The conference of the future is a hybrid one and it will look fundamentally different than what we are used to. Here is what it will look like. This kind of event is closer to reality than you might think because COVID has accelerated what’s acceptable and possible. #eventprofs

First a definition. A hybrid event is an event that has on- and off-line components where the value created by all stakeholders, regardless of how they participate, is greater than either a live or virtual event independently.

Ticketing. Hybrid events will have two ticket categories: virtual *and* in-person or just virtual. In-person offers deeper learning, dealmaking, and networking.

Education. All education will be online because it can be pre-recorded and has a global speaker pool. Advanced workshop style education will be an additive option for those who have the baseline knowledge from the online seminars and want to meet the speakers.

Trade show. The vendor showcase (which is actually what most trade shows are) will be online to generate marketing qualified leads but meetings for sales qualified leads will be in-person.

Sponsorships. The online component of a conference will add many new sponsorship opportunities, much like political campaigns now rely on small donations. Big sponsorships will still be available but more so for the in-person portion of the conference.

Networking. Initial networking will be done online since it’s more efficient and participants are more present. In-person networking will be a follow-up option for those who already met virtually.