FRESH is an annual conference specializing in meeting design, that experiments with new formats, techniques, tools and technologies within the meeting industry. In 2017, FRESH was the first conference that made the radical decision to split itself across five countries.
FRESH18 decided to take on the challenge again and branded itself as a Multihub Conference which meeting professionals could attend in either Basel, London, Copenhagen or Johannesburg. For its sixth instalment FRESH challenged ABBIT (official AV sponsor) to push the boundaries of hybrid meetings by introducing virtual break-outs; the Spider- Hub.
The Spider-Hub takes the MULTIHUB concept even further, by splitting an already split meeting into smaller focus groups or breakouts. Since people are more likely to interact in smaller groups, the Spider Hub format deepened the level of interaction. The breakouts gave participants the opportunity to connect with people from other hubs in a more intimate setting.
Spider-Hub proved that even within a MULTIHUB environment, we can create a level of interaction that brings likeminded people together and consequently forms connections across hubs. ABBIT’s Multi-Hub technology showcased how hybrid events can create a collective experience despite participants being in four different countries.
“The collaboration with three other cities, whilst sat in London felt real.” said Nicholas Tinker, Regional Business Development Manager at CVENT. “It was a connected, shared experience I didn’t think would be possible in that format. Now, I’m excited about what the future holds for multihub meetings.”
