By Jack Thompson, CMP, CEM, EXPOexpert, inc.
As a parent of a teenager, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how kids today communicate. What a different world it is. We had the annual 26 volume World Book Encyclopedia, they have the world-wide web, 24 x 7x 365.
How can a baby boomer like me (between the ages of 46-64), or a Gen Xer (between the ages of 30-45), get the attention of Gen Y…and maybe get them to come to one of our events?
Certainly there are advantages to us for them to participate, specifically;
- Inexpensive Labor
- Increased Attendance at Events & Perpetuity of Industry/Profession
- Potential for Sponsorship Opportunities/Revenue
- Advancement of Marketing and Communication Methods and Tools
Inexpensive Labor
Many conference and tradeshow professionals utilize students studying from the hospitality/travel/meetings industry to assist in advance or on-site with their events. Another resource is to utilize students studying within the industry/profession of the events. For example, the Modern Language Association (MLA) utilizes language, literature and humanities students from local colleges and universities to assist them on-site at their annual convention. This is a very cost-effective way to obtain temporary help, and if you’re not doing something like this now, you may want to explore your options. After all, if you need temporary help in advance or on-site, what better group of people to hire than those already interested in either the hospitality/travel/meetings industry, or the industry/profession your event is focused on?
Increased Attendance at Events & Perpetuity of Industry/Profession
Many conference and tradeshow producers already offer a deeply discounted registration fee for students. For example, two of the professional groups I belong to, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), offer a student registration fee at their annual meetings. At PCMA’s 2010 annual meeting, the planner member registration fee was $625, whereas the student member registration fee was $205. And, at IAEE’s 2009 EXPO! EXPO!, the organizer member registration fee was $ 599, whereas the student member registration fee was $275. This encourages students (at least local students) to attend and increases overall attendance and face-to-face interaction at the event. If your association or organization is not offering discounted (or in some cases complimentary) student registration fees, I would strongly suggest you consider doing so. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
As well, and perhaps this is obvious, but encouraging the participation of the younger generations in various industry/professional events helps to continue the development of that industry into the future. For example, as reported by EXPO Magazine in September 2009, the producers of Lightfair International (LFI) created an outreach program to attract more students to its annual architectual and commercial lighting tradeshow and conference and inform them about career opportunities in the lighting industry. Approximately 400 college students attended LFI 2009 at special discounted student pricing. And, LFI isn’t alone in engaging Gen Y. Another example outlined in the December 2009 issue of Trade Show Executive Magazine, is the Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), who created a “construction challenge” geared towards high school students to introduce them to a variety of careers within the construction industry. Over 2,500 students participated in the challenge, and finalists attended and competed at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show.
Potential for Sponsorship Opportunities/Revenue
I think it’s pretty easy to envision an excellent opportunity for suppliers to gain recognition and image enhancement by sponsoring registration fees (and perhaps even travel expenses) for students within their industry/profession to attend industry conferences or tradeshows. This type of sponsorship has been described as “cause marketing”, and the value proposition is the “feel good” factor. That is, sponsors are recognized by the attendees for supporting a good cause…and helping cash strapped students become involved with their industry before actually entering the job market.
Advancement of Marketing and Communication Methods and Tools
There’s been quite a bit written about how Gen X & Y communicate and what are the best ways to reach them. Smart phones, texting, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc., are here to stay. Event organizers must embrace and learn how to best utilize these tools…or fall behind. As we continue to encourage the involvement and participation of the younger generations in our events, like it or not, we will have no choice (and this is probably a good thing) but to update our marketing and communication tools and methodologies.
Clearly, the upside to more participation by Gen Y in meetings, tradeshows and special events is great, and the downside seems, well…nonexistent.
What do you think? Your comments, ideas, and suggestions are extremely welcomed. So thanks for reading and please comment below.
Gen Y Student Resources
For hospitality/travel/meetings industry students, some possible resources may be;
Chicago
DePaul University-School of Hospitality Leadership
Roosevelt University-School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Kendall College
Indiana
Purdue University-Hospitality & Tourism Management
Michigan
Michigan State University-The School of Hospitality Business
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Stout-Department of Hospitality and Tourism
New York Area
Cornell University-School of Hotel Administration
Washington, DC
George Washington University-School of Business, Tourism & Hospitality Management
Las Vegas
University of Nevada Las Vegas-Harrah Hotel College
Texas
University of Houston-Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Delaware
University of Delaware-Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management
Orlando
University of Central Florida-Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Providence RI, Miami, FL, Charlotte, NC & Denver, CO
Johnson & Wales University
To find students within a specific industry/profession (similar to what MLA does at their annual convention), contact appropriate departments within local colleges or universities in the location of your event.