A new report commissioned by the PCMA Education Foundation delves into meetings, events and conventions from the perspective of the Millennial generation to identify key motivations and challenges in engaging this emerging audience.
What the Millennial Generation Prefers in Their Meetings, Conventions and Events is based on the findings of the largest survey conducted of its kind. More than 2,000 respondents ages 18 – 30 participated in the study, which was led by a team of hospitality and human sciences experts: George Fenich, Ph.D., East Carolina University; Sheila Scott-Halsell, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University; and Godwin-Charles Ogbeide, Ph.D., University of Arkansas.
“The industry is aging,” said Brad Lewis, executive director, PCMA Education Foundation. “We have a whole new generation of people who are starting to get involved, and we’re aiming to understand how we can best appeal to them. Ultimately, the Foundation is looking to answer how we can captivate them to build a stronger future for meetings and events.”
The findings reveal that face-to-face communication remains the most effective method for reaching Millennials. However, the results indicate that planners must part ways with traditional meeting formats to truly engage this demographic.
“It is imperative to discontinue programs of straight lecture or basic PowerPoint presentations to satisfy an emerging generation of attendees,” said the research team. “If you motivate the Millennial with an inspiring and fun event, they will come.”
The report examines how Millennials define “inspiring and fun” and why they choose to attend, or stay home, from meetings and events. By dividing this demographic into further subsets based on age (18 – 20, 21 – 24 and 25 – 30), the research team offers additional insights into internal differences between younger and older Millennials’ expectations, needs and thoughts on technology.
Selected Key Report Takeaways
- 86 percent of respondents indicated that career networking is one of the primary drivers for participating in meetings, events and conventions.
- 93 percent of respondents want education with entertainment.
- 86 percent of respondents want structured meetings and conferences.
- More than 50 percent of respondents do NOT prefer LinkedIn, Twitter or blogs for communication.
- Less than 50 percent of respondents like lectures.
“As a group that’s grown up with Apple products and Amazon, Millennials expect something they use to anticipate their needs and speak directly to them,” said Mary Reynolds Kane, director of online marketing, PCMA. “If you create a generic experience for them, you may lose their trust and a potential member or customer for years.”
