We’d all love to be in two places at once. But nobody can do it all, and sometimes you’ve got to say no to incredible events because they’re too far or you’re too busy.

Right?

Wrong! (Well, sort of). 

Over the past couple of years, innovative event organizers have gotten really good at teaming up with dynamic software platforms to deliver unique hybrid events. They’re half-digital, half-in-person, but 100% engaging.

That’s why hybrid events could be a fantastic option for your next big event — and if you need a hand getting started, we’re here to help. We’ve been helping event creators set up successful events for over a decade, and in this post, we’ll share what we’ve learned about hybrid event platforms.

Read on to find out how hybrid events work, the key features you should be looking for in a hybrid event platform, and our list of the top 10 hybrid event platforms worth checking out in 2024.

The 10 best hybrid event platforms for 2024

1. Eventbrite

2. Zoom

3. Vimeo

4. Facebook Live

5. YouTube

6. Twitch

7. Airmeet

8. SpotMe

9. Stova

10. Bizzabo

Event host stands on stage while team member films
We <3 NYC / Daybreaker / New York, NY

How to choose the right hybrid event platform for your next event

According to a survey conducted by SalesForce, 30% of all worldwide events in 2022 were hybrid — and surveys show a third of event attendees like being able to log into hybrid events remotely.

To keep up with the growing trend of hybrid events, we’ve sifted through to find the top event platforms and key features you might need.

Crowd at event watches a speaker as a cameraman films
Half the Story / Screen Free Weekends / New York, NY

Live broadcasting

Livestreaming maximizes your audience reach, making it absolutely essential. Plus, hiring a camera person for live broadcasting makes it feel exciting for your attendees. Not only that, a professional hosting service, like those provided by livestreaming platforms, can provide analytics of your viewers’ location and engagement rates. 

Don’t forget: Some of your online attendees will miss livestreams, so your hybrid event platform needs to allow users to download and rewatch recorded content on demand.

Interactive networking features

Networking is often one of the key reasons for people attending physical events, so you want to ensure an authentic attendee experience for both your remote and in-person attendees.

Look for features that support networking opportunities and attendee engagement through Q&As, polls, rooms for breakout sessions, virtual networking lounges, virtual hand-raising to let speakers know when users have a question, and other audience participation tools.

If your business event is an exhibition, such as a trade show, you’ll want to offer your exhibitors both a virtual booth and a real floor site for the event.

A variety of assets can be displayed around a breakout theme, including static text, logos, banners, video presentations, and even a chatbot. The virtual booth can be a 3D online space to create an immersive experience for remote attendees.

Ticket management 

If your hybrid event is a ticketed event, you’ll need to be able to manage the purchase and distribution of tickets. Ideally, this will be built into your event platform.

By having your ticketing system in the same tool as your virtual conference, you improve data visibility and maximize your ability to report accurately on event ROI.

Promotion features 

The best hybrid event platform is one that helps you reach as large an audience as possible. Look out for a tool with a wide range of event promotion features.

You’ll want to look for features like automated email workflows, social media sharing capabilities, and smart audience creation to ensure you reach the right audience and fill your event.

Laptop view of Eventbrite analytics dashboard

Analytics and insights

Real-time metrics like tracking your attendance rate, check-ins, log-in times, and drop-offs will provide you with some valuable insights into your event-goers’ demographics. Analytics also help with measuring things like ROI (return on investment), which is a useful metric if you need to win over potential sponsors.

If you want to track how traffic from your website sends users to an event listing and converts to a ticket purchase, set up cross-domain and eCommerce tracking using pixels. The pixel will trace people who have visited your site and allow you to understand how they behave on other platforms.

The 10 best hybrid event platforms for 2024

Now that we’ve covered the key features you should be looking for in a hybrid event platform, let’s take a look at 10 of the best solutions out there.

To help you find the perfect solution for your next event, we’ve broken down each platform by capability — looking at important elements like livestreaming functionality, user engagement tools, and analytics and reporting.

A hybrid event platform
(Image source)

1. Eventbrite

Founded in 2008, Eventbrite is an all-in-one event management platform that supports five million events in almost 180 countries around the world — and thanks to our range of unique tools and integrations, we’re industry leaders in driving successful hybrid events. With top rankings in G2.com, we’re not the only ones who think our platform is awesome. Here are the standout features that will make your hybrid events extra special.

Livestreaming with networking features

Eventbrite integrates with the tools you’re already using, including Zoom, Vimeo, Facebook Live, YouTube, and Twitch, to help you design a seamless and interactive experience for your hybrid event attendees.

Eventbrite’s Marketing Tools

Eventbrite’s all-in-one marketing platform for virtual and hybrid events allows you to reach all the corners of the Earth. Launch ads on social media platforms, use email marketing with up to 10,000 daily sends, and target the right people with a smart audience based on Eventbrite’s exclusive data.

Marketing and event analytics

With a deep reporting and analytics suite, you’ll discover exactly who and where ticket sales are coming from and gain actionable insights to help you continuously optimize your event services.

