Weekly Wonder: Best Practices for Hosting Hybrid Events - Engaging Both In-Person and Virtual Attend

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Hi CUG members,

As a Company User Group leader, you’ll often find yourself orchestrating experiences that need to work equally well for people in the room and those joining from around the world.

Hybrid events can be incredibly powerful for growing your reach and inclusivity, but only if both in‑person and virtual attendees feel seen, heard, and engaged.

Below are five practical best practices to help you design hybrid sessions that keep everyone participating, learning, and excited to come back.

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1. Design the Experience for Two Audiences from the Start

Don’t “bolt on” virtual at the end of planning an in‑person event. Instead, map out both journeys side‑by‑side:

• Define what success looks like for in‑person vs. virtual attendees (Team-building, Q&A, hands‑on demos, etc.).

• Plan formats that translate well in both spaces (short talks, live demos, structured discussions).

• Timebox sessions to keep energy up and avoid “Zoom fatigue” for remote participants and “room fatigue” for in‑person attendees.

When you intentionally design for both audiences, you avoid the trap of virtual participants feeling like spectators to an in‑person show.

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2. Use Shared Digital Tools as the “Event Backbone”

Hybrid events work best when everyone interacts in the same digital space, regardless of where they’re sitting:

• Use a shared collaboration hub (like Confluence pages for agendas, notes, and follow‑ups) that both groups access in real time.

• Run Q&A through a single channel (chat or a Jira board for questions), so remote questions carry equal weight.

• Capture key decisions, resources, and action items in one place and share links live during the session.

By making the digital layer the single source of truth, you ensure remote attendees aren’t missing side conversations or context that only happened “in the room.”

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3. Appoint Dedicated Roles for Hybrid Engagement

Hybrid is easier when engagement isn’t an afterthought but someone’s explicit job:

• Assign a virtual moderator to watch chat, surface questions to the speaker, and keep an eye on technical issues.

• Ask an in‑room liaison to monitor the room’s energy and prompt in‑person questions or comments.

• Have a tech host who joins a few minutes early to confirm audio, camera framing, and screen sharing, and who stays on standby during the event.

Clear roles prevent the common scenario where speakers are overwhelmed managing both the room and the chat, and help both audiences feel truly included.

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4. Structure Interactions So Everyone Can Participate Equally

Hybrid engagement fails when in‑person attendees get all the airtime and virtual attendees are left on mute. Build in interaction patterns that naturally include both:

• Use small group breakouts that mix remote and in‑person attendees via laptops or breakout rooms, with one shared digital whiteboard (e.g., Miro, Trello, or Confluence).

• Alternate between in‑person and virtual questions during Q&A, explicitly calling on each side.

• Use quick polls or reaction check‑ins so remote participants can contribute with a click, and in‑person attendees can vote via their devices.

Designing inclusive interaction moments communicates that participation from every location is equally valued.

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5. Make Content and Follow‑Up On‑Demand Friendly

Hybrid events aren’t just about the live experience; they’re also an opportunity to create reusable content:

• Record sessions (audio + screen +, if possible, the room) and share replays with clear timestamps for key segments.

• Publish a concise recap with slides, demos, and links to relevant documentation or Atlassian resources.

• Encourage ongoing discussion in your community channel or group hub, inviting questions from those who couldn’t attend live.

Treating the event as the start of a longer conversation extends the value of your work and makes your community feel supported even if they can’t join in real time.

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Summary

Hybrid events can feel complex, but with intentional planning, a strong digital backbone, and clear roles, they become one of the most effective ways to grow and connect your community.

By designing for both audiences from the outset and following up thoughtfully, you’ll ensure that everyone - whether they’re across the table or across the globe - leaves your event feeling engaged, included, and eager for the next session.

To help your community go deeper, share these resources from the Atlassian website in your next meeting, newsletter, or community post: