How the Tech?! Behind the Scenes of Human Connection, Upgraded
"What makes hybrid really work? Lots of tech, lots of money, lots of production support. You think so? I don't think so. I think intentional design is what makes hybrid work."
What it was about
Successful hybrid presenting isn't about having the most tech or budget — it's about intentionally designing the experience for online participants first, then letting in-person attendees follow along naturally, so every attendee (regardless of location) can participate, access resources, contribute, and experience a shared moment.
Key notes
- Design every session element for the online/remote audience first, then adapt it for the in-person room — in-person attendees already know how to self-organize, but remote attendees need explicit structure.
- Use an interactive slide tool (Aha Slides, Mentimeter, or Slido) as the 'leveling' layer so in-person and remote attendees interact with the exact same content in the exact same way, usually from their phones.
- Use a persistent collaborative board (like Padlet) as a 'room' for remote attendees — store the agenda, resources, songs, and designated discussion spaces so remote small-group chat doesn't get lost in a single running feed.
Take this back Monday
Before your next hybrid meeting, add one interactive slide tool (Aha Slides/Slido) so remote employees engage the same way as in-person ones.
Hybrid meetings don't fail from too little budget or tech — they fail when we design for the room and forget the people dialing in.
Watch out for
- Treating hybrid as an afterthought — planning the whole session for the in-person room and only later being told 'oh, we're also live-streaming this,' which forces a rushed retrofit.
- Running a hybrid meeting by simply opening a Zoom/Teams call in a physical conference room without dedicated technical/production support — leads to bad room audio, unmic'd speakers, and awkwardly framed video.
- Ignoring or forgetting the remote audience once in-person conversation and energy take over, leaving online attendees feeling like they aren't part of the group.
Kassy LaBorie architected Dale Carnegie Training's $4 million digital business and was an early pioneer at Webex University.
