The hybrid community events playbook: how to blend IRL and URL
Eric Plantenberg has spent decades guiding high achievers through personal transformation.
At his Abundant Living Retreat, visionaries, innovators, and changemakers step away from the noise of everyday life to reconnect with themselves and connect with one another. Over four immersive days, they experience what Eric calls “quantum leaps” in almost every area of their lives.
But Eric knows what many event organizers and community leaders struggle with: what happens after the event ends. The breakthroughs are real, but once people return home, the follow-through often slips.
Meanwhile, online community builders face the opposite problem. They’ve built thriving virtual spaces, but members want to meet in person and running a live event feels daunting.
“Our nature isn’t digital. We’re meant to connect face-to-face, but that connection can be deepened when it extends online,” he shared during a conversation with community strategist Bri Leever on her Dear Bripodcast.
That’s why he’s now building IZOZI, an online community to help people stay accountable and apply what they learned between retreats.
This blended approach—linking in-person gatherings with ongoing online support—is becoming the new standard. In this guide, you’ll learn how to design high-impact hybrid community events using practical principles, step-by-step playbooks, and Circle tools to make it happen.
The 5 building blocks of successful hybrid community events
According to a 2023 Ipsos report, people don’t separate their online and offline lives. Both experiences feel “equally real.”
The strongest hybrid community events build on this understanding. Transformation doesn’t happen in a single room or Zoom call. It unfolds across every touchpoint where people show up, share, and grow together.
Still, moving people between physical and digital spaces takes more than good intentions. Without structure, it’s easy for participants to lose their focus once the format shifts.
These five principles apply no matter where your community gathers:
1. Co-creation beats guesswork
The easiest way to build buy-in is to design your hybrid event with your people. Before launching a new event or online space, ask members about what they truly need.
As Eric puts it, “People often describe their needs in aspirational terms.” Your job is to uncover what will actually move them. Then, let them help shape the programming. When participants co-create, they feel a sense of ownership, and that investment carries through every phase of the experience.
2. The container supports the change
Rules and boundaries ensure participants know what they can and can’t do. This clarity lets them relax into the experience instead of constantly reading social cues or juggling distractions.
At an Abundant Living Retreat, guests seal their phones away on the first night. It’s simple and binary. You’re either present or you’re not. Clear agreements like this create both a sense of safety and just the right amount of challenge to help people stretch and grow.
3. Distributed leadership builds sustainability and trust
Don’t carry the event alone. Eric’s retreats use small leadership teams who participate in and support the gathering. In an online setting, this could look like members who also serve as ambassadors, welcoming new members or hosting discussions.
This structure makes the group less dependent on one facilitator. More importantly, leading while learning shows that it’s safe to show up imperfectly, try new things, and make mistakes. That vulnerability builds trust. Trust fosters belonging. And belonging is what keeps people engaged long after an event ends.
4. Integration is the product
Think of your event as one chapter in a longer story. The next chapters (follow-ups, small wins, shared check-ins) are what turn inspiration into lasting change.
Map out how participants will reconnect. A 30-day reflection challenge? Discussion prompts in your community hub? These structures provide members with a reason to return and deepen their connection with one another over time.
5. Hold the rope
In rock climbing, before someone begins their ascent, their partner calls out, “On belay?” and waits for the response, “Belay on.” It’s a simple exchange that means: I’ve got you. You can climb. If you slip, I’ll catch you.
As Bri shared in her podcast episode with Eric, you don’t have to remove all tension to be a great facilitator. Just hold the rope so participants feel safe enough to take risks and show up as their whole selves.
What makes designing hybrid events hard (and how to overcome it)
If you’ve ever tried running an event that blends in-person and online participation, you know how quickly things can go sideways. Someone’s camera freezes. The mic won’t connect. People in the room forget about the chat, or people in the chat feel invisible. It’s no wonder that 38% of event managers cite technical issues as their top challenge in hosting hybrid events.
But tech isn’t the only hurdle. The more challenging part is keeping everyone—those in the room and those on screen—connected through a single, cohesive experience.
Below are a few practical ways to keep both groups engaged and your structure intact:
- Create shared rituals. Start and end with the same ceremony for everyone. Maybe it’s a guided reflection, collective stretch, or a quick one-word check-in.
