That’s the question everyone who wants to organize an event asks themselves now a big part of the world is going back to normal. To help you find the answer, we’ve listed the advantages and disadvantages of each event variant below. Contact us if you need more advice or information to make the right choice for your next event.
But first; what is an offline event? And what do we mean by going online or hybrid? Here are the explanations you need.
Offline
Basically, a physical event where all participants (including speakers et cetera) are physically present.
Online
Basically, an event that takes place online only. All participants follow the event via a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer.
Hybrid
A combination of offline and online. A hybrid event takes place in a physical location with a number of participants that are physically present, and a number of participants that are virtually present. If you host your hybrid event with Let’s Get Digital, you can let the participants on location interact with online participants via our app.
Organising an offline event
Pros;
- Not completely dependent on technology
- A more natural environment to meet other participants
- Potentially more engaging
Cons;
- Limited number of participants
- Not every invitee can participate due to the timing or location of the event
- Expensive, for participants (travel time & costs) as well as organisers
- Less eco-friendly & sustainable
Organising an online event
Pros;
- Unlimited number of participants
- Everybody with a laptop or desktop computer can participate
- You can be part from anywhere in the world and anyone in the world can be part
- Eco-friendly & sustainable
- Because the overall costs are lower, you can invest more into event promotion
- More time & cost-efficient
- Because you invest less, the risk of poor budget allocation is lower
- Does not incur extra costs for participants
- Gives you the ability to collect specific data
Cons;
- A less natural environment to meet other participants*
- Completely dependent on technology
- A true event experience can be hard to replicate (but we’re almost there!)
*unless/until you’re used to it.
Organising a hybrid event
Pros;
- Unlimited number of participants
- Everybody with a laptop or desktop computer can participate
- Anyone in the world can be part of your event
- Partly eco-friendly & sustainable
- Does not incur costs for online participants
- More time & cost-efficient for online participants
- Gives you the ability to collect specific data
Cons;
- Not fully sustainable
- Does incur costs for offline participants
- Partly dependent on technology
- Makes it harder for online participants to interact with offline participants
As you can see, each event type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Do know that regardless of your choice, there are countless solutions to tackle the disadvantages of an offline, online, or hybrid event.
Which of the three variants is best for your next event, depends on what you – or your client – expect and want to achieve. Contact us if you need help making the right choice. We’re always happy to advise you.
