CHICAGO — ASM Global released findings and trends from their six-month survey of nearly 20,000 event organizers, exhibitors and attendees. The comprehensive study was aimed at learning more about younger generations’ preferences as the company strategizes about the future.
According to the survey, 42% of attendees at conventions, meetings and conferences were under the age of 40, with 18% of those being under the age of 25. This represents a six-percentage point increase from the year before.
Moreover, 60% of those under 40 said they will attend two or more conventions in 2024, and the majority said they will regularly attend two to four conventions a year in the future.
“The younger groups have forgotten about work life balance and moved towards a philosophy that it’s all just “Life.” This is going to require connectivity and experiential all at the same time. Our venues need to keep this in mind while advancing our part of the experience,” said Dan Hoffend, ASM Global’s Executive Vice President, Convention Centers.
Experiences
It’s not new information that younger-generation event goers are seeking more experiential events and programming, as well as intentional and meaningful ways to connect face to face. In order to deliver on these expectations, that were reaffirmed through ASM Global’s study, the venue management company is combining entertainment areas, work environments and food zones to round out experiential offers of convention centers.
According to the survey, the younger generation is looking for holistic experiences that combine emotional connection, convenience, unique moments and ambiance to motivate them to return to specific events in the future.
They also were found to be wanting more fun at on-site and off-site events, high-speed digital connectivity, interactive elements and elevated F&B offerings at conventions and conferences.
“Digital immersive experiences are a direct form of entertainment that has emerged at convention centers. Combining this experience with the normal food event creates an enhanced experience that adds to the overall event objectives,” said Hoffend. “The Millennial and Gen Z attendees are looking for a combination of enlightenment and content that features networking. Think of the Van Gogh immersion event combing with an opening reception or pre-function area. Social media is the accelerator to keeping attendees engaged prior to, during and after the event. It’s time that we all utilize and maximize marketing to drive dedicated attendees.”
Food and Beverage
Food and beverage offerings play a role in the overall satisfaction with the event and venue experience according to the survey. Offerings at events need to mirror the evolution of attendees’ diets and lifestyle choices — meaning that not only does food need to be of good quality, but it also needs to reflect diversity and sustainability trends.
Fourty-four percent of survey respondents said they wanted more variety in F&B offerings, whether that be health-conscious, gluten- or dairy-free, locally sourced, vegan/vegetarian. When looking at the responses of young guests that were polled, 37% indicated they want health-cognizant options. This desire for a wide variety of options is also emphasized with the finding that when a wider variety of F&B was offered, satisfaction scores reached 88%.
“Attendees are explorers, they want to seek out new and interesting elements of the communities that they visit,” Hoffend said. “Bringing a special flair of the outside city cuisine into the venue ignites their interest in what else they can find outside of the four walls of the convention center. Savor is partnering with several local establishments to exceed this objective. The best cookie, the best coffee, the best chili, the best sandwich, the best beer: everything has the potential to drive attendees to feel like they are localizing.”
Related. ASM Global Signs the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, Boosting its Sustainability Initiatives
Connectivity
Survey respondents indicated that they are looking for spaces at venues and events that have strong connectivity capabilities so that they can easily keep up to date with their regular day-to-day work and home lives, and dive back into the event without needing to leave the building.
The survey revealed that for the younger generations, there is interest in enhanced digital wayfinding, state-of-the-art digital networks, video/virtual immersive experiences, wellness programs, lounges for relaxation and productivity and personal meeting spaces at convention centers and events.
“The investment depends upon the current infrastructure of the convention center. What we do know is that the attendee wants to share what they are experiencing immediately. When all your attendees feel this way, then we must activate the space with the ability to support their desire to share and post. The WIFI must be both economical and reliable. The industry needs to update and surpass other municipalities to compete with gaining audience share,” Hoffend said.
Given this insight, ASM Global has plans for “Meta Meetings,” which will include hush hubs so people can have quiet spaces to stay in their normal workflow.
“Traditionally, all of this fell into the organizer’s and service contractor’s bucket,” Hoffend said. “At ASM Global, we see it as our responsibility to share best practices and unique experiences with all our customers. The key element is to balance open spaces and build out fixtures that all events are requesting. We know that our attendees require locations to balance their schedules and remain at the event. Creating zones to help them manage daily life will keep them at the show. Failing to do that, they will search outside of the event to find a quiet location to meet their business needs.”
Methodology
ASM Global’s portfolio contains 98 convention centers around the world with 23 million square feet of space, and over the course of six months the organizations surveyed nearly 20,000 convention organizers, attendees and exhibitors.
Using its proprietary INSIGHTS platform, ASM Global surveyed people on their experiences at conventions, conferences and meetings in ASM Global-managed convention centers, and collected more than 110,000 data points regarding demographics, preferences and expectations.
