We all want to meet live and in-person again. After the last year, there’s an appreciation for the excitement, engagement, networking, and sales/sponsorship opportunities that happen when we share physical space. 

As of Spring 2021, we’re at an in-between moment. We might be able to get back together face-to-face — or mask-to-mask — in some form soon. However, we’re on alert for shifts in rules and recommendations as well as worried about attendance; what’s allowed and what potential attendees feel comfortable doing evolves constantly. As “hybrid events” begin to take shape, with various combinations of both in-person and virtual audiences for the same event, AV planning has become a lot more complicated.

At Seamless Events, our clients relied on our extensive audio visual expertise when the pandemic forced in-person events to change to virtual. Today, we’re continuing to help event planners “know what they don’t know” so they make smart AV choices for their hybrid, virtual, or socially distanced in-person meetings. 

Our top tip:
While the pandemic has given the world new “ingredients” for customized events, it’s how you combine them that determines the type of event you’ll hold. 

To orient your planning, you’ll need to know the same things you’ve always started with: what you want your event to accomplish, who your audience is, and how you can best meet your event’s objectives with an experience that makes attendees feel valued. 

Below, we’ve shared some tips for thinking through your upcoming event’s audio visual needs in our current environment.

Understand your audience’s preferences

You’ll find AV needs for live in-person events differ from virtual, hybrid, or other types of events — especially when you have multiple audiences. 

Here’s what to consider:

• What’s your attendees’ comfort level around capacity and distancing at a fully in-person event?
• Do you have attendees who’d participate in outdoor in-person activities, but want live-streamed content delivered to their computer or smart phone for an “in-person-remote” experience?
• How connected do remote attendees want to feel to in-person presentations, social activities, or networking and vice versa with in-person attendees wanting to connect to the remote audience?
• Will remote attendees want to consume all content on their own time and at their own pace?

Collaborate with your AV team early and often

AV plays a role in all events, but technology plays an even bigger part in connecting your audience to your message than ever before. An experienced AV partner can work with you to: 

• plan for your specific AV and content needs so each individual audience benefits
• figure out how to deliver engaging content to your attendees in a budget-friendly way
• get ideas for building community during your event, especially if you have multiple audiences 

Maximize your budget 

Unsurprisingly, we spend lots of time with planners discussing budgets as we all embrace new types of events! Your AV partner can ensure you:

• know the costs associated with giving multiple audiences the most engaging experience 
• map your budget to your priorities

Watching our industry rise to the occasion and innovate new ways to hold events has been a bright spot during the pandemic. We’ve learned a lot and are happy to share. If you’d like a free consultation to help you better understand your AV options, contact us today.