Attracting the next eventprofs generation
Recruiting the nextgen of event employees
There's been a lot of talk lately about how to reach the "next generation" of event professionals. And whilst it's true that this is a demographic that needs to be courted differently than previous generations, it's not as difficult as you might think.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while and in 2020 talked to Duncan Reid from Reset Connect and Iain Pitt from Clarion Events about the opportunities in events (listen for free here) and over the next few words, I offer my take on it, after speaking to more eventsprofs over the last few weeks.
What are you doing differently?
Incentive schemes, diversity, environmental benefits of your business… they’re all standards we should live by, but what about employing influencers and changing your tone of voice? Through these two things, you can show younger people that trade shows are still a relevant and viable option and that they are an exciting place to work.
All of the benefits to working in the events industry still exist - fast paced, flexible working, creative opportunities... however by bringing in an outside perspective, you can show that trade shows are an industry that is constantly innovating and adapting.
Employing Influencers
One of the best ways to reach a younger audience is by employing influencers. These are people who have already built up a following within your industry, and they can help attract even more attention to your event. Of course, it's important to more than just give them a free ticket; you'll need to provide them with hotel accommodations, pay for their flight, and so on. But it will be worth it when you see the influx of new attendees that they bring in.
By the very nature of employing influencers, and they in turn start creating new campaigns or new ways to engage, you are bringing in the next generation of attendees without even realizing it and attracting a new workforce to your business.
Changing Your Tone of Voice
It's also important to change your tone of voice when marketing to a younger audience. And yes, we as #eventprofs need to change our tone of voice from the past rhetoric. Gone are the days when stuffy language and long-winded descriptions were enough to get people interested. This blog is already too long...
Instead, you need to be inspiring and thought-provoking if you want to catch their attention. By showing them that trade shows are still relevant and that there's more to them than meets the eye, you'll be able to reel in this new generation of employees in no time.
Just look at Fan Expo's - let's jazz things up
Who from our next gen of event professionals wouldn't want to work on Comicon, SXSW or <insert name of fan based expo here>? They're exciting. They have buzz. They are engaging. Why enable the influencers to help shape your event of the future. Ok, so they may be there personal forte of interest, but why can't we make more exhibitions more exciting?
It's boring to see the same format year on year on year (for some). So if we make our exhibitions more exciting, we will bring in the next gen of attendees, as well as engage with a wider audience. We need to show that our industry is constantly innovating and adapting to attract the best talent.
My key takeaways for reaching the next generation of employees are:
employ influencers
change your tone of voice
show that trade shows are still relevant and constantly innovating
jazz things up!
What are your thoughts?
Have you been able to successfully engage with the next generation of attendees? Let us know in the comments below!
Want to know how to engage your audience before the big day with content? Read here.