What was previously called Millennial 20/20 transformed into FUTR Summit this year, with events being held in London this past spring and Singapore earlier this fall.
The forward-thinking event is meant to help brand marketers better understand the next generation—a hot topic for meeting planners as well. Here’s some insight from the two events that could be helpful when trying to engage the millennial generation at events.
Build Trust, Real Trust
The spring event in London highlighted how millennials have learned how to tune out brand noise. That includes influencer content, which if done poorly, has actually lost millennial trust in companies and brands. That means meeting planners need to do a better job of finding “authentic” people to tout the success of their events.
Use Data for Personalization
Millennials love personalized experiences, which was a big topic of discussion at the same spring event. They log into Netflix and see a queue of suggestions on what to watch. Same goes for playlists on Spotify. If meeting planners have the resources, try using data for personalization, and suggest specific speakers, white papers, webinars or anything else related to your event or company’s brand.
Take a Hands-On Approach
This past fall, marketing experts reported that, while millennials love personalization online, brick-and-mortar stores are making a comeback. But that involves an experience that goes way beyond a traditional retail store. Think pop-up events that bring in various designers or products. Or virtual reality experiences that give millennials a chance to test a product. This is especially crucial with F&B. Same goes for events: The more this generation can get their hands dirty, the better.
AI & Bots Are Here to Stay
The fall conference also discussed the importance of artificial intelligence at retail stores—so much so that millennials ordered coffee using a chatbot at one of the event’s coffee shop. The meetings industry is seeing this as well in the form of robot concierge and virtual meeting assistants, among other things.
Be Responsible
There’s not enough that can be said about millennials and their response to corporate social responsibility (CSR). That means planners should choose sustainability whenever possible, and then make sure to tout it to your attendees. They’ll never know you’re practicing CSR if you forget to market that fact.
