IMPAKT Hybrid Principles

Hypotheses: Our Starting Point

Hypotheses we had starting these projects:

Online audiences are too often given a second-class ticket to the events they attend. At IMPAKT our aim has been to develop tools that create  an equally high quality event for both in-venue and online guests.

It is easy to overlook how alienated an online guest can feel in a hybrid event. We have found that the biggest  challenge is to create environments with a low threshold for online participation.

Over the past year we have been testing different strategies to blend these audiences and curate experiences that make the best of both in-person and digital environments. We took the following 9 principles as a framework to test different strategies and tools.

Click through to see what we mean by each term, and to browse how we implemented each one in related event case studies.

Cultivate Collectivity

Show Your Audience The way people can see or feel the presence of each other will help create a collective experience. This can be done via  video, with avatars, signals, numbers, names, et cetera. Choose the visibility that fits the mood of your event. Synchronise Having the audience simultaneously engage in the same activities can create a synchronic connection. Spatial distance from one another seems less important when invited to participate in a particular moment with others.

IMPAKT Festival Web Portal Rooftop Bar & Host Professionals Programme (2022) CODE Reclaiming Digital Agency (2022, 2023) Bal Masqué Full Spectrum Curatorship Program The Hmm @ 4 Locations

Creating an Atmosphere

Welcoming and safe atmosphere invite participants to explore the space and engage with the material. Some guests There are several components that contribute to creating such an atmosphere:

1. No-pressure atmosphere –

The way you approach your audience can also make them feel at home, safe and comfortable. Some people are shy. Some people need time.

1. 1. (potentially also links to Mimicry: by offering familiar settings you can put people more at ease, and activate playful exploration.)

1. Addressing people directly can make online interactions awkward. At the same time anonymous interaction can be alienating. Make it personal (but not too personal).

1. Keep it simple
2. Make it participatory
3. Cultivate collectivity
4. Create an atmosphere
5. Mimic the familiar
6. Contextualise
7. Consider Fair Tech

Note: If you are looking for hands-on practical advice we have developed from past experience check out our Tips & Tools page.