Hybrid Studios – are they the future of events?

Hybrid events are here to stay and we’ve spoken to two venues in London which have created studios. Elana Kruger, Marketing Manager of Church House Westminster (CHW) and Kat Winfield, Venue Manager of BMA House (BMA) have given us an insight into the changes that they’ve made to their venues and why they’ve done them.

It’s clear that a hybrid studio will give an organisers flexibility if Covid guidance changes and a hybrid event can reach a larger and more diverse audience, so why should you use one?

Why we created the hybrid studio:

CHW: We’ve created quite a few new innovative additions for event organisers in the last year or so, including a podcast studio too! We were inspired to think ‘outside the box’ as much as possible when we were first started shortlisting new venue and event ideas back in August last year, when we decided amongst our small team of nine (reduced from 25 – thanks Covid!) that absolutely no idea was too radical or far-fetched. We knew we had to completely rethink our event spaces and become more than a venue, we needed to offer more than 19 event spaces. This was a challenge we accepted with pleasure after seeing our venue empty for so long (first lockdown). We also had to unlearn what we have learned and evolve as we build the next normal of events.

Creative thinking caps on, our team then got to work and completed the following innovative projects:

• Installation of an outside broadcast line (TVOB), which makes us one of London’s newest venues to offer film, media and TV production organisers fibre connectivity to deliver outside broadcasts to anyone, anywhere in the world. This resulted in our venue hosting two Saturday evenings’ boxing action streamed live on BT Sport towards the end of last year.
• Creation of a virtual studio.
• We then utilised our virtual studio to host a series of webinars investigating the future of events. The webinars were hosted by our team members and we sourced the speakers for each webinar. The first webinar explored the role of event technology in unlocking events and venues.
• Collaborating with industry suppliers to offer virtual teambuilding experiences
• Investing in virtual event training by enrolling our team in the Certification Program of the Virtual Events Institute (VEI), which has a clear focus on upskilling event professionals with the knowledge and tools to deliver excellent virtual and hybrid events. Our team now proudly displays the acronym VEIP (Virtual Events Institute Professional) behind their names.

BMA: We wanted to support our clients by offering an extended range of flexible event options within the venue. We recognise the need for companies to be able to reach out to wider audiences as well as the expectation of delegates and audiences to join virtually. Our hybrid studio meets these needs whilst further supporting our industry-leading sustainability credentials.

Have you seen an increase in business/bookings?

CHW: For sure, and not just in terms of our ‘usual’ event enquiries. The exposure from the boxing events, for instance, provided a massive awareness reach for the venue in completely new markets, which meant that we subsequently picked up new and unusual enquiries. So effectively we have increased our revenue streams by finding new markets which we now serve confidently and expertly, as a result of upskilling.

BMA: Yes, we have continued to see bookings across a variety of platforms – both face-to-face (in the months ahead) and via our digital and hybrid offering. We have seen a lot of enquiries for fully virtual events on our EventAir platform as well as many requests from repeat clients for hybrid options.

What sort of clients are using the studio?

CHW: A really good mix of associations, charities, government and corporate. It was essential for us to provide proof of concept, first and foremost, which is why our internal webinars were so crucial in getting it right in terms of production quality and then using that as case studies when meeting clients and promoting it to our new audiences.

BMA: We are seeing our enquiries come in from a lot of different sectors. Our strongest source has been the corporate market, which has a significant focus on the virtual and hybrid offering. However, ultimately, we are seeing enquiries from anyone looking to reach a wider audience.

What you think the future is for hybrid?

CHW: The future is hybrid – for now. We can’t all be physically together in the same space due to restrictions, but we also want to avoid the negatives of going all-virtual. Thank goodness there is a model that combines the best of in-person and online, which is hybrid. It’s about experiences, keeping it human, but also maintaining flexibility. For example, should guidance change at short notice, we know with hybrid we can effectively coordinate the split between in-person numbers and virtual attendees, because we’ve got the experiences for these two (very different) audiences right.

BMA: Hybrid is still in its infancy, it is going to prove pivotal to the future of our sector, how we do business and how we communicate and organise events going forward. It is a huge opportunity for everyone in the market – we must embrace it and find ways to incorporate it into the whole of our offering.

Is there a difference in cost?

CHW: As a tech-enabled venue, we pride ourselves on working closely with our clients. Once we know their ‘why’, it’s easier to decide what needs to be done face-to-face and what can be achieved online. There’s no perfect platform, just the best fit for your event, depending on your content/ reason for the event. It’s best not to hold back on production quality, if that’s key for your audience in terms of content and networking opportunities. We can be as flexible as a client requires us to be as most of our equipment is on-site and our expert event technologists are creative in terms of finding digital solutions.

BMA: Cost is still an issue as we come to terms with how best to make use of current infrastructure or develop it as a new product. However, as with all evolving technology and products throughout history it will come down in price as it becomes the norm rather than the exception.

How effective are hybrid events and what’s the difference with live?

CHW: Nothing equals the experience of being together in a room, connecting face-to-face. Virtual events cannot replace in-person events, but it can supplement it.

BMA: Ultimately, events have never been a one-size-fits-all business and the hybrid/virtual models are no different. To be our most effective for clients we need to continually ask questions and develop alongside their needs. Each event is a learning opportunity as well as a chance to deliver successfully for our clients. Flexibility is the most important and desirable attitude at the moment – it will ensure an event’s success and a great long-term relationship with the client.

There’s more information about Church House Westminster and BMA House on their profile pages or contact [email protected].