According to new data from the Virtual Edge Institute, hybrid events, those that are offered for both in-person and virtual assistants, are very valuable.

According to the report, more than half of the respondents prefer virtual events, since they can save time and money, while offering them the possibility of attending virtual events and conferences that would otherwise be lost.

The results showed these figures:

• 43% attend network events
• 30% believe that they learn better in person
• 26% attend events to establish relationships
• 40% have preference for virtual events since they can attend specific events
• 93% of virtual assistants say they will not attend the event in person
• 78% of attendees in person say they would attend virtual conferences

Surprisingly, the presence of virtual events and in person are very similar in demographic characteristics, as both older adults and young people say they would attend.

“A common mistake is that younger generations feel more comfortable adopting new technologies more quickly, but this is not true in the study. With the proliferation of technology for day-to-day work, people of all generations feel comfortable attending events remotely, which augurs well for the growth of online events and meetings, “he said. Todd Hanson, President and founder of Catalyst Performance Group.

Meanwhile, a report by Unisfair found that 60% of respondents are studying increasing spending on virtual events for next 2011, while 42% will reduce spending on physical events.