In 2022, the IAPR Executive Committee formed an Ad-hoc Committee on Hybrid Conferences, which produced a Guide for Hybrid Conferences. A hybrid conference has both a physical, onsite presence, as well as a virtual component, with interaction between the two.
The report considers four types of hybrid:
- Passive (offsite have limited interaction)
- Semi-passive (remote participants can ask questions but cannot present)
- Distributed (regional onsite hubs with the shared program and the possibility for virtual attendance)
- True hybrid (presenters and audience participate either locally or remote)
Possible benefits include: wider reach, flexibility, extended lifespan of content, and environmentally friendly attendance.
Possible challenges include: enabling interaction between onsite and virtual attendees, increased organizational complexity, revenue and cost, technical issues, and different needs for breaks.
The most important recommendations are (see full guide for more):
- Decide early on the type of hybrid for the conference and communicate this clearly to everyone: speakers, participants, sponsors, and vendors.
- Appoint an experienced events management team to handle the logistics and provide a suitable technology platform.
- Carefully manage the budget. Pay special attention to the (possibly) different prices for onsite and virtual participants, as well as the cost for the technology platform.