Businesses today face the difficult decision of holding live, in-person events or opting for online events. Both formats have their pros and cons, but what if there was a middle ground? Many businesses are seeing clear success by turning to hybrid events.

Hybrid events combine an on-site, in-person event with all the benefits of remote participation via the internet. It truly is a best-of-both-world scenario – the intimacy of in-person events along with the accessibility and convenience of remote events.

Webcast hosting services are particularly handy when you’re putting on hybrid events, as they provide the necessary functionality and sets of features. Let’s look at five webcast hosting providers you can use for hybrid events.

1) webinar.net

webinar.net is a modern hosting platform, with a clean, intuitive UI that is entirely cloud-based. It comes with a plethora of features for branding, so that you can completely deck out your hybrid events. The platform also offers high-quality audio and video as well as a large selection of features to boost audience engagement.

You can opt for both live and on-demand webcasts, either of which are accessible from a wide array of devices and browsers. webinar.net offers all of this in several competitively priced packages, setting itself apart from other webcast hosting services on the market.

2) GoToWebinar

If you’re primarily looking to host team events, GoToWebinar is the perfect option for you. For one, it’s quite flexible, offering integrated support for up to six streaming cameras. The simple, intuitive UI also allows you to quickly create and schedule all your webcasts. 

Need some in-depth engagement options? GoToWebinar offers support for file sharing, live polls, and interactive Q&A. Measure your performance data afterwards using the platform’s excellent analytics dashboard.

3) Cisco WebEx Webcasting

If you are looking for webcast hosting services with support for multiple simultaneous streams, Cisco WebEx Webcasting is for you. With up to eight simultaneous videos, you have lots of flexibility when it comes to setting up your event.

But there’s more. Cisco WebEx offers support for registrations and reminders before events as well as top-notch security and real-time chat translation service, for added convenience.

4) ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting can host large events and comes with many advanced features, such as: 

  1. Document and video sharing.
  2. Tokenization.
  3. A whiteboard.
  4. The ability to send out email invitations. 
  5. Social media integration. 
  6. A suite of monetization tools.

ClickMeeting also enables you to create promotional registration pages and set follow-up communications with event attendees.

5) GlobalMeet Webcast

If you want to engage a large audience, GlobalMeet Webcast is one of the best webcast hosting services available. The service allows you to set up large webcasts with excellent, high-resolution video along with support for Q&A, live polls and social engagement.

Several of your attendees can’t make the event? No worries. You have the option of on-demand recording for later viewing. The platform also offers multiple integrations with marketing and CRM tools to track all your potential leads.

Key takeaways

Hybrid events are the future – they combine the benefits of in-person and virtual events, while minimizing the risks. With the webcast hosting services discussed above, you can feel confident that your events will not only reach the widest audience possible but keep them fully engaged.