Does anything feel better than attending an awesome event? Virtual events let attendees tune in from their living rooms, hybrid events give them options, and in person events are full of creative engagement opportunities. But how do you decide which format is best for your event? And if you want to go the in person route, what are the best ways to run it safely and successfully? Here, we’ll explore some of the pros and cons of each format, which types of events are best to hold in person, and 10 tips for running an in person event to remember!
The ideal live event is one that serves your attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors—while also bringing in revenue and attention to your organization.
Why does holding that event in person matter so much? It comes down to feeling present!
Attendees want to network, learn, and connect with new people around a shared interest. Exhibitors and sponsors want to get in front of a live, targeted audience. You want to blast through your event goals.
Here are the three biggest benefits of in person events!
In person events offer unique audience engagement opportunities, including:
Give your attendees plenty of opportunities to try something new—curiosity is a great motivator for engagement!
Networking and making new connections are two of the biggest reasons why people choose to attend conferences. While hallway conversations are the origin of many relationships, event organizers also have the opportunity to create focused networking opportunities in person.
These networking techniques could include:
An in person meeting gives faces and voices to the names attendees would otherwise see over a screen, and helps conversation feel more organic.
Many client relationships exist primarily over email, phone, or video call. That’s why in person events are better for bringing those relationships out from behind the screen and enabling you to deepen the relationship.
It also means your exhibitors can have live conversations with leads—and follow up, if you have the right event lead retrieval process in place.
These days, the first question we ask when planning an event is: virtual, in person, or hybrid?
We’re finally back to in person events—but depending on your needs, there are pros and cons to each structure!
Many people think that networking opportunities and interaction just feel better in person—in fact, that’s why 92% of event planners prefer live events.
Here are the pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
Cons:
If your event primarily contains lectures, sessions, or workshops, going virtual is a great option. You can save money while bringing in attendees (and special guests!) from all over the world.
Pros:
Cons:
According to a survey done by Influencer Marketing Hub, 57% of participants would prefer to attend a hybrid event in person, and 33% preferred to attend virtually. Having a hybrid event strategy is what’ll satisfy both of these audiences.
Going hybrid works best if your primary programming works equally well in virtual and in person spaces. From there, you can add specialized experiences to each stream (an in person activation and an online-only game, for example!) to make a true hybrid experience.
Pros:
Cons:
We hate to say it—but it really depends on the event!
For example, a live event would be much better for hands-on activations and local networking opportunities. But if you wanted to bring in a guest lecturer from abroad for a 5 week workshop series, going virtual would save you time and money.
The right event format is ultimately the one that gives your event the most opportunity to meet its KPIs and inspire your audience.
Some events do especially well (or are only possible!) when they’re held in person.
Here are 8 different examples:
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So you’re ready to plan an event, and you know you’re holding it in person. But where do you begin?
Here are 10 things to keep in mind when planning live events to make them fun and safe for your attendees:
What’s your goal? Before diving into in person event ideas, slow down and ask yourself the following.
Are you trying to:
Before you kick off your planning, review the SMART Goals you’ve set up with your team. No one can do it all, and a focused goal will be much easier to achieve.
While switching to virtual was stressful for a lot of planners, no one can deny that it went easier on the budget.
In person events come with extra costs for things like:
Securing sponsorships requires some thoughtful pre-planning. This process looks like creating a targeted sponsorship proposal, offering multiple sponsorship packages, and building the genuine connections that’ll make sponsors bite.
Sponsors can offer all sorts of support, including:
If you’re looking for tips on building more profitable sponsorship opportunities, check out these 9 Ways to Increase Event Sponsorship Revenue.
The most obvious venue considerations are the location, capacity, and cost of the space, but there are some other elements that might influence your choice.
Check if your prospective venue has:
When you’re scoping out a place, it can be helpful to create a “need to have” and “nice to have” list. And if you find your venue was perfect, lock in those dates early to book it for next year!
Keep things simple with event registration strategies like:
Your event starts with registration—a smooth process is the first step in building trust with attendees.
Before your event, be sure to send your attendees information including:
Sending this information via email, or including it in your in person event app, gives attendees their own personal FAQ. Plus, if anyone’s just starting to get comfortable with attending in person, this can help set expectations and ease anxiety.
Since COVID-19 began, in person events have transformed in many ways—and many safety precautions are here to stay!
Determine if you’ll include:
Hiring an accessibility advisor is a great way to get extra insight on helping your immunocompromised guests feel safe.
Gone are the days of business card exchange and sign-up forms! These days, there’s plenty of solutions that can capture leads for you.
Bringing in new customers is also how many exhibitors calculate their ROI. Incorporating a streamlined lead retrieval process into your exhibitor or sponsor package can add a huge amount of value.
Once you’ve got an audience onsite, all that’s left is to create memorable engagement opportunities.
Try incorporating things like:
Did you know that 79% of millennials think fun at work is important? If you’re running a conference or training, finding ways to make learning exciting will have a real impact on your attendee experience.
Following up with attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors is how you gather real data on the success of your in person event. Sending out surveys via email, or including satisfaction polls in your app are a couple of quick ways to learn how your event was received.
Here at EventMobi, we’ve helped event organizers plan and execute 30,000+ events over 13+ years. We build our platform with event planners in mind, focusing on ROI, attendee engagement, and ease of use—because planning is stressful enough!
For example, our Mobile Event Apps come with:
And we’re more than just an app—EventMobi also offers on site features, including:
Curious about how you could use these features for your next in person event? Chat with our team to see what EventMobi has to offer.
No matter what industry you’re in, in person events are one of the best opportunities for connection. With the right tools and creative planning, your attendees are sure to feel the value of your event—and sign up fast when it comes around next year!]
Written by - Written by: Kerry McCreadie from Eventmobi