For the last few years, we’ve been limited to virtual events out of necessity. But now that in-person and hybrid events are coming back into the fold, event planners everywhere are again considering which event formats are best for their organizations–and their audiences–in the face of uncertainty.

As you consider your event goals for this year and beyond, you might be wondering: What kind of events best fit your business goals and audience’s expectations? Fully in-person? Hybrid? Fully virtual? If you’re fully virtual, do you want to host a three-day virtual conference, a series of 60-90 minute mini-events? Or, do you roll out an event program featuring a mix of multiple formats?

Each of these event formats comes with a unique set of technical needs, costs, and impact on the attendee experience. And that can have big implications on your marketing and business goals.

So we consulted BigMarker's event production experts to help you select the right event format for your audience and goals. What questions should you ask yourself — and what priorities should drive your event strategy?

We’ve focused on five event formats we’re seeing our customers consider most frequently — and a set of considerations you’ll need to work through when evaluating each one. But we know that picking the right format is only the start of your hard work. So we’ll also give you the advice our experts view as the most important for success, no matter what event format you choose.