One of my clients was recently asked to put together several events for her organization’s executive team. “We’ll have people in person!” they said. “Oh, and we’ll stream it!” they said. “It’ll be a hybrid. People can attend however they like!”
In theory, this seems like a win-win. Anyone who would like to attend in person can, and people who would rather tune in remotely can do that as well. What’s the problem?
I predict that we’ll be seeing many conferences, meetings, celebrations, and even live shows that go this route, and it can work. But before we embrace this model, let’s look at how it might go down.
A virtual meeting seems easy. Many of us have attended hundreds or thousands of them, and we’re familiar with the technology and the norms. Now imagine that you’re Zooming or Teaming into an event where half the group is together, in the same room.
You are admitted from the waiting room, but no one acknowledges you because they are talking and laughing about something out of the frame. You spot a colleague, but you can’t get their attention. You can see that there are a lot of people on the virtual platform with you, but you have been muted by the host.
Or let’s imagine that you’re the one facilitating the hybrid meeting. Your laptop is set up, and you’re ready to go with your deck. Your computer will project slides onto the screen in the room as well as the virtual platform. The doors open and seven people walk in. You stand to greet them and exchange a few words, and by the time you get back to your laptop, ten people are waiting to be let into the virtual space. This back and forth continues until you start the meeting–you are pulled between the two audiences, not able to give either your full attention.
As you begin speaking you realize that you can’t look at the people in the room and the camera at the same time. It’s easier to read the actual room you’re in, so the people who have joined you live are getting most of your attention. You haven’t looked at the chat, and questions and comments are piling up.
These are two examples of what I’m already hearing from clients. They may seem blown out of proportion, but they’re just scratching the surface of the potential issues with hybrid events.
If you’re planning to hold a meeting or other event with both in-person and virtual attendees, it is well worth your time to plan it as if you’re holding two separate events. You need a team of people who are focused on what the people attending live will need and a whole different team to take care of the virtual audience. How will you take questions? What will each group see? Who can speak, and when? Who can see whom? Are there ethical considerations if one group can see and hear each other, and the other group can’t? How can you address this? Have you chosen the virtual platform and the physical space best suited for this type of event?
There is enormous potential in this technology. Virtual platforms are improving accessibility and connection across the planet. I don’t want to minimize where the possibilities can take us. But any event needs to be carefully and intentionally planned in order to be worthwhile, and simply slapping a streaming component onto an existing live event isn’t sufficient. You heard it here first, folks.
