Adding Satellite Sites To Your Hybrid Event Mix

Think big massive events, large numbers of people…and many locations.

That’s the best environment for satellite sites or pods with your hybrid event.

A satellite site is when a group of people gather together to watch a live stream from your main event. It’s similar to Super Bowl or Oscar watch parties where friends gather together to watch and discuss.

Creating Your Own Hybrid Satellite Network

Creating satellites sites with your hybrid event is best described as creating your own television network. Consider the nightly news. A person in a television studio delivers live information that is beamed to a satellite which is beamed back to TVs via local networks. People watch the live news from the comfort of their own homes.

Creating satellite sites with your hybrid event is nearly the same thing. Speaker presentations from your conference headquarters are delivered via the internet to homes and offices worldwide. To the remote attendee, it’s similar to TV with a twist. With social media, web cameras and texting, remote attendees can even interact with the presenter.

With the right preparation and planning, conferences can hold mini-localized conferences via satellite sites. It’s a great opportunity for people that could not attend the main event to gather with others locally and participate with your hybrid event.

Tips For Successful Hybrid Satellite Sites

1. Secure satellite site venues in cities aligned with active chapters or large concentrations of customers.
If your an association, contact chapter leadership and ask them to consider hosting a local satellite site with your hybrid event. If your organization does not have chapters, look at your customer profiles. Identify regional areas with the highest concentrations of your customers. Consider holding a satellite site in those cities.

2. Secure local people to act as onsite organizers and facilitators.
Their job is to ensure that the local venue has internet access, a screen and image magnification. They will also act as an extension of the conference event staff handling onsite questions, head counts, evaluations, etc.

3. Extend the conference experience with prepared speaker questions for discussion and application.
Work with the speaker to prepare a list of questions to use for discussion in the satellite sites.

Once the speaker has finished their presentation, engage the satellite group in discussion using the speaker’s questions. This will help extend the event experience and make it personal for each remote attendee.

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Create a communication plan including email announcements, registration and follow-up for remote satellite attendees.

5. Consider food and beverage at the local satellite sites.

Let’s face it, people love food and like to break bread together. Add some light finger foods and drinks to your satellite hybrid experience.

If you’ve attended or organized satellite sites, what tips would you add to this list?

Tagged as: hybrid, hybrid events