Hybrid Event Pain Points...It's Probably Not What You're Thinking!

As a business that provides service, customer pain-points are always top of mind. Historically events have commonly known pain points around load in, schedules, vendor management, etc. And now that companies are leaning more toward the virtual space for event broadcasts, a whole new collection of problems can accumulate.

“ Understanding the tech and the different platforms, especially when companies must consider security, is a big concern”

— James Monrean, Director of Technology, Production, & Innovation

KEEPING UP WITH THE TECH

Most people, unless directly in the business of producing hybrid or virtual events, are not going to be able to keep up with the technical opportunities available. The post-pandemic days saw a boon in event technology platforms, and now it's a race to see who can do it better, faster, and for less. "Understanding the tech and the different platforms, especially when companies must consider security, is a big concern," says James Monrean, Director of Technology, Production, & Innovation at TPN.

While onsite, physical changes to a show plan happen in the days leading up to the event. But when changes are made with the technology, it oftentimes causes a logjam downstream. "Even slight changes, like going from a webinar to a Teams Meeting, can change everything about how to manage, schedule, and deliver content," says Monrean. Education and experience will be gained over time, but at the moment planning an event with subject matter experts will help reduce day-of problems.

Even corporate programs like Microsoft Teams can cause trouble for seasoned users. Businesses often use MS Suite in their internal environments, so it's an easy go-to for teams that are already acclimated to the software. Not everyone, however, understands all the capabilities of all the software we use. (Anyone else struggled to upload favorite music to social apps?!) In order for an event to go off flawlessly, it's best to fully understand goals for the event (i.e. have a Run of Show!) and the tech being used. Not all platforms will satisfy the creative directive.

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