Meetings
professionals say 26 per cent of their meetings and events in 2021 will have a
hybrid format. The figure is a preliminary finding from the 2021 Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express Meetings
& Events.
Linda McNairy, vice president, Americas, for the
company’s meetings and events division told BTN Europe, “Even beyond the pandemic,
virtual meetings will remain because our world has changed."
The
company says it has been offering technologies such as Attendify, Cvent, and Educational Measures Virtual Array to allow corporate clients
to put on virtual events.
The company said it has seen an increase in hybrid meetings as certain areas have been able to return to smaller in-person meetings.
“There is also an appetite for live events," she said. "Where this is restricted, we can and are supporting clients with hybrid events. And as demand grows for smaller, more manageable meetings, multi-hybrid technology will play a valuable role, helping create a larger-scale event by joining up geographically dispersed regional gatherings.”
However, she
warned: “Hybrid meetings differ from
straightforward virtual meetings in that they require more coordination and AV
support because there are essentially two different audiences. And, hybrid multi-hub meetings require the
most resources as there are more variables to consider.”
McNairy
told BTN Europe that in-person meetings and events are starting to resume, with
“many more on the horizon”.
She said: “We feel that the
current virtual demand will actually foster more human interaction when those
virtual teams inevitably need to meet at some point, to build relationships and
take their ideas to the next level – creating new projects creates the need to
meet and travel.”
Meanwhile, London’s popular Somerset House venue
has launched packages aimed at hybrid meeting organisers.
The venue’s deputy head of commercial
events Kara Clark said: “With so many offices still closed, people are keenly
missing the benefits of being part of a physical team and are looking for new
ways to safely regroup, which is still possible for business purposes."
The venue’s specialist supplier Broadsword
has devised several hybrid options including conferencing and streaming with
packages starting from £1,445 plus VAT.
A sign of the appetite for both
face-to-face and hybrid meetings comes from meeting venue provider etc.venues.
It
says it has taken close to £2 million of workspace bookings for the second half
of 2020 as a result of changes to requirements and working practices resulting
from Covid-19.
Chief
operating officer Nick Hoare said: “There are several reasons why our clients
are choosing to book this space on a regular basis. Some need additional room
to accommodate extra staff and activity resulting from Covid-19, but do not
want to commit to office leases as their needs may change in the near future.
“Other organisations have decided to operate without an HQ, with staff mainly
working from home, so are booking rooms as a place to maintain connections with
their team, suppliers and clients by meeting face-to-face on demand.”
He
added: “Some forward-thinking event organisers
are being creative within the bounds of the regulations, bringing together more
people in person in separate locations connecting virtually, benefiting from
our technology partnerships, enabling many customers to stage first
class hybrid events with us.”