Real and di­git­al

Wobbly video conferences are a thing of the past. Hybrid is the new live: interactive, communicative, and borderless, it combines attendance and virtual formats. Cutting-edge technology and the highest hygiene standards put the NRW conference facilities in an ideal position for this future. Large convention centres and small event venues alike merge two parts into a professional whole, providing the real and digital frameworks for highly frequented business events such as trade fairs and international congresses, sports and cultural events, as well as for smaller conferences, meetings, and product launches where participants from around the world may take part and interact concurrently via tablet, smartphone, notebook, or computer.

The top venues for a technological head-start for hybrid events as they are hosted in many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia are the World Conference Centre Bonn (WCCB) and the CCD Congress Centre Düsseldorf. In Bonn, for example, a fully hybrid setup has already been developed to combine conventional events with a vast variety of web applications. The heart of the modern congress centre right on the river Rhine beats in the former plenary hall of the German Bundestag. Distancing can be ensured here as well since speakers are placed on the old government bench to address participants in the hall and answer questions from Cologne, Koblenz, or Kansas alike by video chat or livestream.

The CCD Congress Centre Düsseldorf, with flexible rooms equipped with professional image, sound, and event technology that meets the highest security standards, can turn into a broadcast studio for hybrid events. These events can also be recorded to be put online or marketed as video-on-demand later.