Digital events are great, but you know what's going to be really hard?

These so-called "hybrid events" everyone is now talking about after we get past Covid. Digital + IRL.

Why so hard? A few thoughts here:

First, expense. A decent digital event is hardly free, even if you don't need a venue. Many SaaS companies are still spending $500k to product a digital event. SaaStr will spend up to $2m on our digital events.

Who is going to pay the >extra< expense to add this to IRL event?

Second, experience. Live streaming at events is nothing new. Yes, it works on Twitch. But WebSummit? Dreamforce? SaaStr?

All have tried it, and abandoned it.

The experience has to be great. Bolting on streaming is not enough.

Again, this is >extra< work.

Who'll do it?

Third, channel conflict. Putting on even a 2,000+ user conference can cost $2,000,000.

What if you can't sell tickets anymore? What if sponsors move to cheaper digital sponsorships?

Cannibalization of revenue is a real risk.

Fourth, software. Digital events software is still terrible.

It's terrible in that it doesn't do enough. It can become great.

But right now matchmaking, e.g. is basically random.
Digital booths are close to worthless.

It will get there. But it's not there yet.

Fifth, integration. Who will integrate the incredible complexity of IRL events with the mediocre digital events software we have now?

Who will integrate Covid vaccine verification?
Who will integrate booth scanning?
Who will integrate on-site registration?

No one for a while

So look, great "hybid events" will truly will be great.

We will do it. WebSummit is doing it.

But the cost and complexity will go up. Way up.

And as a category, it's a lot of work still to do.

A decade of work.