A sustainable choice
Hybrid solutions reduce the carbon footprint without completely eliminating human connection, says Tim Cordon, Area Senior VP, ME & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group
Whilst the future of meetings is yet to be written, it will likely include a combination of live and virtual meetings frequently combined in the same event. The past year has forced many companies to explore work from home options, relying heavily on Wi-Fi, streaming, and an increased demand for hybrid meetings. By curating intimate events in local areas with hybrid functions, that not only require less to no travel and are safer for attendees, it allows companies to reduce environmental impact at the same time.
“The demand for hybrid meetings has increased exponentially over the past months and we are pleased to be able to meet the requirements of our guests and partners within the new norm. Hybrid solutions are not only convenient, but also provide a great opportunity for any organisation to progress its sustainability mission, as the carbon footprint is greatly reduced without completely eliminating true human connection”, says Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President ME & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group.
Looking towards the future of events, recent studies predict that small domestic meetings are expected to come back earliest, whereas large conferences will see a much later recovery beyond 2021 or will become hybrid in the future. According to the Post COVID-19 Event Outlook Report, an overwhelming 93% of organisers plan to invest in virtual events moving forward and a whopping 76% of planners executed a virtual event in 2020. Looking at numbers, it's not unusual for virtual events to capture 6x–8x the number of registrations compared to the equivalent event. Additionally, both attendees and planners were pleasantly surprised by attendance rates and engagement levels in virtual events. With that in mind, many believe that virtual events are likely to stay, as they create a powerful way to build engagement with audiences everywhere.
Whilst physical events will come back in future, they probably won't supplant virtual events; rather they'll exist alongside them.
Caroline Thissen, Area Senior Director Sales & Revenue Optimization, ME & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, says, “We believe it will be very important for hotels to provide flexibility and offer solutions for both hybrid and physical events. Generally, we see that the virtual meeting elements can be a revenue source and also provide a new space for sponsor exposure in a more digital and creative way. That said, hybrid meetings will most likely appear in various forms as organisations have different requirements and need to find the model that works best for their attendees, budgets, and ROI. With that in mind we have been busy ensuring that our teams know how to master these foundational elements and have the right hybrid meeting technology to meet the needs of our clients and guests.”
Hybrid solutions provide a great opportunity for any organisation to progress its sustainability mission
Organisations need to find the hybrid model that works best for their attendees, budgets, and ROI