Hybrid Leadership at its best

200
in person attendees
20
in person breakout areas
400
online attendees

Brief

As the organisations first true hybrid event, the National Trust was keen to ensure all attendees felt equally involved and engaged no matter how they joined.

The main objective was to deliver a cohesive, integrated experience across the in-person and virtual audiences. With that, we worked closely alongside National Trust’s digital delivery partner, DigiLeaders, to develop a plan for all audiences.

The event would be hosted by a team of in-person and virtual hosts. Content would be pre-recorded or captured live and shared without delay.

And, opportunities to interact through Q&As and workshops would be available both offline and online, encouraging participation and engagement for all attendees across the two days.

It was also clear that attendees had to leave feeling united and motivated about what they’ve heard and what the charity’s future holds.

Leadership Conference

Response

As with all charities, budget is a key factor. Money raised by the National Trust is intended to preserve their properties and subsequently deliver great experiences for their visitors. So, we had to think carefully about how and where we spent money to give the best possible value.

On arrival, in-person guests were greeted with a personalised festival-inspired lanyard that contained all the information they needed for the two-day event, including their individual breakout meetings and a welcome message from the charity’s Chair.

Once registered, guests had luggage checked and stored ready to be picked up at the end of the day along with their pre-checked room keys. They were then ready to mingle and enjoy lunch before joining the plenary in the Riding School. A series of sessions over the afternoon saw guests flit between respective rooms before an evening break to wander the Calke Abbey grounds. They then reconvened at the main tent for sunset food, drinks, and entertainment before shuttles back to their respective hotels.

The following day, in-person guests arrived via shuttle to breakfast on the grounds before another morning of sessions, joined by their online equivalents. Sessions continued throughout the day with guest speakers and interactive Q&As, before a final lunch and ice-cream break.

We created space for 20 in-person breakout areas on site, using a combination of the hall and opposing field which housed 16 breakout tents. These spaces would prove invaluable for smaller groups to share their reflections and discuss the challenges that the charity faces. Along with their online counterparts, these discussions which were incredibly important to feed back to the senior leadership team, helping to shape the strategy moving forwards.

Throughout the two days, we had captured and edited a short film to play during the close of the conference. The film documented the key messages, interactions, and highlights of the two days, both in-person and online, adding an additional ‘wow’ factor to their first hybrid event. Seeing everything they had discussed, achieved, and enjoyed over the last 24 hours ensured attendees left with a smile on their face.

Results

With a delegate feedback score of 4.5 out of 5, Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, described the event as “the blueprint” for how they’d like to do things moving forwards.

National Trust Chair, René Olivieri, who attended online and in person over the two days, was left equally impressed with the hybrid production. The good reception extended to delegates too, who reported 90% positive feedback.