- Assign hybrid ambassadors. Choose a few in-person participants to keep virtual voices in the mix. Have them read out chat comments, ask follow-up questions, or check in with the remote group during breaks.
- Build a tech fallback plan. Always plan for a quick pivot. That could mean switching to an audio-only call if the video drops, or grouping participants into small pods who can keep talking or working together over the phone or chat while you troubleshoot.
- Mind the transitions. Moving from screen to stage, or online to offline, can feel jarring if you don’t consider the space. Use pauses, music, or clear verbal cues to keep people oriented.
The goal is for hybrid events to feel seamless. You want every participant, in the room or online, to feel equally part of the moment. But don’t worry if it doesn’t go perfectly. What matters most is how you adapt and keep people connected. Each attempt will teach you something new and help make the next event smoother and more inclusive.
Online to offline playbook: How to add IRL events to an online community
Your online community is thriving, and now your members want to meet face-to-face. That’s a great sign. It means they already know, like, and trust each other enough to take things offline.
Running an in-person event isn’t all that different from hosting an online one. You’re still guiding discussions and managing flow, just through a shared space instead of a shared screen.
Here’s a five-step playbook to help you make the leap:
Step 1. Validate and co-design
Before locking in a venue or date, make sure you understand what members actually want from meeting in person.
- Run polls or short surveys to see what kind of gathering excites them the most (psst: this is what 63% of community builders do!). A weekend retreat? Full-day workshop? Casual meetup?
- Host office hours or small focus calls where people can share ideas and concerns directly.
- Have 1:1 conversations with your most active members. They often know what the group needs better than anyone.
Step 2. Build the container
Once you’ve validated the interest, build the structure that will hold the event together.
- Set clear rules and boundaries. Determine how you’ll handle timing, feedback, or heated moments to maintain a good flow.
- Assign event roles. Don’t be a hero. Identify who (e.g., friends, employees, trusted members) is responsible for what (e.g., facilitation, timekeeping, note-taking, tech support) to spread out the workload.
- Publish an event landing page. FYI: Circle’s Website Builder makes this easy. Include your “why,” key details, and registration link so people can easily find and share it.
Step 3. Invite the right people
It’s easy to chase headcount. It’s great to see a full room. But if the mix of people isn’t right, the experience won’t land. A smaller, well-matched group always leads to better conversations and stronger connections.
A few ways to approach this:
- Try an application-first model. Instead of opening sales to everyone, invite members to apply. A short form or interview helps you understand who’s ready for this kind of in-person experience and what they hope to gain from it.
- Create clear participation expectations. Let applicants know what’s required (e.g., attendance at all sessions, travel commitments, prep work) so they know what they’re signing up for.
- Bundle the event with community access. Pair the ticket with a 60- or 90-day post-event membership or an exclusive alumni space, allowing attendees to stay in touch. It extends the value of the experience and helps new relationships take root.
Step 4. Deliver the IRL experience
The day’s finally here. Your job: help people settle in and start connecting.
- Start with a welcome ritual. Open with something that brings everyone into the same headspace, like a round of quick introductions or reading a shared intention.
- Design your event arc. A simple framework works best:
- Arrival: Let people land, greet each other, and get comfortable.
- Attunement: Shift into a shared focus with a short story, movement, or breathwork.
- Stretch: Facilitate activities or conversations to spark growth.
- Integration: End with a reflection and outline next steps that bridge back to your online space.
- Lean on your leadership team. Encourage them to notice who’s quiet, help manage timing, or check in with anyone who seems off.
Step 5. Integrate back online
The real success of any hybrid community event shows up after everyone goes home. Help participants apply what they learned and stay connected by doing the following:
- Share recaps within 72 hours. Post photos, summaries, and slide decks while the experience is still fresh.
- Offer a 30-day mini-course. Use weekly prompts or journaling challenges to keep the ball rolling.
- Host reunion calls. These give members a reason to keep showing up and share how they’ve applied their insights.
💡 Create a short welcome script to start everyone on the same page.
Use this outline to shape yours:
- Welcome everyone and name what this gathering is about.
- Lead one quick centering moment like a shared breath or light movement.
- Outline a few agreements to support focus and safety (e.g., confidentiality, tech-free sessions, leaving early).
