ASM Global Survey Unveils What Younger Attendees Want from Business Events

September 5, 2024

In general, attendees go to conferences based on content, potential contacts, and convenience, not the attributes of the host convention center. However, the conference experience, which is strongly influenced by the venue, can be an important factor in an attendee’s decision to return to that event in the future. 

So, what do attendees want and expect in a conference experience? 

Convention center management company ASM Global recently explored that question, specifically looking at preferences of Millennial and Gen Z attendees. The growing under-40 audience, ASM says, represents 42 percent of meeting, convention, and conference attendees, with 18 percent being under 25. 

In the first half of 2024, ASM surveyed event organizers, exhibitors, and attendees about their experiences at the 98 convention centers the firm manages. Several key findings stood out, including accommodating work-conference balance requirements and evolving food-and-beverage preferences. 

Gotta Take This Call 

Gone are the days when attendees’ out-of-office messages give them license to focus exclusively on conference content. The study showed that many attendees are looking for dedicated spaces to make or join conference calls and otherwise stay connected with their business without having to leave the conference venue. Facilities need to respond, ASM says, by providing work areas where people can be productive. For ASM, one answer is quiet work environments it calls “hush hubs.” 

“We want to enable our attendees to maximize their time in hubs where they can catch up with home/office work and then jump back into the event,” says Dan Hoffend, ASM Global executive vice president, convention centers. 

Food and More 

According to the ASM researchers, younger generations are “now becoming responsible for the quick reinvention of conventions and meetings” because of their changing needs and values. For a significant number of under-40 survey respondents, the importance of immersive digital experiences and a focus on “effective social media leading up to and during events” emerged as a key, ASM reports. Also significant are a venue’s food and beverage offerings. 

ASM Global

ASM drilled down on F&B issues, noting that younger attendees’ diet and lifestyle preferences now mirror those of attendees across all age groups, with 44 percent wanting more variety, including health-conscious, locally sourced, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or vegetarian options. 

ASM’s SAVOR food-and-beverage division points to other food-and-beverage trends gaining traction, including gluten-free pizza, birria tacos, hard seltzer, and zero-proof beer. “The data supports the changing expectations of the next-generation attendee,” says Shaun Beard, SAVOR executive vice president. “We’re developing and offering exciting spices and diverse flavors and ingredients like hot honey and tajin, featuring items such as hot chicken and vegetarian options like cauliflower wings.” 

“We’re gaining an understanding of what attendees want out of their experiences and seeing that all the little things make the biggest difference,” says Hoffend. “We’re learning what foods and diets are highest in demand, how much courteous and attentive staff really matters, how important safety and security is to our guests, and more.” 

ASM Global Chief Marketing Officer Alex Merchán sums up the company’s research findings this way: “The tide has turned. The younger generations are a driving force in the events industry; and with a new generation of influential players and decision-makers, it’s time to reimagine the industry around these evolving expectations.” 

This article was originally published in our sister publication MeetingsNet

 

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Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.