Hybrid work models and event concepts are undeniably on the rise. Heralded as the magic formula to boost flexibility and productivity, hybrid models open up a whole new world of possibilities. At the same time, this new way of working and collaborating brings new challenges that need to be overcome.

 

For hybrid work models to run smoothly, one key element is essential: well-organised meetings where employees in the office, those working from home, and remote workers such as freelancers can coordinate their efforts effectively.

 

 

Your guide to success

 

This blog post will walk you through everything you need to know to conduct successful hybrid meetings. We will cover the following topics:

 

• what a hybrid meeting is
• the advantages and challenges of hybrid meetings
• tips for successfully implementing hybrid meetings

 

 

What is a Hybrid Meeting?

 

Hybrid meetings are face-to-face gatherings with a virtual element. In a hybrid meeting, only some of the attendees are physically on-site — for instance, in the office or a local conference room. Others, who might be working from home or remotely, join the meeting digitally.

 

This kind of hybrid format is by no means limited to team meetings; hybrid seminars, conferences, and congresses are becoming increasingly popular.

 

 

Advantages and Challenges of Hybrid Meetings

 

In a world where digital communication and remote work are becoming the norm, hybrid meetings take centre stage. When used effectively, this event concept offers a range of advantages.

 

Advantages of hybrid meetings

 

• Hybrid meetings are inclusive
  Employees on-site, those working from home, and remote workers all have the opportunity to take part in meetings regardless of their location. The inclusivity of hybrid meetings further extends beyond location and travel times: Workers who, for instance, might have been unable to attend in-person meetings due to health reasons can also join. Thanks to hybrid meetings, no one is excluded, and everyone can be part of the conversation.

 

• Hybrid meetings are more flexible
  Compared to traditional face-to-face meetings, hybrid events offer greater flexibility. Oftentimes, finding a suitable day and time for all participants proves to be easier when travel time is no longer a key factor. Moreover, hybrid events largely eliminate two of the limiting factors in the world of event management: event location and venue capacity. This opens up new possibilities when it comes to choosing which speakers and how many attendees should be invited.

 

• Hybrid meetings save time and costs
  Hybrid events reduce, if not eliminate, the travel costs for both event hosts and participants. Without the need for long commutes, time and money can be saved. Plus, the cost of hiring meeting spaces can be reduced as fewer in-person attendees mean that less physical space is required.

 

• Hybrid meetings are better for the environment
  Fewer participants travelling for business meetings significantly reduces the event’s carbon footprint. As such, hybrid meetings are a strategic measure to support sustainable business practices.

 

Alongside their numerous advantages, hybrid meetings come with a series of unique challenges that are not present in in-person meetings nor in virtual meetings. The main difficulty with hybrid events lies in bridging the gap between in-person and online participants, avoiding the feeling of a ‘two-tier society’ within the event.

 

 

Common issues seen in hybrid meetings

 

• The right technical equipment is missing
  Hybrid meetings demand a higher standard than face-to-face meetings when it comes to the infrastructure and equipment available in the meeting room. The same is true for digital participants: everyone who is taking part virtually needs access to basic technical equipment.

 

• The meeting is not moderated well and/or lacking meeting etiquette
  To create a well-balanced discussion between all participants, hybrid meetings need to be moderated and require a clear code of conduct. Is this element missing, hybrid events can become chaotic quickly.

 

• Participants are unable to see each other clearly
  Depending on the setup, not all attendees may be visible to each other. If, for instance, only a single laptop with an integrated webcam is used on-site, virtual participants are likely unable to see everyone who is attending in-person. The same is true in reverse: Without a sufficiently large TV screen or a projector available at the venue, participants on-site will not be able to see virtual attendees well.

 

• Meeting hosts are using analogue equipment instead of virtual tools
  Using traditional whiteboards or flipcharts stops virtual participants from directly interacting and hinders collaboration. Oftentimes, these will also be difficult to see and read for everyone attending virtually, especially if a central room camera is used. If the camera is readjusted to focus on the whiteboard or flipchart during the brainstorming portion of a meeting, virtual attendees will lose sight of participants on-site.

