Hybrid events mix virtual and physical elements to attract more high-paying corporate sponsors, giving agencies the opportunity to increase sponsor revenue and ROI. Potential clients already understand the attraction of evolving their event strategy. In a recent poll, 72 percent of corporate sponsors said they were interested in participating in a hybrid event.
Hybrid events which take place in the virtual and real worlds at the same time are popular among sponsors for the following reasons:
- They offer new branding opportunities.
- They improve data leveraging.
- They produce greater ROI.
- They offer better flexibility for sponsors.
- They have less environmental impact.
- And they enable sponsors to enter the digital world of in-person attendees
New branding opportunities
Clickable calls to action make sponsor branding in the virtual world more valuable than in the traditional world. Hybrid events incorporate novel branding possibilities. Driving more engagement, hyperlinks can be attached to sponsor booths, sponsor sessions, and sponsor websites. Sponsors can brand virtual chats, virtual networking lounges, virtual forums, and gamified experiences. Sponsors can even display their names, logos, and slogans at networking events such as virtual parties and happy hours.
Leveraging data
These days measurable results matter more than ever for sponsors. With this in mind, a great advantage of hybrid events is that every digital aspect of a sponsorship package can deliver useful data. Virtual booths can provide the names of every visitor, the content they downloaded, the videos they watched, the questions they asked, and the CTAs they clicked on. At the same time, virtual presentations can produce survey and poll results and other participant activities, such as any questions asked and content downloaded.
Greater ROI
A recent study concluded that nearly 98 percent of participants at a hybrid event were not planning to attend live, meaning that events that mix live and virtual elements are reaching new audiences. In a physical space, there are a limited number of presentation rooms, while hybrid events have a potentially limitless virtual capacity. For sponsors, this means a bigger lead pool and a better return on investment.
Greater sponsor flexibility
What would happen to a sponsor event portfolio if travel was disrupted again? It might not be another pandemic. It could be a natural disaster such as the 2010 volcano in Iceland which disrupted almost 10 million travelers. Hybrid events hedge risk for sponsors because the virtual elements can withstand low-probability, high-cost disasters.
Reduced environmental cost
In the contemporary world, sponsors understand the importance of committing to green principles, and support for a hybrid event is a green decision. The option of virtual attendance lets people choose to minimize their footprint by attending online, while the reduced in-person headcount at hybrid events also means there is less need for catering and disposable accessories which lowers the event’s overall carbon impact.
Sponsors can enter the digital world of in-person attendees
In-person attendees benefit from the virtual aspect of a hybrid event as much as those online. For example, event features on a platform can enable all participants, physical and virtual, to log in – granting more opportunities for chats, networking, and interaction. Whereas a traditional event can sometimes be didactic, hybrid events make sure all audience members (including those at the real-world gathering) get significant agency. This is important for sponsors because it means they can enter the digital world of in-person attendees to the same extent as those participants who are present online.
Go next level with MootUp!
Despite all the benefits, some people are put off by the perceived complexity of digital platforms, but it’s important for planners to know that there are companies out there just waiting to take all the stress out of hybrid events.
With clients such as Tedx and the United Nations, MootUp offers a simple yet comprehensive service, ready to entice new, high-value corporate sponsors. The platform easily hosts immersive virtual and hybrid events across devices, with no need for a VR headset! The 3D, avatar-driven environment allows for increased interaction and engagement, using streaming stages, expo halls, networking lounges, and more. Hybrid events can be significantly more successful at winning sponsorship, so let MootUp explain to you how to begin. Book a demo here.