What To Expect At Hybrid Trade Shows
With the COVID vaccine rollout, many people are starting to get back to normal. That means that soon conferences, trade shows, and industry meetings are starting to return to in person. However, since the pandemic is still ongoing and many people have come to enjoy virtual trade shows, a lot of organizers are moving to a hybrid trade show.
What Is A Hybrid Trade Show?
A hybrid trade show is an event that uses a combination of both live, in-person events and online, digital components. For example, a presenter will present live to an audience, but their presentation will be streamed live to virtual attendees around the world. This model is likely to continue even after COVID. Hybrid events offer great opportunities for both the people in attendance and those who cannot attend the opportunity to reach a larger audience no matter their circumstance.
Is The Hybrid Model Here To Stay?
Virtual events showed many busy professionals that they could still get the same amount of business without having to fit travel and an event into their schedule. Furthermore, virtual events have broadened the pool of attendees. Many people from other countries who could not make a trip across the planet, can now attend these conferences from wherever their office is located. This has opened the global market, increased attendance, and lead to some innovative ways to do business.
How To Prepare For A Hybrid Show
Since hybrid shows are going to be the standard for at least the next couple of years, marketers must prepare. Whether you attend the show in person or online, it’s important to have a blended strategy to ensure your brand presence. A few tips include:
Get active on social media before, during, and after the event to generate buzz and let people know you’re available
Set meetings before attending since some people will not be able to stop by your booth
Make sure to integrate tech into your booth with video conferencing capabilities so that virtual attendees can get a tour or attend a presentation
These simple tips will help you engage with everyone whether you can meet for coffee at your booth or need to jump on a Zoom to talk about your new product.
Hybrid events offer a lot of great opportunities for marketers. However, it’s important that when you are planning for a hybrid event, you plan for both virtual and in-person attendees to have the biggest impact. If you are looking to host a hybrid event, check out our interactive exhibit hall. We have a lot of great features that are ideal for hybrid shows.