When COVID hit, everyone scrambled to figure out virtual events. Zoom fatigue became a real thing. Then, as offices reopened, a question emerged: do we go back to in-person, or have we learned something valuable about reaching people who can’t travel?
The answer, for most organisations, is both. Hybrid events aren’t a compromise – they’re an evolution.
What We Mean by Hybrid
Let’s clear something up. Pointing a camera at your conference and streaming it isn’t a hybrid event. That’s a live stream with an audience. A true hybrid event treats both audiences – in-person and remote – as first-class participants.
That means remote attendees can ask questions, participate in polls, network with people in the room, and feel genuinely included. It’s harder to pull off, but the results are worth it.
Why Indian Companies Are Going Hybrid
India is a big country. Getting everyone to Bangalore or Mumbai for a two-day conference isn’t just expensive – it’s often impossible. Hybrid events let you include your team in Chennai, your distributors in Kolkata, and your partners in Delhi without asking everyone to book flights.
There’s also the sustainability angle. Fewer flights, fewer hotel rooms, smaller carbon footprint. Some organisations now track this as part of their ESG reporting.
Choosing the Right Venue
Not every venue works for hybrid. We’ve learned this through painful experience. Beautiful heritage properties with stone walls that block WiFi. Convention centres with lighting that makes everyone look slightly green on camera.
What to look for: robust internet infrastructure (not just “we have WiFi”), proper AV capabilities, and a layout that works for cameras without blocking sightlines for in-person attendees.
The Technology Stack
This is where it gets complicated. You need a platform that handles the virtual experience, equipment that captures the in-person event properly, and systems that let both audiences interact.
We’ve worked with most major platforms – Hopin, Airmeet, Zoom Events, custom solutions. Each has strengths and weaknesses. The right choice depends on your specific needs, not what’s trending.
Designing for Both Audiences
Here’s the trap most people fall into: they design a great in-person event and then try to stream it. Remote attendees can tell they’re an afterthought. They see the backs of heads. They miss the sidebar conversations. They feel like they’re watching through a window.
Good hybrid design starts with both audiences in mind. Speakers address cameras as well as the room. Q&A pulls from both virtual and in-person attendees. Networking sessions mix people deliberately.
The Production Team
Hybrid events need more crew than purely physical or virtual events. Someone managing the virtual platform. Someone directing cameras. Someone moderating chat. Someone coordinating speakers.
This isn’t where you cut corners. Understaffing a hybrid event leads to one audience or the other feeling neglected.
Rehearsals Save Events
Every hybrid event disaster we’ve witnessed came down to inadequate preparation. The speaker who didn’t know where to look. The poll that didn’t launch. The breakout room that nobody could join.
Full technical rehearsals aren’t optional. Test everything with real people, in the actual venue, with the real equipment. Problems are much cheaper to solve the day before than during the live event.
Let’s Plan Your Hybrid Event
We’ve been producing hybrid events since before they had a name. Happy to chat about what you’re planning and share what we’ve learned along the way.
Contact us at +91 96635 06306 or sales@thalsamaya.com.
