Which conference experiences belong online and on-site
Your programme has twenty items on it, and the committee keeps asking whether each one will be streamed.
The short answer
Decide by experience, not by session title. For each part of the programme, ask what a delegate gets from being there and whether a remote delegate can get a fair version of it.
Most conferences end up with three groups: experiences built for both audiences, on-site experiences that remote delegates can watch, and on-site experiences that stay on-site. Writing that down early sets the supplier scope, the budget and the workload.
Start from what the experience is for
A keynote exists to be heard and seen, so it travels well. A roundtable exists for candid exchange among people in a room, so a camera can change what is said.
List the purpose of each programme item in a few words before choosing where it lives. The choice then follows the purpose instead of habit.
Four tiers to sort every item into
| Tier | What it means | Typical items | What it adds to the workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Built for both | Designed so remote and in-room delegates take part together. | Keynotes, plenary panels, a closing session | Online moderator, remote question route, rehearsal with the platform supplier |
| B. On-site, viewable online | The room is the priority; remote delegates observe. | Some workshops, awards, lunch talks | Camera and audio coverage agreed with the AV supplier, no remote participation to manage |
| C. On-site only | Not streamed or recorded. | Roundtables under confidentiality, networking, exhibition floor, dinners | Remote delegates need an honest note on what they will not see |
| D. Online only | Created for remote delegates. | A pre-conference briefing, a remote-only workshop | A separate host and run sheet, so count it as an extra session |
Questions that move an item between tiers
- Will the speaker or panel speak freely if they know it is streamed? Ask them, do not assume.
- Does the session depend on physical things: a demonstration, a hands-on exercise, a table discussion?
- Can a remote delegate ask, vote or contribute without the in-room audience waiting for them?
- Does the item carry sponsor, member-only or confidential content that changes who may watch? See recording rights across physical and virtual programmes.
- Is there a time zone or attendance reason why remote delegates would only watch some sessions live?
Count the cost of each tier before you commit
Tier A is the expensive tier because it needs people as well as equipment: someone to watch the remote audience, a speaker brief that covers both groups and a handover plan. Move items up to Tier A only if the programme owner can name who looks after the remote side.
Ask your AV and platform suppliers to price per tier, not as one lump, so finance can see what moving an item changes. The RFP completeness checker helps you check that each tier appears in the request.
Tell remote delegates what they are getting
Publish the tier of each session in the programme, in plain words: live and interactive, live view only, or on-site only. Remote delegates then choose with the same information as everyone else.
Pricing and access wording belongs to the finance owner; see pricing physical and virtual attendance.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional logistics association sorts its two-day programme
Fictional organisation and illustrative figures, to show the method.
The fictional Persatuan Logistik Contoh has 22 programme items over two days. Its committee sorts them: 7 into Tier A (opening keynote, three plenary panels, a regulator question hour and the closing), 6 into Tier B, 8 into Tier C and 1 into Tier D, an online briefing the week before.
The Tier C roundtables stay private because members said they speak more openly when nothing is recorded. The secretariat adds one line to the programme explaining this, and asks each AV quote to be split into 7 Tier A items and 6 Tier B items.
Use this yourself
Session allocation worksheet
Copy one row per programme item and complete it with the programme owner before any supplier quote is requested.
| Item | Purpose in one line | Tier (A/B/C/D) | Speaker agrees to remote access? | Who looks after remote delegates? | Note shown in programme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening keynote | Set the theme for all delegates | A | To confirm | Online moderator | Live and interactive |
| Member roundtable | Candid exchange | C | Not applicable | None | On-site only |
| (add your items) |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The programme has fewer than a dozen items and one person owns all of it.
- Most items are plenary talks that obviously suit streaming.
- Your AV supplier has run your format before and can price per tier.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several committees each want their session treated differently and nobody owns the final sort.
- Speakers, members or sponsors have conflicting positions on what may be streamed.
- Finance needs the cost of each tier before it will approve the hybrid format.
Want the allocation decided and written down?
A conference project lead can run the session sort with your programme owner, collect speaker positions, turn the tiers into a supplier requirement list and report the cost and workload of each tier for your approval. The programme and the final decisions remain yours; audiovisual and streaming production stays with your specialist suppliers.
Questions organisers ask
Should every session be streamed?
Not necessarily. Streaming everything raises the supplier scope and the moderation workload. Choose the sessions where a remote delegate gets real value, and say plainly which sessions are on-site only.
Who makes the final call on tiers?
The programme owner, with finance confirming cost and the committee chair approving. Speakers should be consulted before a session is placed in Tier A or B.
Can an item change tier later?
Yes, but each move changes supplier scope, speaker briefs and the programme text. Set a date after which tiers are fixed unless the programme owner approves a change.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.