03 Nov Running a Hybrid End-of-Year Town Hall That People Actually Want to Watch

The end of the year is when many organisations gather everyone together for a review: what went well, what’s coming in the new year, and a thank-you to the team. With staff split between the office, home and different sites, more of these town halls are now hyrbid, with some people in the room and others joining online. Done well, a hybrid event feels like one event. Done badly, remote attendees feel like they’re watching someone else’s party. Here’s how to get it right.

Hybrid Events – Think About The Remote Audience First

The people at home can’t pick up on the atmosphere in the room, so they depend entirely on what the cameras and microphones give them. Three things matter most:

1. Clear Audio: Viewers will forgive a slightly soft picture, but not sound they can’t hear. Speakers need proper microphones, and questions from the room need to be picked up too, not just repeated by the host.
2. A Good Camera View: One wide shot of the stage is fine for a short update. For longer sessions, a second camera for close-ups of the speaker keeps the stream interesting.
3. Slides That Read On a Laptop: Text that looks fine on a big LED screen can become unreadable on a small window. Keep slides simple and consider showing the presentation as its own full-screen view in the stream.

Make The In-room Audience Feel Looked After, Too

The people in the venue should be able to see the slides, hear the speakers and follow the online chat or questions on a screen if you’re taking them. Don’t let the stream take over so much that the room feels like a TV studio.

Plan How Questions Will Work in a Hybrid Event

Q&A is where hybrid events most often go wrong. Decide in advance:

• Who will monitor online questions?
• Who will read them out to the speaker?
• How will you take questions from the room without losing the people online?

Having a dedicated moderator makes a big difference.

Test Everything The Day Before

Check that the stream works, that the platform your people actually use is supported (Teams, Zoom, a custom link), and that everyone presenting knows where to stand and look. A rehearsal is the best insurance you can buy, and it’s why we always recommend a technical rehearsal for corporate events.

Record Your Hybrid Event

Many people can’t attend live, especially at this time of year. A recording lets colleagues catch up afterwards and gives you something to share in January when people are back.

Hybrid Event Specialists

Do you need help in planning or running a hybrid town hall or AGM? If so, give us a call now on +353 1 4133 892 or contact us online to see how we can help with your live streaming and event production.