Historically, presentations were only done in-person, where the speaker and audience were physically present together.
Then during COVID, everyone was forced to embrace digital-only formats.
With the world opening up, I no longer see the need for formats to be binary (either 100% in-person or 100% virtual). In fact, I’m excited by the hybrid approach.
Imagine if every in-person event had virtual capabilities?
A clear benefit is if there was an outbreak of COVID during a multi-day conference.
If an audience member was ill, it would mean they could isolate and dial-in without risking the health of others.
But it would also give speakers the choice to not expose themselves to an outbreak but still present.
While it may be easier for organisers to arrange 100% in-person or 100% virtual events, I’m sure that more and more speakers and audience members will come to expect multiple engagement options.
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