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Event InsightsMarch 27, 2026

Will Hybrid Events Continue? The New Standard After Offline's Return

Will Hybrid Events Continue? The New Standard After Offline's Return

Hello, this is Chris & Partners! 🤗 Through the COVID-19 pandemic, countless events shifted online. And now, offline events are fully back. So what happened to the ‘hybrid events’ the pandemic created? Will they vanish like a passing fad, or settle in as a new standard? 🤔 Today, we'll look at the present and future direction of hybrid events, and the practical insights event planners should know. 🔍

📌 What is a hybrid event?

A hybrid event is a format where on-site participants and online remote participants take part together at the same time. The key is that it's designed so participants on both channels experience and interact with content equally—not merely livestreaming the event. According to a report by the Union of International Associations (UIA), as of 2023 about 35–40% of major international meetings adopted hybrid formats. Compared with under 5% in 2019, before the pandemic, that's a striking change.

📊 Why hybrid survives even though offline events are back

Many experts predicted hybrid events would decline as offline events resumed. But reality was different. The reasons can be summed up in three points.

  • Expanded global participant access: Overseas participants who can't attend in person—due to visa difficulties, long travel, or budget constraints—can be included online.
  • Reduced carbon footprint: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) recommends hybrid formats as a means of cutting carbon emissions from large international events.
  • Turning data and content into assets: Online participants' behavioral data, recorded content, and more can be used as marketing assets even after the event.

In a 2024 survey by the event-research firm Skift Meetings (formerly Northstar Meetings Group), 63% of event planners said they ‘plan to run hybrid events regularly going forward.’

🌐 The evolution of hybrid events, through real cases

Davos Forum (World Economic Forum, WEF) The World Economic Forum (WEF) officially adopted a hybrid format from 2021, and at the 2024 Davos Forum, thousands worldwide joined live sessions online alongside on-site attendees. The WEF uses hybrid operation as a strategy to intentionally expand participant diversity. CES 2024 (Consumer Electronics Show) CES 2024 in Las Vegas recorded about 135,000 on-site visitors while running global online participation through official digital channels in parallel. In particular, it ran remote presentation sessions by Asian and European companies in a hybrid format to strengthen the sense of connection with the venue. Domestic case: Seoul MICE events Centered on the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) and COEX, Korea's major international meetings, too, increasingly adopt hybrid formats as standard. The 2023 World Korean Business Convention and the 2024 IHF World Hospital Congress are representative cases successfully run as hybrid events.

⚠️ Done poorly, a hybrid event can backfire

A hybrid event isn't unconditionally good. In fact, the criticism that ‘online participants are second-class participants’ often comes up. Content is shared, but the core offline values—networking, on-site atmosphere, spontaneous conversation—don't reach online participants. The event-media outlet EventMB (now Skift Meetings) cites the following as the most common causes of hybrid-event failure.

  • Planning online and offline not as separate, independent programs but settling for a simple broadcast
  • The absence of dedicated interaction for online participants (Q&A, polling, chat, etc.)
  • On-site technical failures ruining the entire online-participant experience

A successful hybrid event is less about simply turning on a camera and more about directing two independent stages—online and offline—at once. This is why the role of a professional PCO (Professional Conference Organizer) becomes even more important.

🔮 The future of hybrid events: will they settle in as the new standard?

A 2024 report by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) defines hybrid events as ‘a structural change, not a temporary trend.’ But their form is growing ever more refined. The most notable changes are as follows.

  • AI-based personalization: AI solutions that recommend tailored content to online and offline participants alike and provide real-time translation and subtitles are being adopted quickly.
  • Metaverse integration: Attempts to link virtual-space networking with offline events are getting underway in earnest in the MICE industry.
  • Distributed-hub model: Beyond the main venue, the approach of placing small satellite venues in several cities and connecting all hubs via hybrid is increasing.

In the end, hybrid events aren't a substitute for offline. They're evolving into an entirely new standard of event experience—combining the on-site energy of offline with the accessibility and scalability of online. ✨

Drawing on its experience planning and running hybrid events, Chris & Partners creates optimal events that maximize participant satisfaction on both online and offline channels. If you have any questions about event planning, reach out anytime. 😊

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