Using Eventbrite’s pixel tracking function you can get an unfiltered view into your ticket buyer’s behavior. You can analyze which day of the week (or even time of the day) generates the greatest engagement, click-throughs, and conversions — which can be further broken down by different audience segments.

Seamless user experience

With Eventbrite, you can create the perfect page for your upcoming event — our online event page builder is customizable so you can present information in a way that suits your audience and aligns with your brand guidelines.

If your online event is ticketed, our custom page builder also means you can create a seamless checkout experience that allows your attendees to register for your conference in just a couple of clicks.

Ready to learn more?

Marketing team sits in a meeting while one person puts notes on wall

How do event creators use Eventbrite?

Using Eventbrite, this virtual dance party connects people from all over the world — giving them a range of capabilities and ways to engage with one another, chat, and connect while enjoying a positive and fun hybrid experience.

The interactive DJ sessions regularly switch video feeds so that different dancers can get their minute in the spotlight. Organizers encourage participants to hold up signs showing where they were dialing in from and users can use digital Zoom backgrounds and costumes that match the event’s designated theme.

Screenview of Zoom chat
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2. Zoom

Zoom is a popular B2B tool that works well for webinars, virtual meetings, and online meet-ups — but it also has audience engagement solutions to support a hybrid event experience.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • Fully integrated with Eventbrite
  • Interactivity through live Q&A, polls, real-time chat, email capture, and CTAs
  • Optional simulcast across Facebook Live and YouTube

Screenshot of Vimeo homepage

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3. Vimeo

Vimeo has been one of the web’s leading video sharing sites for almost two decades — and it’s got several useful livestreaming features to support hybrid events.

Capabilities

  • Live and on-demand events through partnership with Swoogo
  • Conduct live polls or Q&A sessions
  • Live Q&A, polls, real-time chat, email capture, and CTAs
  • Eventbrite’s preferred livestreaming partner

Woman livestreaming through smartphone
(Image source)

4. Facebook Live

Facebook is a platform that just about everybody knows and understands, and their Facebook Live feature is a fast and simple way to broadcast events. 

Facebook Live videos get way more engagements and comments than ordinary videos — which makes going live a good option to help you get noticed on social.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • Viewers can comment, like, and share in real-time
  • Create live polls
  • Designated “front row” space for top fans
  • Qualified pages can add Donate button

5. YouTube

YouTube is the world’s most popular video-sharing site, and it makes it pretty simple to broadcast your in-person events to remote attendees at home.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • An upload of your live stream will publish to your channel, unless you change its setting to private
  • Supports interactive chat with moderation tools 
  • An encoder can convert livestreams into a digital format

Screenshot of Twitch homepage
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6. Twitch

Twitch has exploded in popularity in recent years as the preferred livestreaming platform for gamers. It enables you to stream a split-screen broadcast to users all over the world.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • Viewers can access past broadcasts of regular broadcasters for up to 14 days post-stream (60 days for Partners/Prime broadcasters)
  • Become an Affiliate to get a subscription button and custom emote
  • Viewers can live chat in real-time

Screenshot of Airmeet social lounge
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7. Airmeet

Launched in 2019, Airmeet is a virtual events platform that specializes in webinars and virtual workshops.

Capabilities

  • Customizable meeting agendas
  • In-depth event analytics and audience insights
  • Real-time analytics
  • Completely cloud-based 
  • Versatile streaming capabilities and networking experiences

Mobile and tablet view of SpotMe platform
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8. SpotMe

SpotMe is another events management platform that focuses on enterprise-level events. It offers support for both remote and in-person audiences.

Capabilities

  • Integrates with CRM
  • Customizable mobile app to accompany events
  • Create gated content that users can access on-demand
  • Live-captioning
  • Create personalized agendas for each user

Mobile and tablet view of Stova platform
(Image source)

9. Stova

Previously known as Aventri, Stova is an event management software provider with features designed for event planners working on online events, hybrid events, or in-person events.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • Create event schedules and agendas
  • Supports one-to-one calls between event attendees
  • Automated reporting dashboard with real-time analytics
  • Registration management

Screenshot of hybrid event on Bizzabo platform
(Image source)

10. Bizzabo

Bizzabo was founded in 2011, and it’s an event management software provider that supports in-person, virtual, or hybrid events.

Capabilities

  • Livestreaming
  • Live polling feature
  • Supports live chat between attendees
  • Integrations with popular marketing tools
  • Create separate group chats for different audiences

Ready to create your hybrid event?

Now you’re in a great position to get started with planning your hybrid event! Just make sure your winning hybrid event platform focuses on live broadcasting, offers an interactive workspace, and includes analytics — among other features.

Eventbrite includes all these features and more. By choosing Eventbrite, you can build a custom hybrid event page in minutes, create and sell different types of tickets, set up targeted and automated ad campaigns, and use our partnerships and integrations with tools like Zoom or Vimeo to create dynamic livestreaming events that’ll keep both your in-person and remote audiences engaged.