1. Clarify your goals
Are you aiming to build relationships, share knowledge widely or maximise visibility?
2. Define your audience
Local, regional or global?
Time zones, travel restrictions and budgets matter.
3. Set budget and resources
Factor in both direct costs (Venues, platforms, etc) and indirect costs (Travel time, staff capacity, etc).
4. Consider engagement depth
Decide whether trust-building or broad reach is the priority.
5. Measure against past data
Use SMM insights from previous events to compare outcomes and refine choices.
Insights
Event Format Selection Guide: In-Person, Virtual or Hybrid?
2025.10.06
- # Insights
- # Event Solution
- # Business Travel
- # Group Travel
- # North/South Americas
- # Europe
- # Asia
- # Hawaii
- # Korea
- # China
- # Oceania
- # Micronesia
Choosing the right event format is no longer about following trends. It is about aligning format with objectives, budget and audience needs. This guide offers a practical comparison of in-person, virtual and hybrid events to help you evaluate what works best. Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) provides the framework to apply these considerations consistently across all formats.
Key Considerations at a Glance
How to Use This Guide
Why SMM Matters in Format Selection
SMM ensures that whichever format you choose, outcomes are planned, measured and comparable. By applying consistent metrics across in-person, virtual and hybrid events, organisations can evaluate cost per participant, engagement levels and ROI – making format decisions evidence-based rather than speculative.
This guide is not a prescription, but a framework for decision-making. Each event is unique. By combining these considerations with SMM, organisations can select formats that deliver measurable impact, while adapting flexibility to changing business needs.
For more on pros and cons of the three event formats, read our article on “From In-Person to Hybrid: Maximising Impact Across Event Formats with SMM”.
Insights
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