 

• It is difficult to maintain focus
  If the setup, technical equipment, and code of conduct are inadequate, it can be difficult for attendees to maintain their focus during the meeting. Restricted views, poor sound quality, being excluded from certain interactions, and potential background noise can turn what was supposed to be a productive meeting into a highly frustrating experience.

 

 

These pitfalls need to be avoided when planning a successful hybrid meeting. To help you succeed, we have put together a list of the most important tips and tricks.

 

 

 

7 Tips for Successful Hybrid Meetings

 

 

1. Choose a meeting room with the right infrastructure and equipment

 

The right setup is crucial for a successful hybrid meeting. There are a few key aspects you should consider when choosing your ideal meeting space and the most suitable equipment:

 

• Unobstructed views
  Ideally, the entire meeting room, including all in-person participants, should be visible when captured through a camera lens. This is important to give virtual attendees a comprehensive overview of what is happening in the physical meeting space. Conversely, everyone taking part on-site should have a clear view of the virtual participants as well as any collaboratively used tools such as digital whiteboards. Ensure that your chosen meeting room has an appropriate room size, is uncluttered, and that seating can be arranged in suitable way — for instance, as a U-shape or V-shape.

 

• Optimised video and audio systems
  High-quality video and audio systems are essential to enable participants to communicate with each other on an equal footing.
  
  Ideally, a conference room equipped for hybrid meetings should feature professional cameras with a wide field of vision and intelligent features such as auto-zoom and group framing. Besides the video technology, be sure to also consider the lighting of the event space. Soft, evenly distributed lighting helps to avoid glare, backlighting, and unflattering shadows.
  
  A professional audio system complete with quality speakers ensures that speeches, presentations, and comments are clearly audible to everyone. To achieve good sound quality, it is ideal to have several microphones featuring echo and noise cancellation distributed around the room. Alternatively, a table microphone — positioned in the centre of the group rather than passed from person to person — can be utilised in small group settings. When choosing this option, however, it is important to be mindful of background noises, such as glasses being placed onto the table, which could be disruptive. In addition to the audio system itself, the acoustics of the event space should not be disregarded. Ensure that the seminar room is soundproofed to avoid disturbing background noises from outside the room, echoes, and reverberation.

 

• Modern presentation equipment and technology
  A particularly challenging aspect of facilitating hybrid meetings is ensuring that all participants are able to keep track of each other and any shared content, such as presentations and digital collaboration tools, simultaneously. This can be achieved with a large smartboard and a video conferencing system such as ClickShare. If your chosen conference venue does not provide this type of equipment and you are unable to hire it, you might want to consider using a combination of equipment: Virtual attendees can be included in the physical meeting space via a screen and/or projector. For any interactive or collaborative elements, however, a second tool such as digital flipchart or a digital whiteboard should be used. This allows both virtual attendees and participants on-site to actively take part in any activity.

 

 

2. Ensure participants have the right technical equipment and training

 

Not only the physical meeting space but also all virtual participants require the right technical equipment. Every person attending the meeting virtually should have access to a laptop, a webcam, a headset with a microphone, and a stable internet connection.

 

As an event organiser, ensure all participants know in advance which software solutions will be used and how to work with them. It might be beneficial to offer a short training session providing basic knowledge of the company’s go-to software solutions and tools. Additionally, some form of tech support should be offered for anyone who might have trouble logging in or using the software on the day of the event. This way, you can ensure that all participants will have a positive experience and your event will run smoothly.

 

 

3. Utilise digital and interactive tools to engage your attendees

 

In hybrid meetings, people rarely just talk. You might be delivering presentations, sharing multimedia content, brainstorming, or even working together on shared documents. To ensure seamless collaboration among all participants, it is essential to switch from analogue meeting tools such as the traditional flipchart to digital, interactive tools. This enables both in-person and virtual attendees to be actively involved in all processes.

