Planners See Virtual, Hybrid Events as New Norm: Study

A spring survey of 500 event planners by Mediasite Events and BizBash indicated hybrid events will be a “new norm,” they said Thursday. Three-quarters of planners expect to replace in-person events with virtual equivalents in 2021 and beyond; 40% are planning for hybrid events combining both. That compares with a 2019 survey where 33% didn’t use any form of video for events. Challenges loom, said the study. After a year of videoconferencing calls, “screen fatigue is real,” said Mediasite. When asked to identify top areas of frustration with hybrid events, 61% of respondents said it's “lack of attendee engagement.”