- End with quick intros. Ask each person to share their name and one thing they hope to get from the experience.
Offline to online playbook: How to add a Circle community to an IRL event
You’ve run incredible in-person community events. The kind that leave people buzzing with ideas, connections, and a sense of “I don’t want this to end.” The problem? Once everyone heads home, it usually does.
Creating an online presence for your event extends its lifespan. With a hybrid community platform that understands the importance of events, like Circle, it’s easier than ever to bridge the IRL to URL gap.
Here’s how to combine online community with in-person events in four straightforward steps:
Step 1. Build the framework
Your in-person events have seating plans and schedules for a reason. Your community needs a similar structure so that people know where to go and how to participate.
- Spaces: Create a few anchor areas, like an Alumni Lounge for social posts, Cohort Pods for small-group accountability, or a Leaders’ Room for your facilitation team.
- Automations: Use Circle’s workflows and AI workflows keep things moving without manual reminders. Set gentle nudges at Day 1, 7, 21, and 45 to welcome members, prompt reflection, and celebrate milestones.
- Payments: Bundle your event and community access together. Attendees can join automatically after registering for the next retreat or receive a discounted alumni rate for continued access.
This setup keeps everything coordinated, no matter how many moving parts you add later.
Step 2. Translate your rituals
Your in-person traditions can anchor your online community. Bring the same energy online so people instantly recognize what it feels like to belong, even from behind a screen.
- Mirror your openers. If you usually kick off events with a welcome circle or icebreaker question, post a Monday “roll call” thread or short welcome video that sets the tone for the week.
- Recreate team dynamics. Do your events have table discussions or working groups? Create small Spaces or pods in Circle for those same people to keep collaborating.
- Bring back your wrap-ups. If you end with debriefs or informal hangs, move them online with a “Friday Highlights” thread or a regular alumni call to keep the conversation going.
- Keep key moments consistent. Do you have event theme songs or branded visuals? Reuse those online so the atmosphere feels familiar and connected.
Step 3. Onboard your last cohort first
Your most recent event attendees are your best starting point, as they’re already familiar with you and each other.
Invite them to be the first to join your Circle space. Frame it as a beta round where their feedback will shape how the community grows.
To keep things lively:
- Run a 30-day integration sprint. Each week, share a short prompt or mini-challenge that connects back to the event’s themes.
- Recruit a few ambassadors from this group to welcome newcomers and keep discussions going.
These early participants will model how to use the space and set the tone for everyone who joins later.
Step 4. Move into a steady rhythm
After the initial burst of activity, establish a consistent schedule of activities to engage participants, like:
- Monthly alumni calls: Reconnect live for updates or casual coworking.
- Pod check-ins: Encourage smaller groups to meet on their own schedules for accountability or peer support.
- Teach-backs: Invite members to share what they’ve applied since the event. Short posts, walkthrough videos, or mini-workshops are great options.
- Leadership pipeline: Offer ways for engaged members to step up (e.g., community management, call hosting, event planning and support).
Over time, these online and offline community events mutually support one another. The online space keeps relationships active between gatherings, and each in-person reunion brings that energy back to life.
💡 Design a 30-day integration sprint
Use this template to keep members engaged after your in-person event.
Week 1: Share one insight from the event and how you’re applying it.
Week 2: Reconnect with your pod and set a 7-day action goal.
Week 3: Post a photo or short story showing a win or lesson learned.
Week 4: Join a live call to reflect, celebrate, and set your next focus.
How to recover in real-time when things break
No matter how polished your plan, hybrid community events rarely go exactly as scripted. And that’s okay. You just need to know how to recover and re-ground the group when things wobble.
Here are a few common breakdowns and quick ways to bounce back:
- Tech fails? Pivot to audio or asynchronous. Switch to an audio-only call or record a short recap afterward so people don’t miss key content. Also consider keeping a WhatsApp or Slack thread open as a backup channel in case your main platform goes down.
- Virtual participants drifting? Have an ambassador monitor the chat and bring virtual voices into discussions. A quick “Let’s pause. Any thoughts from our online folks?” keeps everyone in the same conversation.
- Pods losing steam? Re-seed with prompts. Drop in a new question or mini challenge to re-engage them. Example: “Who’s one person you want to follow up with after this?”
