Captive or Captivated?

Captive or Captivated?

It’s time to show eventgoers some love.

Brand marketers all profess to love their customers, but like many star-crossed teenagers, they struggle to find the right words. That’s why they sift through data analytics, hoping to find a clear answer to the question, “what do my customers want?” They hire agencies that develop robust strategies and invest in elaborate marketing plans to reach these customers with a unique selling proposition.

Those of us engaged in event marketing are not immune to this challenge, although in our case, actions speak louder than words. And after sifting through data from the Freeman Trends Report – Q1 2023, it’s clear that anyone hoping to reach the younger group of eventgoers would do well to listen to the old Sting song, “If you love somebody, set them free.”

In a previous blog I noted many of the issues that differentiate the Next Generation Event Goers (NGEGs) from the rest of the B2B event population. The trend report indicates that while older attendees are generally satisfied with the curated content and networking provided, younger groups are not. The report summarizes it this way: one has tolerated being held captive at events while the other expects to be captivated.

The good news is that NGEGs see value in attending events and physically coming together with other professionals. Just don’t try to sell them a cookie-cutter experience. They are happy to get on the bus, but they want to drive.

Just as in every other aspect of their lives, young professionals seek personalized experiences that provide them flexibility to customize and direct both their avenues of learning and their networking experiences. They place high value on the promise of culture and cuisine. They want to discover something new. This means that holding them captive at an event center for four days, feeding them every meal in the ballroom and then sending them down the hall for entertainment just won’t fly.

We need to take their well-researched preferences to heart. Younger event attendees understand that their time is their most valuable asset. They want to spend it wisely and expect the freedom to do what matters to them. Increasingly, successful events must show love to attendees by setting them free.

Read more on BPHConnect.com.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Robert Priest-Heck的更多文章

  • The Third Horizon

    The Third Horizon

    Letting go of urgency and embracing spontaneity. After years of applying the McKinsey Three Horizons framework to…

    39 条评论
  • Dumpster diving?

    Dumpster diving?

    Sometimes “sustainable” simply means “worth saving.” If you happen to be walking out of a convention center after a…

    3 条评论
  • Embracing Weird

    Embracing Weird

    I’m planning for what’s next. It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t trying to cram more action — work, play…

    42 条评论
  • The Big Ask

    The Big Ask

    Should event organizers provide curated connections? The significance of the latest Freeman Trends Report is that it…

    4 条评论
  • Optimizing the Exhibitor Experience

    Optimizing the Exhibitor Experience

    It’s time to offer all exhibitors white-glove treatment. In a previous post, I talked about the results of the Freeman…

    1 条评论
  • The Calculus of Event Experience

    The Calculus of Event Experience

    You can chase ROI, or you can lead with ROO. I am a huge proponent of data-based business management.

    3 条评论
  • Escape Velocity – Part 2

    Escape Velocity – Part 2

    Mistrust is a black hole. In my previous post, I made the case that CEOs, acting on data in the most recent Edelman…

    2 条评论
  • Escape Velocity – Part 1

    Escape Velocity – Part 1

    CEOs must resist polarization. It’s not your imagination.

  • Searching the Research

    Searching the Research

    It’s time to read between the lines. Freeman recently released a new Trends Report that offers robust analysis of the…

    1 条评论
  • Small World

    Small World

    Diverse backgrounds — shared humanity. Recently Janet Dell and I joined colleagues at the UFI Global CEO Summit in…

    4 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了