What many creators, brands, and small business owners have learned over the past year is that there are exciting opportunities to explore with online communities.
One of the most important aspects was figuring out how to create awesome virtual events to replace in-person ones. Now, many people are looking at what’s next. New events and conferences are being planned and the best solution is hosting a hybrid event.
Ahead, we’re exploring why hybrid event platforms are great, and what the best hybrid event platform is for anyone looking to host a virtual event.
If you want more support in building your hybrid event, come join OUR Mighty Community for free and meet other new and established community owners! We’d love to meet you. Join for free!
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1. Why are hybrid event platforms so great?
Many people learned just how powerful virtual events could be after having to switch to all-digital programming in 2020.
In the past, holding a virtual conference might have felt like a compromise: how will we make this interesting? How can we keep attendees engaged? Where can we host our event? How can we convince people to pay? Among many others.
But now, virtual events have not only proven that they can be effective alternatives, but they also have opened a path for creators to build even bigger events that blend virtual and in-person experiences. Hybrid events allow you to host in-person events that also have a virtual component, so people who can’t travel to attend in-person can still tune in virtually.
Hybrid event platforms give creators powerful scheduling tools to design and deploy great events that are tied together through software. This might sound complicated, but the best hybrid event platforms have built out easy-to-use tools for designing virtual and in-person events.
We’ll explore more on that later in the article, but before we do, if you still aren’t sold on hybrid events, here are a few concrete benefits to consider:
Higher attendance
Virtual events allowed creators to reach more people with their events than ever before. When you utilize a hybrid event platform to host your next event, your reach will be much greater because you’re opening up your programming to anyone around the world.
It can be hard to reach your attendance goals when many people feel uncomfortable traveling for events. Using a hybrid event format gives your potential attendees more freedom to choose how they will engage with what you’re building. It also appeals to folks who might have opted out of attending an in-person event.
More engagement
When you utilize a hybrid event platform for your next event, you can expect to see even more engagement than before. Why? Because the added attendance of both in-person and virtual attendees increases the scope of who is interacting with your content.
Many hybrid event platforms offer new ways for attendees to interact through online communication, including online Q&As, chat functionality, and more.
Additionally, when you use a hybrid event platform, your event can morph into something else once it’s over. The best hybrid event platforms will also have great online community building tools, so you could transition your attendees into being community members and continue to monetize your content.
Increased affordability
Hybrid event platforms are a great way to provide people more options to afford to attend your events. Why? Because a virtual experience is much cheaper than an in-person one. Not everyone can afford to hop on a plane and attend an event, or maybe they simply don’t have the time. A hybrid experience appeals to their needs and makes it possible for them to attend.
More flexibility
Finally, hybrid event platforms will give you and your attendees much more flexibility. Hybrid events are convenient for everyone because they can more easily fit into the busy lives that many people have these days.
Even for people who might be attending the event in person, a hybrid event gives them the option to leave the venue for a while and still interact digitally.
A hybrid event is a great option to appeal to people who travel a lot, have busy family lives, or can’t find time to get away from where they live.
Now that we’ve explored some of the major benefits of hybrid events, you’re probably wondering where you should be hosting yours.
2. The best hybrid event platform is Mighty Networks
As we stated above, hybrid events can provide you greater reach, more flexibility, and even more longevity for your content. But none of that matters if you choose a platform that isn’t equipped to handle the undertaking you’re setting out for yourself. When you build your hybrid event on a Mighty Network you’re choosing a platform that is easy to use and full with options.
Mighty Networks is a cultural software platform that provides creators with an all-in-one solution for community and events. It originally started as an online community platform in 2017 and revolutionized what was possible for creators building community-based businesses.
Mighty gives you powerful Spaces that work like containers, you can build powerful events, conversations, live streaming, and courses in each one. You can charge for access to these Spaces, either as a one-time fee or a paid memberships -- making it a solid, hybrid event option.
If you’re looking for specific ways Mighty Networks is the best hybrid platform then check out these reasons below:
Everything under one roof
The best hybrid event platform will give you a plethora of ways to create digital spaces for the awesome in-person programming you’re developing. No one wants to choose the virtual option of your event and feel like they’ve been given the short end of the stick.
On a Mighty Network, you can create easy-to-use RSVP announcements for all of the different events you’re holding whether they are individual or part of a bigger conference. You can send direct messages to attendees who join your virtual events, and you can set up reminders so no one misses anything.
The best part about a Mighty Network is that everything is in one place. Your attendees won’t have to worry about jumping through multiple hoops to engage with different types of event experiences.
A Mighty Network is completely accessible on the go with our robust native mobile app experience. So, whether your attendees are using the app as a companion to their in-person experience or as their main way to interact in a completely virtual experience there won’t be any compromises in quality.
Room to grow after the event
Typically, one major problem that event organizers face with in-person events is retaining the attention of the attendees once the event is over. When you have a hybrid event, not only are you able to make attendance easier, in turn bringing in more people, but you also will have a much easier path to documenting the programming you create and utilizing it in new ways.
One reason that a hybrid event platform like Mighty Networks is so great is that not only does it have awesome event options, but a Mighty Network is fully equipped to create robust online community spaces and online courses.
This means you could use the work you did in your event to make online course material (that you can charge for!). Or, since your attendees will already be in the Mighty Networks ecosystem, you could invite them to join a paid community space and continue networking with all of the people they’ve met during your event.
3. Build on the best platform on the market
The best hybrid event platform will give you and your attendees an immense amount of options to engage with your programming how they see fit. However, all of it should be done simply.
A Mighty Network is the best hybrid event platform because it does more than simply host virtual events that will know your members’ socks off. It also provides creators with the tools to build online communities, monetize existing content, and even create online courses. Here are some great features you can look forward to:
Discussion boards, polls, and Q&As.
Create articles, livestream natively in your Mighty Network, and post recorded video.
Create detailed member profiles, direct messaging, send mass reminds
Build an awesome native mobile app that is available across web, iOS, and Android devices.
Build an online community, create online courses, and host events.
Do all of this easily.
All of that sounds pretty awesome, right?