- Rules slip? Re-ground with kindness. Someone’s scrolling through emails or side-chatting? Bring the group’s focus back with a gentle reminder of the shared agreements.
Pitfalls to avoid when hosting hybrid community events
Even experienced facilitators can fall into a few common traps when hosting online and offline community events.
Here’s what to watch for (and what to do instead):
- Trying to please everyone. Comfort isn’t the same as safety. Your role is to create conditions where people can learn, stretch, and take responsibility for their own experience. Some discomfort is part of growth.
- Too vague rules. “Be present” sounds nice, but it’s not actionable. Replace soft guidelines with clear boundaries: “Phones off during sessions.” “Conversations stay confidential.”
- Forgetting the follow-through. The post-event “glow” fades fast if there’s no plan to carry it forward. Post reflection threads, host reunion calls, or run post-event challenges to help participants apply learnings and keep the energy alive.
- Giving up too soon. The first version of any event or community is a test. You won’t get it perfect right away. Eric committed to running his retreat for five years, even if the first year was a flop, so he had time to experiment and refine before deciding if it was successful.
Bring your hybrid event flow to life in Circle
Circle is the hybrid community platform for events. It’s a central hub where planning, participation, and post-event connection can all flow together seamlessly.
Turn your hybrid experience plans into action using the following Circle features:
- Events Hub: Host everything from info sessions and alumni reunions to pre-event AMAs, all in one place.
- Spaces & Segments: Create separate areas for cohort pods, alumni lounges, or a private leaders’ room.
- Courses: Build a 30-day integration program or mini-course to move participants from learning to implementation
- Automations: Send timely nudges, milestone celebrations, or reflection prompts to maintain momentum.
- Payments: Offer event bundles, alumni discounts, or leader-in-training tiers to encourage ongoing engagement.
- Website Builder: Design a clean, on-brand landing page with FAQs, agreements, and alumni stories.
The future of online and offline community building
Hybrid design is evolving fast. Our predictions? The next era of IRL/URL communities and events will be smaller, more inclusive, and powered by smarter tools.
The future is micro. Instead of huge conferences and retreats, more organizers are experimenting with smaller events like coworking sessions, intimate dinners, and regional pods that host their own meetups. These gatherings build stronger bonds while keeping travel and logistics manageable.
Accessibility is also taking center stage. Live captioning and translation, along with flexible scheduling across time zones, make participation possible for anyone, anywhere.
Sustainability is another driving force. Travel is often the largest source of emissions, and hybrid formats help by allowing people to join virtually. Choosing venues near public transit, going paperless, and reducing single-use plastics are small shifts that make a significant difference.
AI is quietly becoming part of the team. It captures notes, drafts recaps, translates chats, and sends reminders so leaders can focus on the people in the room.
These shifts are already underway, and you can start experimenting with them right now. Try one small hybrid pilot experience. Host a local coworking day for your online group, or open a pre-event thread where attendees can introduce themselves. See what works, take notes, and build on that.
Circle gives you the tools to make it happen. Start your free trial and bring your next community experiment to life.
FAQs about hybrid events
What is an example of a hybrid community event?
A hybrid community event blends online and in-person participation. For example, a leadership retreat where members meet in person for workshops, then continue the conversation and accountability threads inside a shared online community space.
How do you keep online participants from feeling “second-class”?
Design with both groups in mind from the start. Use shared rituals, hybrid ambassadors, and clear facilitation cues so remote members have equal chances to interact and contribute.
How do I price in-person vs hybrid tickets?
Base pricing on the depth of experience and cost to deliver each option. In-person seats typically cost more due to venue, catering, and staffing expenses. Virtual tickets can be lower but still include access to recordings or follow-up sessions.
What size is best for transformation?
Small groups tend to create the most significant shifts. Eight to twenty participants is often the sweet spot for meaningful conversation, vulnerable shares, and personalized support.
How do I get members to unplug IRL?
Set the expectation early. Include it in your event materials, explain the “why,” and create a ritual (like sealing phones in a shared basket) so it feels intentional.
How do I know if I should start with an event or a community?
Look at where your energy and audience already are. If you have an engaged online group, consider hosting a small in-person gathering to deepen those connections. If you run live events, build an online space to keep participants connected between meetups.
