Meetings & Events Support Association (MESA) employees, like those pictured here at Confex 2023, understand the importance of valuing the voice of younger generations. Courtesy Photo

Generation Y, more commonly known as Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, is the first generation to grow up totally immersed in technology. Then there is Generation Z, generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, who prioritizes the ability to work remote.

Don’t forget the Zillennials, 30 million consumers born between 1990 and 2000. They are the first generation of consumers to have never known a world without the internet.

There are some who believe the age of demographics is dead and, in its place, is targeting audiences based on intent. When designing meetings with intent, it is the message and content that is the focus. When expanding someone’s mind or way of doing or thinking about something, it doesn’t matter how old or what generation they land in.

No matter your philosophy, if you think a speaker standing behind a podium addressing your group will keep tech-savvy, TikTok-watching attendees’ attention, think again. It is going to take more than mundane content from a talking head to get them to leave their home. Plus, given the reality of today’s dispersed workforce, younger attendees have become more selective when choosing what meetings and events to attend.

Interactivity is key, and if your meetings and conventions don’t have it, your young attendees are not going to stick around. Today’s successful events have one thing in common — they excite the attendees.

But relevance is imperative. “I think we underestimate what content format attracts the younger generation. I always hear this idea that the TikTok generation can’t handle content and long sessions, which I think is ridiculous. If you were asked to sit in a session on a subject not relevant or interesting to you, you wouldn’t want to be there either,” said Hayley Nicholson, Event Content Manager for the Financial Services Portfolio at Incisive Media. “Many organizers will pose their content and drive interest for senior leaders, so they can get attendees to connect with event partners. But this isn’t relevant for next-gen, so without appropriate networking and content available, how can we expect them to enjoy the experience?”

What does the younger generation hope to achieve by attending events? “Connection, inspiration and development,” said Nicholson.

That can be achieved by first asking why you want to attract the younger generation. Is it to gather all possible points of view, showcase your commitment to inclusion or to boost numbers?

Remember how important it is to the younger generation to see people similar to them on stage. “Doing so, you’ll further demonstrate your commitment to making them a part of your event community. But, this needs to be done with purpose — ingenuine inclusion and tokenism is easy to spot,” said Nicholson.

People relate to people similar to them, and that holds true for content creation as well. “By creating content relevant for them — if you get a sales call, and the representative hasn’t even properly researched you, your role [or your organization], will you stay on the line? We need to do our homework and make sure we’re properly understanding the wants, needs and expectations of the younger generation at events,” said Nicholson. “Outside of content, also supporting them to make connections is a part of the attendee experience. Networking for the younger generation without a community around them can be a very daunting prospect. Providing a community space for new attendees to meet industry colleagues will help ease any reservations. Inviting an industry group, mentoring scheme or association to help host this will help with the attendee experience post-event day and further integrate them into the overall brand and industry community.”

Content for All

“Whether associations are hosting conferences or trade shows, it’s important to have content for all of your potential attendees. We’ve seen attendance at our events trend younger from 2020 to 2023, which is an encouraging sign for us as we’ve long had a well-tenured, mature audience,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief customer officer, NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association. “If you don’t create content and experiences that compel younger, more junior attendees to register and attend, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why aren’t younger professionals attending? There’s nothing in the program that interests or benefits me. That’s why we include education sessions for both junior and senior level attendees, and unique experiences that attendees can only have by attending the event.”

At the 45th SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show), produced by NSSF, a first-time attendee reception was held just prior to the welcome reception so that its leadership team, including board members, could personally engage with first-time attendees who tend to be younger and more junior in their organizations, and make them feel welcome and valued.

When planning content, survey attendees to see what is keeping them up at night. Ask them what it will take for them to register, recommends Dana Toland, chief event planning strategist and sourcing specialist, IT Exchange.

“Who from their generation do they want represented in the program? Who is the newest up and coming Gen Z or Y who will draw your generation into the program?” she asks. She also recommends engaging the younger generation in the show app prior to the conference as well as with social media.

In the post-pandemic world in which we live, younger attendees are discerning when it comes to what meetings and conferences to attend. If they think they can get the information you are providing virtually, they will opt for that. They want in-person gatherings to offer an experience and that is exactly what your conventions should feature.

Rising inflation is increasing the price of hotels, travel and even food and beverage, and this is also making an impact as attendees and organizations can’t justify their expenses to attend just any conference.

