An unintended outcome of working remotely since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic is the substantial change in overall business to remote work culture. We have seen a global transition in how we work professionally, termed a hybrid work model. The global workforce was exposed to a work environment where some employees work on-site, while others work remotely, or a combination of the two. A transition to hybrid video conferencing was one of the most widely adopted work practices. Hybrid conferencing has recently gained much momentum because of faster networking, better online video, and the requirement for businesses with a workforce spread across many cities, states, or even nations. In this post, we’ll lay out the foundations of hybrid conferencing to help you decide whether it’s ideal for your organization or business, and what sort of setup can benefit you.
What is hybrid conferencing?
As the name implies, hybrid conferencing blends an in-person session with an online conference. There is a physical venue (often more than one) where on-site participants assemble, and virtual participants can see the live stream of the session. The core premise is that some participants must physically be present in a meeting space while others will participate virtually.
Hybrid conferencing can bring together the finest aspects of both in-person and virtual meetings, as well as remote accessibility for those who are unable to attend personally. It also brings forth all of the perks of virtual conferencing in terms of recording, engaging, and sharing information. A hybrid conference relies primarily on audio and video conferencing technologies to allow everyone to communicate and entertain regardless of where they are. The goal is for each participant of a hybrid conference to get a similar experience as closely as possible.
What is the difference between a virtual and a hybrid conference?
A virtual conference is conducted fully online, with each member attending by a computer or mobile device. They may be live event sessions or pre-recorded data for webinars. Hybrid conferences include both in-person participants (who are physically present at the meeting) and virtual participants (who join the session remotely from multiple places).
What equipment is needed for a hybrid conference?
The technology and physical devices will differ based on the size of your hybrid conference. Small teams, for instance, can conduct hybrid video conferences using only free conferencing software, but if the in-person group must huddle around a single laptop screen, the sound quality may be an issue. If you want to organize big hybrid conferences regularly, it’s beneficial to invest in a dedicated meeting equipped with monitors, cameras, and microphones. Today, there are many amazing conference room cameras with a broad field of vision, microphones with a 360-degree pickup capacity, and headsets with background noise cancellation—all of which are designed to assist teams in doing HD hybrid conferences. A touchscreen interface is usually included with conferencing systems for conducting meetings, exhibiting, and controlling devices. For example, some conference tools allow you to attend planned meetings, share information, and switch video sessions from your mobile device to your conference room TV with a single swipe.
What are common hybrid conference challenges?
It involves major planning to arrange an effective hybrid conference. Organizers must resolve these concerns while also ensuring that everyone has an equal chance to be fully engaged throughout the meeting.
There are also technical constraints to take into account for hybrid or virtual conferences. You must have the necessary multimedia software and devices. Otherwise, you may encounter latency, audio distortion, blurry visuals, and the need to repeat queries and details.
The Future of Hybrid Conferencing
According to estimates, 40% of business meetings nowadays already use hybrid conferencing. Remote work will become more common, and flexible remote conferencing will become more necessary. It is seen that adopting hybrid conferencing will increase focus, productivity, and teamwork among employees through effective communication. Furthermore, it can foster a culture in which employees can work flexibly while facilitating smooth collaboration and information exchange via a high-quality hybrid conferencing medium. A hybrid conferencing system may potentially offer further advantages like less space needed for larger event attendance, long-term cost savings, etc., depending on how much time and money you want to put into establishing the infrastructure.
Concluding Thoughts
Hybrid conferencing is designed to host perpetual communication zones. Whether team members attend in person or remotely, hybrid conferencing solutions would help to keep them motivated and focused. Other capabilities include session recordings, which provide a long-term record of projects, that everyone authorized may access. There are extra features for automatic transcripts, video editing, and analytics with hybrid conferencing to take your hybrid meetings to the next level. With the benefits described above and the plethora of benefits left unsaid, the mixed mode will be the new working paradigm internationally, and hybrid conferencing will continue to develop toward user satisfaction.