 

Check in advance what types of features you may need for your meeting and how the equipment and tools you have access to can be used in the most efficient way.

 

Modern video conferencing and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom boast numerous features to make hybrid events interactive. Features such as the chat function, Q&As, polls, digital whiteboards, multimedia sharing, and more allow you to create an engaging meeting.

 

Additionally, consider how on-site participants can effectively utilise these digital tools — ideally, without each person needing their own laptop or device. An ideal solution is a large smartboard with a touchscreen that allows on-site participants to collaborate on the same device without difficulty. Displaying the digital whiteboard, presentations, and other documents on this shared device allows everyone to participate equally, creating a sense of unity among face-to-face and virtual attendees alike.

 

 

4. Establish meeting etiquette

 

When facilitating a hybrid meeting, having an agenda or schedule is often not enough. Establishing and adhering to a code of conduct is essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the meeting runs smoothly. It is also helpful to have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for everyone involved.

 

Certain guidelines and roles should be established in advance and communicated to all participants before or at the start of the meeting:

 

• Turn-taking should follow a clear process. In a hybrid meeting setting, it is generally recommended to designate a dedicated moderator or chairperson who can guide the meeting, ensuring that all voices are heard by actively including virtual participants. In addition to this — and especially if there is no dedicated meeting leader — it is wise to ask that attendees raise their hand to indicate a desire to speak.

 

• Microphones should be muted by default. To avoid disruptive background noises and potential feedback loops, all virtual participants should keep their microphones on mute unless speaking.

 

• Establish clear roles. In addition to a person leading the moderation of the meeting, it is also beneficial to appoint someone who primarily focuses on the virtual participants. Their responsibilities would include monitoring the chat and ensuring that contributions from digital attendees do not get overlooked.

 

 

5. Promote communication before and after the meeting

 

Clear pre- and post-meeting communication significantly contributes to a positive meeting experience for everyone. Prior to the event, ensure that briefings — including the agenda, any tools that will be used, and all necessary access information — are sent out well in advance. After the meeting, a summary of the discussed topics and the next steps should be communicated as part of the follow-up process.

 

Another way of fostering communication and social interaction before and after the meeting is to start the digital meeting with plenty of time before the official start of the event and avoid ending it too soon. While this might sound obvious at first, in practice, this social aspect is oftentimes disregarded during hybrid or virtual meetings: While in-person meetings usually allow colleagues to socialise before the official start of a meeting, during break times, and afterward, this opportunity tends to be missing for digital participants. By opening the virtual meeting space ahead of time as well and not closing it immediately at the end of the meeting, virtual participants are given a chance to socialise and network.

 

 

6. Conduct a test run

 

As with any event, a test run with ample lead time is recommended for hybrid meetings. Particularly when hosting your event at an external event venue with unfamiliar technology and new equipment, an internal test run is essential, as this gives you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the setup and how to operate everything. On the day of the event, we recommend you leave enough time to ensure that all technical devices and software solutions are functioning as expected prior to the event. Lighting, camera settings, and sound quality should also be checked and adjusted again.

 

 

7. Ensure there is technical support available on-site

 

Careful preparation and successful test runs still do not make you immune to technical failures or malfunctions. Therefore, we would strongly advise to have someone who is familiar with the venue’s technical equipment available throughout the meeting. Ideally, a person responsible for the technology, who can quickly address any technical issues that may arise, should be appointed.

 

 

Discover the Perfect Event Venue for Your Hybrid Meeting

 

Hybrid events can present organisers with new challenges. However, with our guide on hand and the right venue for your event, you are perfectly positioned to successfully facilitate your hybrid meeting.

 

Still haven’t found the right event space for your hybrid event?

 

Konflinx is here to help. Our online platform puts an end to lengthy searches and tedious comparisons. We help you discover, compare, and book Austria’s most popular event venues online, in just a few clicks.

 

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