With four different age groups - Millennials, Gen Xers, Boomers and Traditionalists - in the workforce, many event organisers are challenged to create an experience that resonates with each demographic.
Industry research reports and consultants can provide a baseline, but relying too much on stereotypes can send planners off in the wrong direction. One way to address the challenge is for organisers to collect and analyse data about their own audiences.
Research
In recent years, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has published a number of reports that help identify the needs and desires of various attendee age groups. The report revealed that the desire to interact with other attendees – a major activity at trade shows for example – differs among generations. Such insight could inspire event organisers to test the generational reactions to different formats and environments within their own shows.
Registration
In order to categorise behaviours, opinions, and attitudes towards various formats and programming, event producers have to ask for age information from attendees when they register. While this data may already be known about association members, it may be unknown for non-members or attendees of for-profit shows. An age-group field in the registration form is an easy way to collect this foundational data.
Surveys
Surveys and evaluations are critical tools for gauging the success of an event. With the intention to reveal generational preferences, organisers may begin asking questions differently. Armed, for example, with CEIR information that identifies various age groups with qualities, such as idealistic, independent, competitive and civic-minded; organizers might want attendees to qualify their responses more fully in order to associate programming with these generational attributes.
Personas
Attendee “personas” can help organisers develop formats and features that meet the needs of specific attendee types. Developing personas involves having actual discussions with a number of attendees who fall into the various age groups and analysing their responses to questions about preferences, motivations, goals and interests until a common profile emerges. The resulting personas can act as a reference point for determining whether specific show features meet the needs of each attendee group.
This article was first published in issue 1/4 2015 of EW. Any comments? Email Annie Byrne
