Why Event Format No Longer Matters (And What Matters Instead)

A stubborn idea still lingers in the events industry: that somewhere out there exists the one right format. Live, online, hybrid – just pick correctly and everything will fall into place. Reality tells a different story. In 2026, the winners will be the ones who choose their format based on the goal, not the other way around.

What the data tells us about the past year in events

In 2025, roughly 5 million registrations were processed through the Lyyti platform. Of those, 64% attended live events, 31% attended online events, and 5% attended hybrid events. The most interesting detail, though, is that live events were the only format where attendance actually grew.

At the same time, more invitations were sent than ever before. Of the 40 million contacts, only 14 per cent reacted in any way. In other words, the competition for attention is fiercer than ever – and simply sending an invite is no longer anywhere near enough.

Format doesn't decide – purpose does

In marketing, you often hear the question: "Should we run a webinar or a live event?" It's the wrong question. The better one is: what are we actually trying to achieve?

Live events build trust and relationships in a way no screen can match. Online events, in turn, maximize reach and lower the barrier to attend. Hybrids combine the best of both worlds when done with care – and muddle both when they aren't. None of these is automatically better than the others. They're tools, and a tool is chosen based on the job.

From single events to portfolio thinking

The most successful marketing and event teams have moved from planning individual events to building cohesive programs. Every event has a clear role, each one supports the others, and together they move the customer forward along the buying journey.

In practice, this might mean a webinar that sparks interest across a wide audience, a live event that deepens the relationship with promising leads, and a smaller, targeted gathering that carries the conversation over the finish line. A single event rarely carries the weight alone, but a well-designed program does.

Attention is the scarcest resource

When there are more invitations flying around than ever, format alone is no longer enough to stand out. What actually matters is whether the content is genuinely relevant, whether you're talking to the right audience, and whether the message is sharp enough to cut through the noise.

This is good news for anyone tired of scrolling through lists of "the five hottest event trends." In 2026, the winner is the one who knows why an event is being held – not just the one who can give the cleverest answer to how.

What this means in practice

If you're planning your next event, don't start with the format. Start with the goal. What are you trying to achieve? Who is this really for? And only then: which format best supports that?

When the purpose is clear, the format follows naturally. A webinar stops being a fallback for a tight budget, and a live event stops being a status symbol. Both become conscious choices that serve the business.

The future belongs to events with a purpose

Events are no longer standalone performances judged by attendance numbers and the vibe at the coffee break. They're part of a broader marketing and customer experience ecosystem. Teams that grasp this build more impactful experiences, stronger customer relationships, and measurable results – with the same budget and the same team as before.

And that's exactly why 2026 isn't about which format wins. It's about who uses it well.

Read more about 2026 event trends in our report. Download your copy below.