Strategic Planning Makes Hybrid Meetings Work

While hybrid meetings—those that use virtual and streaming technologies to extend the reach of face-to-face events—can be highly effective, experts caution that there’s a whole lot more to know than just setting up a camera at the back of a room.

Learning the ins and outs of hybrid meetings is fast becoming more important, as virtual technology improves and more organizations see the benefits such meetings provide, said Cynthia Bullock, CMP, director of meetings and events for Integrated Solutions and Services. The meeting planning and travel management company has clients in the education and government sectors.

“With virtual technology you can open up a meeting to a wider audience and bring in speakers and presenters who otherwise couldn’t be there,” Bullock said.

“In one case, we were able to feature an exceptional keynote speaker who made his presentation from Costa Rica, using the location as an effective background.”

Weather disruptions
In other cases, Bullock has turned to virtual technology to stream sessions out to people who could not travel to a vital meeting because of a snowstorm.

It also came in handy when a sought-after professor was unable to get to a meeting to lead an education session.

“We were able to show his presentation and the participants got the credits they needed,” Bullock said.

Call in the experts
With interest in hybrid meetings on the rise, planners will find no shortage of virtual meetings technology vendors to partner with.

Bullock advises doing some investigative work before choosing one.

“Some vendors can do everything they claim and more – and some cannot,” she said. “Find out what their experience is, get references and ask to see presentations of what they have already done.

“Your hotel may be able to suggest a good provider and you can ask for recommendations from other planners.”

It’s equally important to select a venue capable of handling the meeting’s virtual requirements.  

“I always ask the venue for examples of what they have done,” Bullock said. “Will they allow you to bring in a third party who is an expert in the technology? If you need to stream things in from multiple classrooms, can they handle that?”

Set the virtual agenda
Before sitting down with a technology provider, planners need to first consider what they want the virtual portion of the meeting to accomplish, said hybrid meetings consultant Emilie Barta of Emilie Barta Presentations.

“I recommend that planners approach hybrid events from an engaging event standpoint rather than a technology standpoint,” she said. “There have to be goals and objectives set for an online event just as there are for a live event.

“Hybrid meetings are not just about cool, shiny tech toys, but about collaborating with a vendor who can execute your virtual vision in the most efficient way possible.”

Make it interactive
And, as Bullock pointed out, the virtual component of a meeting will fall flat if steps are not taken to make the remote audience feel that they are part of the action.

“It’s very important for everyone to feel engaged – to be able to listen, ask questions, hear the responses,” Bullock said.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” she added. “If it’s a small meeting, things can be set up through a speaker phone and an iPad.”

For larger meetings using live streaming, it’s beneficial to have a dedicated facilitator or MC who serves as “the buddy in the room” for the remote audience, Barta said.

“The MC welcomes the virtual audience, explains the technology, lets them know what is happening and answers their questions,” she said.

“The MC also acts as the voice of the virtual audience by gathering up their questions and making sure they are part of the Q&A portion.”

Prepare the speakers
In putting together an effective virtual agenda, Barta recommended that planners carefully consider which speakers and sessions to include.

Replicating the entire meeting, especially if it involves live streaming, may not be worth it, she said.

“You should pick the speakers and topics that will translate the best and provide the most engaging experience for the audience,” Barta added. “If a speaker is not comfortable before a camera and isn’t willing to address the needs of the virtual audience, the presentation will fail.

“It’s better to leave it out. The cost of streaming all the breakout sessions is huge.”

In general, most organizations reserve live streaming for keynote addresses and other presentations that may be time sensitive, said Robert Lipps, executive vice president of Sonic Foundry, a virtual technology provider whose clients include MPI and the American Association of Cardiologists.

“The message of the keynote may be timely and critical, so there’s a benefit to making it live,” he said. “You can also build a marketing strategy for it, creating excitement around the fact that people can watch it live.”

Broadcasting best practices
Even when sessions are recorded for on-demand reference rather than streamed live, Barta believes it’s essential that speakers, planners and technicians work together to address broadcasting basics.

“There needs to be a good camera with a good operator, good sound and lighting,” she said. “The speaker needs to plan accordingly. When engaging the audience, they have to remember they are on TV. They need to make eye contact with the camera, wear appropriate clothing and not walk out of the light.

“I see too many breakouts where the poor speaker doesn’t even know they are being recorded,” she added. “The better the final product, the more views it will get and the more people it will resonate with.”

Not only should sessions be recorded properly, but they should also be posted as soon as possible online or on the event’s mobile app, advised Lipps.

“If you wait too long, the excitement and momentum of the event will be lost,” he said.