Trend C: Hybrid options
The new hybrid solutions were predicted by several experts to revolutionise all of business and meeting tourism. Post Covid-19, the expectation is that the hybrid format will play a role, but to a lesser extent than anticipated.
Although hybrid meetings can seem appealing in many ways, running them does not come without significant costs, and the virtual participants also want an engaging, high-quality experience. For some types of meetings, particularly the smaller ones, the hybrid format will still play an important role. However, this type of meeting will typically be held internally within the organisation and therefore does not affect the venues. In contrast, several reports indicate that the hybrid format can play an important role when it comes to increasing the total number of participants at larger conferences and congresses. Hybrid solutions are therefore about increasing the size of the overall target audience, not reducing the number of people who attend in person, since the value of the latter is much higher. In fact, hybrid can be a useful promotional tool for suppliers and destinations, particularly if the virtual participants experience FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and feel inspired to attend in person next time.