{"id":11467,"date":"2022-10-05T15:50:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T19:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.acadiate.com\/?p=11467"},"modified":"2023-02-01T11:29:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T16:29:28","slug":"planning-your-next-conference-in-the-post-pandemic-era-what-generates-the-best-roi-in-person-hybrid-or-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.acadiate.com\/planning-your-next-conference-in-the-post-pandemic-era-what-generates-the-best-roi-in-person-hybrid-or-online\/","title":{"rendered":"In-person, Hybrid, or Online. Which approach to student events generates the best outcomes?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we have emerged from the pandemic, everyone is seeking to have their life return to pre-pandemic normalcy. One of the biggest yearnings we hear is the desire to return to in-person experiences or events, whether they are sit-down restaurants or conferences. We are all thinking about and trying to re-establish in-person social interactions while being mindful of each other\u2019s different comfort zones with social distancing.<\/p>\n

Some event organizers feel so much pressure to return to the pre-pandemic status-quo that we have seen some events return with only an In-person option. We all value face-to-face human connectivity and the warm effect of spontaneous human connectivity without technology. However, one significant and undeniable outcome of the last few years is that many technologies have emerged that make it easier and more convenient for us to connect, communicate and collaborate, remotely.<\/p>\n

Although there has been a wide range of experiences with online events and conferences over the last few years, one thing remains sticky; video calls are continuing to play a prominent role in human communication because of their convenience, time savings and, accordingly monetary savings. This basic functionality is now intertwined and embedded in our interactions to a greater or lesser extent depending on your employer or type of job. Many employers of white-collar businesses are experiencing pushback as they try to transition back to in-person work. As much as we appreciate in-person experiences, there are many scenarios and use cases where virtual and online technologies have massive and clear benefits.<\/p>\n

Different vendors apply these technologies differently, with some solutions generating very positive outcomes and others less so. Many vendor solutions work well in an entirely virtual application but are awkward or do not transfer well to in-person event environments. But one thing is clear many barriers to accessibility have been reduced with these technologies at a low cost. Therefore, implementing some of these online event technologies at In-person events, also called Hybrid events, is a real consideration. Why? They enable access and participation by individuals in an in-person event who otherwise would not have participated.<\/p>\n

But is hybrid worth the cost and effort?\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Depending on the conference purpose, demographics of attendees, the make-up of sponsors\/vendors and speakers, we see various degrees of success. Everyone has different definitions of success, with trade-offs between pure financial benefits and the less quantifiable qualitative benefits. We thought it would be timely to measure and outline the ROI (Return on Investment) based on a conference organizer we observed over the last few years who ran the same conference distinctly in three different formats over the last few years: Online, Hybrid, and In-person.<\/p>\n

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Methodology<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We are taking advantage of observing the same conference being held at different times over the last two years in three different formats: in-person, full-online and hybrid. To a large degree, the public health environment drove the format chosen at each time, where the conference organizer always preferred the in-person option as their first choice but compromised to an on-line and hybrid format forced by circumstance.<\/p>\n

We would note hybrid is a whole separate subject of discussion and definition. Some are run in parallel with full functionality in both formats, some are offset and held at different times, some are held simultaneously, but with limited functionality etc.<\/p>\n

Our methodology is focused on comparing the overall magnitude of numbers between each format, instead of on the absolute numbers to better contrast and compare numbers. As the conferences are designed to generate revenue and profit, the conferences are vital to the health and ongoing success of the organization. We share this case study to provide insight and perspective on the trade-offs and benefits of all three formats, in-person, hybrid and online.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conference Attendance<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The most defining factor for this conference and, to a large degree, any conference is attendance. For simplicity, we are presenting results based on registered attendees. The numbers broke down:<\/p>\n

In-person<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1.0X<\/p>\n

Online<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3.7X<\/p>\n

Hybrid<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5.0X<\/p>\n

For every person who attended the in-person only event, 3.75 people attended the online only event and 5 people attended the hybrid event.<\/p>\n

Key observations:<\/p>\n