Hybrid meetings will remain an important topic for meeting planners after Corona. They save travel time and that not only supports sustainability goals, but also attendees’ time budgets.
As a specialized meeting hotel, we are especially happy about every attendee who is present. And being present in person definitely promotes the quality of the exchange. For many events, in fact, virtual or hybrid delivery is not a viable option at all. The goals determine the format!
But we also support your hybrid events with a lot of experience and good conference and video technology. That is, the meetings and seminars where only part of the speakers and participants are seated in the modern conference room of the PhiLeRo Hotel, while another part participates via video conferencing software.
Don’t rely on your virtual attendees already being savvy video conference participants. A good briefing that provides assistance on where to get a good webcam, what the lighting setup should be in the office or home office, and how to test the conference platform at their leisure should be part of the invitation.
Hybrid meetings give you a choice. Your speakers or trainers can be on-site at PhiLeRo Hotel Cologne or participate virtually. It is important that the fact that it is a hybrid meeting is part of the initial briefing. If the speaker is to give his presentation online for security or cost reasons, it must be clarified at an early stage whether this is to be broadcast from his office location or from a professional studio. If the former is the case (e.g. for cost reasons), have the picture and sound quality (including Internet bandwidth) guaranteed. An early technical check (not just on the day of the event) is recommended.
Check in, parking, and catering should be planned for participants attending on-site. It should also be considered what the virtual participant does during breaks. Is he looking at a screen with a still image of an empty conference room or is there break entertainment, a meeting place for unofficial exchange with other virtual participants or even the possibility of visiting virtual exhibition booths.
Networking among virtual participants or between virtual and analog participants can also be important issues for certain types of events (e.g., association meetings).
The face-to-face meeting can probably never be replaced by a meeting in an online meeting room. Finally, successful events are based on 3 pillars: the transfer of ideas or knowledge, networking among participants and speakers, and last but not least: fostering motivation to put into practice what has been newly learned or heard. The second and third pillars are easiest to plan and implement, especially in face-to-face meetings.
