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The world has millennial fever, and it’s no wonder. According to Time Magazine, in the United States alone, millennials represent nearly 2 billion people with more than $170 billion in buying power. Couple that with the fact that these same people are driving innovations and are expected to completely dominate the workforce before the decade is out, and it stands to reason that the events industry would be targeting this elusive market.
Being both a millennial, and an event planner myself, I can attest to the fact that we do in fact want to attend events. In fact, millennials are much more likely than the generation before us to engage with your content and in-person experiences.
Here are 4 insider secrets that will help you maximize your engagement with millennials at events:
1. Make it Affordable
Millennials are often fresh out of college, or at the bottom rung of their career ladder which makes us a pretty thrifty bunch (read: broke). The burden of student loans, the newfound fiscal responsibility of financial independence, in tandem with the fact that most Millennials are not at the point in their career where employers will pay for conferences, means that high ticket prices are a sure no-no. If you want to attract millennials, offer discounts and scholarships for college grad-students and recent grads. Social media contests and virtual experiences are also a great way to include Millennials who may not be able to afford the ticket price.
One more thought: tiered packages. Can Millennials have access only to a certain session track and networking events?
2. Maximize Tech
FreemanXP President Chris Cavanaugh points out that “there was no ‘before the internet’ for this group.” Nothing could be more true. I can’t think of anything more frustrating than being at an event without enough outlets and charging stations – except maybe being at one with slow or non-existent wifi. There is no way around technology for Millennials – we integrate our tech into everything we do – and that includes your conference. Make sure your event has enough bandwidth to deliver fast wi-fi to all participants, include a social media wall, forget paper programs, and go second screen whenever possible.
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3. Make it Interactive
Millennials are seeking connection. Having a full day of speakers and slides is not the way to engage us – it feels too much like the college we just escaped from. Include us in the conversation and allow us to shape your content by engaging with us on social media, and leaving lots of time to network. Consider catering to Millennials by offering smaller round table sessions, gamification (we really do learn while playing), and shorter sessions. Going second screen is another way to make your event interactive, and foster real time feedback between attendees.
4. Make it Sustainable
Millennials care about the environment. Sustainability is huge for us. We want to minimize our carbon footprint, and we have been known to abandon brands we see as wasteful. Maximize opportunities for us to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Go green, and paperless (once again, ditch those bulky event programs and get yourself a multi-use app), and be cognizant of how sustainable your event is. This will curry you instant favor.
The key to planning a successful event with Gen Y’ers is to recognize that Millennials want to engage, be heard, and make connections. If your event is affordable, interactive, sustainable, and integrates seamlessly into digital, you cannot go wrong.
About Our Guest:
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Bethany Smith has spent the last 5 years specializing in using storytelling to plan events that strengthen the relationships between organizations and their publics. More recently, she has taken to utilizing her experience, in conjuction with extensive industry analysis to launch a blog [www.theplannersprocess.com] that aims to arm aspiring event planners with the tools they need in order to figure out how to get where they want to go. She looks to invest her various talents in any organization that can match her dedication to growth and adventure.
Connect with Bethany on LinkedIn or using @PlannersProcess on Twitter.
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The post Four Secrets to Maximizing Millennial Engagement at Events appeared first on Social Tables Event Planning Blog.