Hybrid events that combine good ol’ fashioned in-person gatherings and virtual online elements are getting more and more popular these days in our post-pandemic world.
As an event organizer, you may be thinking about throwing a hybrid event yourself to expand your reach and give attendees more options. However, hybrid events come with their own special challenges when it comes to figuring out whether or not all your hard work paid off.
You’ve got to think beyond just your basic event metrics and consider the experience of both your in-person and virtual attendees. In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips on how to really measure the true impact of your hybrid event.
Define Your Hybrid Event Goals And KPIs
The first step is to clearly lay out your goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the event. Consider what success looks like for your specific hybrid event.
Do you want to get more people to recognize your brand? Generate leads for future sales? Sell more products directly at the event? Educate attendees on a topic important to your industry? Determine 1-3 main goals and then pick 2-4 KPIs to track for each goal.
For example, if your goal is to generate leads for future business, your KPIs could be:
- Number of new leads captured
- Percentage of visitors who become leads
- Quality of leads (job titles, companies)
If you want to increase brand awareness, you may track:
- Social media impressions and engagement
- Growth in followers/audience
- Media coverage and mentions
Deciding your goals and KPIs upfront will focus your measurement efforts and help you accurately size up the impact later on.
Choose The Right Platform And Tools
To measure how your hybrid event went, it’s key to have the right platform and tools to collect and analyze the data. Look for an event management platform that smoothly combines your in-person and virtual experiences and provides detailed reporting.
Some must-have features include:
- Ability to capture registration and attendance data both online and onsite
- Track engagement for things like live chat, polls, Q&A, and networking opportunities
- Collect feedback through surveys and virtual suggestion boxes
- Track sales from a integrated ticketing and merch store
- Detailed real-time dashboards and custom reports
Platforms like Hopin, Bizzabo, and Swapcard cater well to hybrid events. An experienced hybrid event agency like We & Goliath can also help you pick the right tech to measure success and deliver a top-notch hybrid experience.
Track Metrics Before, During, And After
Measuring your hybrid event isn’t just about the main event itself. To get the full picture, you need to monitor metrics before, during, and after across both the physical and digital parts of the experience.
Before the Event
In the weeks leading up to the big day, keep an eye on:
- Registration rates to estimate attendance
- Traffic to event webpage and social posts
- Sales of tickets and merch
- Where registrations and engagement are coming from
Checking out pre-event metrics allows you to adjust promotion and registration strategy to hit your goals.
During the Event
On event days, keep a close watch on engagement and feedback:
- Use live polls, surveys, Q&A, and chats to measure engagement
- Track session attendance in virtual rooms and physical spaces
- Check social media and your event hashtag for real-time feedback
- Monitor merch sales
Having a finger on the pulse of event data allows you to spot and fix any issues in the moment.
After the Event
Post-event is when you’ll get the richest insights from attendee feedback and final metrics:
- Send surveys and interview attendees to get their thoughts
- Review analytics for final registration, attendance, and sales figures
- Calculate ROI and see how you did financially
- Assess lead quality and conversion rates
- Monitor social buzz and website traffic after it’s all over
Comparing post-event metrics to your goals will reveal what worked and what you can improve for next time.
Key Takeaways
Hosting a hybrid event gives you a unique chance to reach more people, both in-person and virtually. But you need the right strategies and tools to measure success across the board. Keep these tips in mind:
- Set clear goals and KPIs based on what success means for your one-of-a-kind hybrid event
- Choose a platform and tools that collect data from online and offline touchpoints
- Track metrics before, during, and after to see the full picture of engagement, feedback, and impact
Carefully evaluating your hybrid event performance will allow you to show the value and continuously optimize for maximum reach, engagement, and impact. With the right approach, your hybrid event can deliver stellar results, both now and in the future.
