Event goes digital!

The currently challenging times caused by the Corona Virus are shaking up the entire event industry. What to do if from now on all events and trips are banned and cancelled? For a company like nice:-), whose business purpose is to bring people together, this is an exceptional situation. There is only one thing to do: become innovative and plan digital events.

This is exactly the task the nice:-) team has set itself.

Hybrid events as an alternative

The idea itself is not new. Hybrid events, which use analog and digital levels to create a single event, have been around for several years. No matter if analog, digital or a successful combination of both approaches, the foundation of every event is the creation of emotions and experiences, even or especially in times of a virus that makes the world stand still.

And it is not enough for lectures or panel discussions to be seen as a “livestream” or published afterwards as a recording. Patience for web and video conferences is used up for most people after more than 120 days in home office with almost exclusively digital connection to colleagues. The desire for effective communication and interaction is great.

The event-driving companies want to hold live events again as soon as possible. Digital live events or hybrid events are to be seen as a new opportunity for the industry. Despite “social distancing” it is essential for companies to continue to maintain personal contact with their customers, partners and employees. The professional event agencies have already worked out how to do this.

But what are hybrid events?

A hybrid event combines conventional ways of event planning and execution with the use of digital communication instruments such as social media. The digital communication instruments can be integrated in all phases of the event.

In the run-up to the event, they can be integrated, for example, through apps, co-designing the content or querying requests.

During the event, additional information can be communicated through user profiles with avatars, Q&A sessions or moderated formats. In this way the participants can interact with each other. It is also possible to integrate multiplayer mini-games, for example virtual scavenger hunts for entertainment. And there are also numerous possibilities afterwards.

This large number of variations shows that just because an event takes place in the digital world does not mean that you have to do without emotional and interactive experiences.

Even through elements such as sending one of our event kits, workshop materials or product samples, participants can be physically reached. There are no limits to the creativity of the participants – how about an after-work cocktail for a good start into the evening or VR glasses for a complete immersion into the event feeling?

Another advantage…

…is that hybrid events can significantly increase the range, interactivity and communication within an event through multimedia.

For Karin Wolniczak, managing director of the agency, one thing is certain: “Hybrid events will take their place in the portfolio of marketing ideas not only now but also in the future. They do not replace under any circumstances previous event formats, but they increase the range of possibilities.  And they lead to the fact that the distribution of events can be even broader than before. Complicated travel and the difficulty of different time zones can be eliminated with hybrid event formats.

But what will always remain in people’s minds is the desire for direct communication and “real” experiences.  This is in the nature of man who does not want to communicate exclusively with computers or avatars.”

Our agency team is certain that anyone can do zoom events – but not everyone can do hybrid event formats with infotainment character.

Call us and arrange your first free consultation appointment. We will then work with you to develop a concept for your unique hybrid event.