum, one of the most heavily trafficked marketing websites in the world, showed that 80 percent of those attending virtual events missed attending in-person events.

In response, marketing professionals, collaborating with virtual venue technology companies, began creating hybrid event alternatives to provide the best of both worlds. Virtual event trends for 2022 include blending these models into more hybrid events. According to Meeting Spotlight, 73 percent of event marketers say they expect hybrid events to be more prevalent than ever.

While virtual events are part of the current and future plans for nearly every event marketer, hybrid events are really taking center stage. The trends are clear for 2022 and beyond: collaborative technologies will continue to evolve, turning most events/conferences into hybrid environments.

Hybrid Event Trends for 2022

A survey of meeting and event planners, conducted by 6Connex in conjunction with BizBash over the last three months of 2021, indicates that more than 75 percent will host at least a portion of their events virtually in 2022. More than half the respondents – 51 percent — said they expect most of their 2022 events to be produced in a hybrid format, and another 25 percent said they expect their events to be fully virtual this year. 

COVID-related fears are still a concern, according to the 6Connex survey, as 37 percent of survey respondents say their organizations have increased investments in hybrid event technology because of the variants. For 2022, 32 percent of survey respondents report that they expect more than half of their in-person events will include one or more digital elements such as live-streaming or remote access to accommodate virtual attendees. 

The Benefits of Hybrid Events

Hosting both an in-person element and a virtual conference allows for the ability to maximize revenues. Hybrid venues allow companies that have cut back on travel budgets to still attend while offering all the benefits of in-person events. In most cases, marketers report dramatic increases in overall attendance and increased revenue. International Conference Partnership reports that 78 percent of corporate sponsors said they support hybrid events, and 78 percent said they would sponsor virtual events.

Besides increasing attendance and revenue, there are other benefits that hybrid events provide. One of the biggest is increased data collection and deeper analytics from a hybrid event’s virtual software. This gives planners, sponsors, and exhibitors greater insight into the event audience and what content engages attendees.  Tracking almost any metric becomes a lot easier.

In 2022, expect hybrid events to:

• Provide a seamless integration of technology to allow participation between in-person audiences and virtual audiences
• Create virtual assets that can be viewed on-demand, thereby increasing their reach
• Craft shared and unique experience for in-person and virtual attendees
• Create additional exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities

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Virtual Event Trends for 2022

Virtual events aren’t going away. In fact, look for even more virtual events as they surface. The ease and the cost-effectiveness of creating virtual events makes it easier for companies to plan and execute virtual gatherings at scale. The 6Connex survey and an Event Manager Blog study found even when in-person events return to full force, most planners will continue to employ a digital strategy for virtual events.

In 2022, look for virtual events to have:

• More frequent virtual events and micro-events
• Higher focus on smaller groups and personalized content
• Shorter conferences and on-demand content
• Virtual networking and socializing components
• More flexible options for participation

Virtual event technology companies to lower, and in some cases, eliminate the cost of attending. Microsoft, for example, hosted an in-person conference in 2019 for 6,000 attendees who paid $2,395 to attend. Microsoft made the virtual version of the event free to attend in 2020 and nearly 200,000 people attended, according to the Event Leadership Institute and other sources. Shifting from in-person to virtual events for established programs has typically generated a 30 percent increase in participation.

Event Technology Trends for 2022

To deliver a high-quality experience, event planners will need to make sure they have a robust virtual venue platform to deliver virtual and hybrid event value. As marketers hurried to put together virtual and hybrid events over the last two years, many scrambled to find the right virtual event platform. According to PCMA Convene, 40 percent of event planners weren’t happy with the tech options they found, and 64 percent of them struggle with designing digital event experiences.  

For hybrid events, marketers need to deploy the right customer-facing and back-end technologies. While almost all event venues have the tech and equipment available to host in-person events, few have a robust virtual events platform to manage hybrid events.

In 2022, look for greater investment in hybrid events software that can:

• Create a seamless attendee experience
• Provide a distinctive virtual experience to foster engagement
• Drive audience interaction
• Create a persistent community, including pre- and post-event
• Provide rich data sets
• Enhance experiences with scheduling, matchmaking, and gamification

In 2022 and beyond, event marketers will require a hybrid event solution that can handle everything needed from registration to event execution to post-event follow-up. The technology must be simple to use yet create an engaging experience. It needs to capture the valuable data needed for proper evaluation of events and continue to provide value in the post-event time frame. The best hybrid event solution will allow for the possibility to humanize virtual events and foster real connections.

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