Venues for hosting your hybrid business event in Sydney

Running a hybrid event has a myriad of benefits for stakeholders and delegates alike. Not only can physical attendees benefit from the serendipitous exchange of ideas and energy of live events, but hybridisation also opens the conversation up to an incredibility diverse audience and prolongs profitable and deep and meaningful exchanges, building online networks and communities that far outlast the event itself.

We spoke to some of Sydney’s premier hybrid event spaces. Find out what makes them perfect for your next business event.

AccorHotels

Recent research by Accor found that 70% of their business clients see hybrid events as the way of the future, so Accor has focussed on making its hybrid event solutions cutting edge. Currently, Accor Group has held concurrent hybrid sessions across Australia, enabling event managers to prioritise health and safety while still maintaining all-important business connections and networking opportunities.

By working with leading Sydney-based audio-visual partners such as Encore and Audio Visual Events, Accor can offer tailored hybrid event solutions for businesses looking to connect with delegates Australia-wide. The group launched ALL CONNECT in April 2021, a new event technology created in partnership with Microsoft, giving attendees seamless video conferencing services. The service is targeted at creating smaller, intimate groups of 8–50 attendees, but larger events can be tailored to individual business needs, giving attendees real-time connections to attendees in other Accor hotels all over the globe.

“ALL CONNECT... is an important tool for our guests, offering them the opportunity to organise safe, qualitative and seamless hybrid meetings as they continue to focus on health and safety and sustainability,” says Patrick Mendes, Group Chief Commercial Officer in charge of Sales, Marketing, Distribution and Loyalty at Accor.

Find out more about Accor Hotels for your next business event.

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

With an in-house AV partner able to facilitate hybrid meetings from any of the 11 premier business event spaces in the venue, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney enables you to seamlessly connect with colleagues around the globe. The hotel's experienced hybrid events team takes care of every detail, so you can focus on your meeting agenda and objectives. The smallest hybrid package at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney starts at 10 people, while the largest can be hosted from the stunning Grand Ballroom designed by award-winning Australian architects Bates Smart.

Inside, the hybrid event solutions offered are just as impressive as the interiors, including both wired and wireless high-speed internet access, a built-in LED screen measuring 12 x 3.5 metres (one of the few in Australia of this scale), a state-of-the-art Meyer UPJ sound system and in-house AV specialist support. All event spaces within the hotel are similarly equipped, with facilities to suit the scale of the chosen venue, meaning those tuning in from elsewhere will enjoy a flawless hybrid event experience.

“As one of the first hotels in Sydney to launch hybrid meetings, we have the experience and technical support required for a successful event,” says Maria Dmitrichenko, Director of Catering at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. “Our hybrid meeting series featured the Australian Law Awards, which was attended virtually by over 1000 people across the country. We can now cater for up to 340 people on-site and tens of thousands virtually, ensuring all participants enjoy a seamless, smooth flow from wherever they may be in the world, while we take care of every detail behind-the-scenes.”

Find out more about the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney for your next business event.

PARKROYAL Parramatta and Darling Harbour, Sydney

From large-scale government events to international conferences to team building, helping to keep businesses connected is a priority for the hybrid event solutions crew at PARKROYAL Parramatta and PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney. Their hybrid offering is fully customisable and tailored to the clients’ needs, with three different event services available – Virtual Connect, Hybrid Meetings and Virtual Studio Conference – business event managers will find plenty of value and choice regardless of budget.

“Our hotel audio visual partners, Encore Event Technologies, are an industry leader in event production services,” says Kaila Welsford, PARKROYAL Hotels Meetings & Events Manager.

Both properties have built-in facilities such as data projector screens, audio speakers, lighting bars, soundproof walls, double-glazed windows and high-speed, secure, password-protected hard-wired internet connections and WiFi. While on-site AV technicians can offer round-the-clock support, including bringing in required audio visual equipment, making the overall experience personalised to every event.

Find out more about the ParkRoyal Parramatta for your next business event.

SMC Conference & Function Centre

The team at SMC Conference & Function Centre has transformed one of its conference rooms into a dedicated virtual and hybrid event studio, partnering with Create Engage and Audio Visual Events (AVE) to create ON AIR, an innovative digital studio delivering high-end hybrid event solutions.

To get event managers started, the teams at SMC and ON AIR have created five different hybrid event solutions outlining the different capabilities and business events each is best suited to, whether it’s government events, simple team-to-team collaboration and full-scale multi-location conference with live and virtual components. Plus, additional post-event viewing options give event managers and attendees the opportunity to engage with content and each other long after an event is over, resulting in increased exposure and relevance. In the case of Palliative Care Australia, this technology allowed their annual conference to achieve an audience that was 500% greater than those achieved in previous years.

Find out more about SMC for your next business event.

Museum of Contemporary Art

The virtual and hybrid event solutions offered at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney come with a bonus – stunning views of Sydney harbour. The venue has always had a premium offering, attracting high-profile events hosted by some of Australia’s largest conferences and corporations.

The recently established hybrid event space in MCA’s sleek and contemporary Quayside Room offers event managers a truly refined backdrop for a business event, including a dual-stage setup with harbour backdrop or hi-definition LED wall and access to a fully styled space with high-end furniture. According to MCA’s audio-visual partner AV1, the space was especially designed to engage live and virtual audiences simultaneously.

“The hybrid event space at the MCA was very professional, enabling the conference to be streamed against the backdrop of one of the most iconic locations in the world,” says Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

Find out more about the MCA for your next business event.