Micro-Spaces Empower Attendees

The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo is navigating a highly competitive climate. The retail and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industries are entrenched with large expos and smaller curated events. The event organizers strive to bring the best of both worlds together by creating micro-spaces and activations that empower attendees to not just learn, but see, touch and truly experience the new ideas they’re learning about.

During its inaugural event, the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo had a session focused on experiential lessons from cannabis brands and featured the brand on the Expo Floor via an interactive activation. The live pop-up concept featured product packaging, apparel and interactive technology that allowed attendees to truly experience the brand.

This exemplifies how your gatherings must be personalized and technology-enhanced if you expect them to attract and wow your audience.

Engage With Attendees

Also, make those who are addressing the group accessible for individual conversations. If there is a keynote speaker, be sure he or she attends some of the receptions and is willing to engage in conversation with your attendees. A big hit will be a keynote speaker who is either Gen X or Y who they will be able to truly relate to.

Younger generations have grown up part of networks. Capitalize on this when curating content. Give them opportunities to be co-creators of the content offered. Many association conferences offer fireside chats in between keynotes where members of the community facilitate conversations. This not only adds to the content being offered but also makes these co-creators advocates of your conference. Oftentimes, they will share the fact they are presenting and engaging in conversation on their social media channels, which will extend your reach.

VIP Experiences Help

VIP experiences go a long way in association events. Take the recent gathering in Columbus, OH of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). The award-winning, multiplatinum singer-songwriter and pianist John Legend performed during the conference’s networking reception for a group of less than 3,000 in the Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, that normally seats 20,000. How is that for exclusive?

“The continued evolution of live events to include experiences unique to event attendance, such as concerts, shows, and hands-on activities, put more fun into the [event],” said Dolnack.

This year’s SHOT Show, produced by NSSF, took place in January in Las Vegas. The largest SHOT Show ever, it sprawled across the Venetian Expo and Convention Center and Caesars Forum. The show offers unique experiences that attendees can only have by attending the event. “At the 2023 SHOT Show, we partnered with Fuse Experiences to provide unique VIP networking experiences for our attendees as an add-on to their registration. And in looking at the demographics of the hundreds of attendees that paid and participated, this program was clearly a hit with attendees 21-35 years of age. In the past, we’ve created a conference within a conference that includes an education track for future leaders. For the long-term health of any association, involving younger members and helping them to grow and reach their full potential is critical to member retention, attendee loyalty and net promoter score,” said Dolnack. “All the elements we’ve added to enhance younger attendee experience at our events has helped — future leaders education tracks, VIP night club packages, networking receptions, concerts and first-time attendee private reception with our association leadership.”

Bring Newcomers into the Conversation

Adam Fillary, director of strategy, Meetings & Events Support Association (MESA) and a professional networking strategic advisor, stresses the importance of valuing the voice of younger generations.

“Think about it. Young people coming into the industry for the first time are in a really vulnerable place. They should not be patronized. It’s important to be interested in what they have to add and not focus on what we think they know,” explained Fillary. “It should not be an us and them environment. Bring them into the conversation, encourage them.”

The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (RICE) is especially focused on bringing these new voices into programming development. While other events in the retail industry emphasize established brands and retailers, RICE prioritizes emerging brands, and specifically emerging leaders who are bringing new voices and cutting-edge ideas into the market.

“We believe now is the prime time for different retail and brand organizations to learn from each other,” said Alicia Esposito, VP of Content for the event and its associated media brand Retail TouchPoints. “That’s why our top priority is integrating new voices and new brands into the mix, to inspire new ideas, and of course, new collaborations among our attendees.”

The Future

When you get down to it, the younger generation is the future — the future of the industry. The “festivalization” of meetings and conferences is winning over younger attendees. “It’s all about creating unique experiences that appeal to the young generation,” added Fillary. Clearly, the future of the events industry needs to include a game plan to engage and attract next-generation participants. A great place to start is to invite Gen Y and Zers to be part of your conference committee planning the event. This will guarantee their voices are truly heard. Great content is at the heart of all successful meetings, conferences and conventions. Keep it clear and concise. Serving croissants at a breakfast gathering isn’t going to do it.

Meet your attendees where they are. What are they worried about? What is keeping them up at night? What change would they like to make? What motivates them? By creating your content with the answers to these questions in mind, you are sure to have a successful event.   AC&F