How we can help with hybrid

Hybrid is a new concept to a lot of people by we’ve been excited about it for a while and want to share our experience.

We can help to translate your traditional event into a hybrid model and will introduce yourself to the right people to deliver it. We have partnered with live streaming experts Switch New Media, venues and in-house production teams to bring together the expertise you need for the world of Hybrid events.

Whether you’re just looking to bring your speakers together and have your audience online – through to taking over multiple venues and linking global locations, we can make sure it all comes together seamlessly live from Belfast. We’ll connect you with the experts for the job and work with you at every stage of the planning process.

From international business leaders and globally renowned researchers to our thriving start-up scene we’re connected to a network of keynote speakers, panellists, sponsors and presenters for your event. We can also connect you with our economic development agency, universities, health trusts, local and regional government officials relevant to your event.

Working across every sector imaginable, we can connect you with experts who can suggest ideas, engage regional attendees, partners and sponsors and offer local advice that represents your audience and sector’s needs.

If you’re making Belfast your stage for a physical or Hybrid event, you can apply for financial support through the Belfast and Northern Ireland conference support scheme which is funded by Belfast City Council and Tourism Northern Ireland.

Many of our venues will offer rates on a sliding scale if you aren’t sure how many delegates will be attending in person and there are multi-year options available. Visit Belfast can advise you on eligibility criteria and levels of support available depending on the scale of your event.

Marketing assets, templates and experience – we have them and we’re happy to share. Helping you generate visitor traffic, boost brand awareness and increase engagement before, during and after your event.

Our partners Switch New Media are highly experienced at helping you to grow your audience virtually and the Visit Belfast team are always on hand to help prepare unique content specific to your attendees.

From world-renowned keynotes to local broadcasters and entertainers who are pros at going live, we can source local talent to support your Hybrid event and bring new energy to your content.

Globally renowned keynote speakers like David Meade, Graham Little, Maxine Mawhinney and Holly Hamilton love to welcome meetings to the city and can provide a seamless connection between your online and in-person attendees as your host or MC. Bringing live experience with them, you can be confident that your online attendees will be in good hands with local presenters and broadcasters.

We will help you curate content and provide unique, entertaining Belfast experiences for your delegates online. Irish dance lessons, whiskey tastings, baking some traditional treats and hilarious tours and quizzes are all on the cards for your attendees to share, where ever they are.

Our teams will connect you with local experts and personalities to help you create exclusive content for your online audiences and can help turn your website or social media pages into a hub for engagement before, during and after the event.

We don’t want your online attendees to miss out on the fun of the city and can help you to think of creative ways to include them in your event. We can provide materials and facilitate interactive activities with the help of our city partners. We’re brimming with ideas and have the local know-how to make it work!

Engage your sponsors and bring them on board with options far beyond ‘your logo on the website’. With our flexible and supportive services, you can build a list of options:

• Make a sponsor your key streaming partner and simultaneous stream to their social media accounts as well as your own
• Create pre-recorded content with them or offer engaging debate
• Offer polling options so they can be involved in the conversation and get invaluable feedback and input from your attendees.

For your attendees, access to content reliably and on demand plus the guarantee that they will feel a part of the conversation is key to driving paid online attendance. Break out rooms, digital poster presentations, exclusive online content, networking apps and inclusion in social activities are just some ideas we’ve been working on