What is a hybrid meeting?
Hybrid meetings are nothing new, but they're quickly growing in popularity.
Edited on: April 22, 2025
A hybrid meeting is a meeting where some participants attend in-person from one location, such as an office space or event room, while others join remotely via a conferencing platform, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Hybrid meetings are nothing new, but they're quickly growing in popularity for obvious reasons - offices are reopening, but not everyone plans or wants to return to their office desk full time. A recent study shows, over half of employees (55%) would prefer to be remote at least three days a week once pandemic concerns recede.
With teams split between the office and other locations, hybrid meetings are set to become a permanent element of the future work environment. And it's not just because people like working from home.
3 trends that are making hybrid meetings the new standard
After a year of mass experimentation with remote work, it's not just employees that have found it beneficial. Employers are seeing heightened team productivity and have gained access to a wider talent pool. Additionally, teams have better understood what it is that they've been missing most about the office.
These trends point to a growing acceptance of remote work, while also highlighting that people aren't ready to fully give up the office.
A new perspective on flexible work
Behind the push for hybrid work lies the realization that coming into the office is unnecessary for meaningful productivity. More than that, with remote flexibility, average output has gone up, giving employers a strong business case for implementing mixed workweeks.
Growing acceptance of remote hires
Operating remotely has helped companies unlock access to a larger, location-agnostic talent pool, even hiring internationally to gain a competitive advantage. It's unlikely companies will abandon the gained benefits in favor of hiring locally. That said, even local hires show strong appreciation for the option to work remotely, making it a key selling point for companies looking to attract talent.
Most people don't want 100% remote nor 100% in-office
The PwC study shows that while 8% of employees prefer to work full-time in the office, 29% want to work remotely full-time. The remaining 63% prefer a hybrid setup.
Gallup confirms this trend, reporting that most remote-capable employees are working in hybrid setups—and that’s how they want it to stay.
Different types of hybrid meetings
As mentioned earlier, hybrid meetings are nothing new, and those that already happened in a hybrid format will likely continue to do so, such as calls between teams and clients in different time zones.
It's the other, more everyday types of meetings that are now going hybrid—daily standups, retrospectives, brainstorm sessions, and all-hands meetings—where seamless participation from both in-room and remote attendees is essential.
The technical challenges posed by hybrid meetings
The key difference between hybrid meetings and the standard virtual meetings all of us working from home have grown accustomed to is that in the former not everyone has a microphone directly in front of them. As such, hybrid meetings pose a bigger challenge when it comes to ensuring everyone gets heard, especially in larger all-hands hybrid meetings.
This creates communication friction—some people go unheard, others need to shout, and remote participants may struggle to follow the conversation.
For larger rooms or when people are spaced out, an advanced audio solution like a wireless conference room microphone system is necessary to ensure everyone is clearly heard.
Hybrid meeting microphone
A standard conference phone might suffice for small huddle rooms, but for active, participatory hybrid meetings, Catchbox Plus provides a superior audio experience.
The Catchbox Plus system now supports up to four wireless microphones simultaneously, allowing for broader room coverage and more participation.
Available mic options include:
Catchbox Cube – the iconic soft, throwable microphone designed to be passed or tossed safely. Ideal for engaging conversations and inclusive discussions.
Clip Mic – a compact, wearable lavalier mic for presenters or meeting leaders.
Stick Mic – a sleek, handheld microphone with a Focused Omni™ pickup pattern. Great for panelists, roaming presenters, and group facilitation.
Each mic connects wirelessly to the Catchbox Hub, which acts as a receiver, DSP, and mixer—all in one. The Hub includes USB connectivity for plug-and-play use with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.
Bridging the gap with better collaboration in any space
Meetings should be a place for people to share ideas and engage in collaborative discussions. This can be a challenge in hybrid meetings, especially as many offices are not properly equipped to facilitate collaboration between groups of in-room and remote colleagues.
Catchbox Plus can quickly turn any room into a collaborative space for hybrid meetings. The system's receiver features USB connectivity, which allows it to be plugged into any device as an audio input. This is a great way to quickly and easily that audio from the meeting room participants can be clearly heard by anyone joining via video conferencing software.
Catchbox Plus turns any room into a hybrid-ready space, capturing voices without needing participants to crowd around one device.
Beyond meetings: hybrid corporate events
It’s not just meetings—hybrid formats are reshaping corporate events too. Company-wide presentations, training sessions, and town halls now frequently include remote attendees.
One camera might suffice for visuals, but audio is critical for engagement.
Catchbox microphones—enhance hybrid events by enabling effortless voice sharing across audiences. The Cube adds energy and interactivity to Q&A sessions, while the Stick mic is perfect for clear handheld speaking and the Clip for hands-free presentations.
These branded microphones are lightweight, wireless, and easy to charge via their dedicated docks.
Conclusion
As hybrid work becomes the norm, hybrid meetings require purpose-built technology—especially when it comes to audio. Catchbox Plus is a scalable solution that makes meetings more inclusive, events more interactive, and communication more professional.
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