In a wide-ranging interview, King said that emc3’s first hybrid event was back in 2014, when the agency ran two launch events simultaneously in London and New York - so that speakers at each event could engage with one another live.

King added: “It was ground-breaking at the time, but technology has come on a long way since then. A hybrid event is defined as a physical meeting in which an online audience also participates.  Essentially, both the physical as well as the online audience come together and participate in the same experience or content at the same time, from different locations.

“But a hybrid event isn’t just watching a stream, you need interaction and engagement to take place between your in-person and online audiences. You have two attendee journeys happening parallel to one another. These need to be clearly mapped out and there will be opportunities for your in-person and online attendees to interact and engage.”

King also talks about how more than 10,000 event and marketing professionals from around the globe will gather online for a free digital conference called Hybrid Events: Unlocked.

Brands like Peloton, Drift, TechCrunch and Gong will talk about how digital technology is reshaping the events industry and the potential of hybrid events.

The program will include a walkthrough of an on-site venue in London, a masterclass on hybrid event production, and a workshop on live audience engagement.

Event platform Hopin is partnering with emc3, which has collaborated with LinkedIn, HubSpot, and Drift to drive sales, brand awareness, and growth through live events and virtual experiences.