Emerging as the future of the workforce, Millennials serve as the most important demographic for businesses and brands alike. While Millennials continue to form today’s audience as well as tomorrow’s, corporate events are quickly becoming an imperative tool that allows brands to raise brand awareness and provide networking opportunities. Live Union, a London-based event agency, has recently released a report that enlightens brands on what today’s Millennials want from events.

When brands fail to understand their audiences, they fail to maximise the commercial value of their events. According to a nationwide research study conducted by Harris and Eventbrite, 78% of Millennials would choose to spend money on an event rather than purchase a desirable material object. This research proves that it is more important than ever to engage Millennials in corporate events.

Live Union’s creative strategy director Jez Paxman points out that while employees see changes in office design and live experiences to help them perform at their best, business events remain incredibly traditional.

He says, “It can be tempting to think that the value of an event is in the number of speakers, but actually, packed agendas full of continuous presentations are incredibly un-stimulating. Delegates want healthy environments and compelling event agendas that engage the brain, focus their attention and improve learning.”

In order to successfully get to the root of what Millennials look for in events, Anatomy of a 2018 Delegate covers the five fundamental areas in engaging today’s delegates.

With the era of mass production coming to an end, brands are looking to the rise of mass personalisation. The first step in engaging today’s delegates is allowing them to control how they spend their time at an event. Growing up in an age where anything from a bottle of Coca-Cola to a pair of trainers can be customised, Millennials have grown up to be active, not passive. By personalising content for specific audiences and integrating interactive elements, brands are able to empower delegates.

Another key part of attracting Millennials is crafting brain-friendly content. As different types of media and technology become more complex, the human mind follows. Today’s delegates crave variety. Content that goes in unexpected directions and incorporates different styles of learning not only attracts Millennials but holds their attention.  

With the rise of social networking, making face-to-face connections has become an even more powerful tool than before. Corporate events serve as the perfect opportunity for Millennials to network. While technology can often take away from face-to-face connections, matchmaking apps can help facilitate connection by recommending people you’re most likely to be interested in and setting up meetings. Simple things like experimenting with matchmaking apps and building networking into the content delivery can significantly improve networking at events.

As the walls between work and leisure continue to crumble, today’s audience expects events to not only serve as excellent opportunities but to also serve as great entertainment value. By drawing inspiration from TV, film and comedy, brands can design moments of excitement and plan unforgettable endings. Thinking about the little things that can put a smile on people’s faces gives brands the opportunity to leave a lasting impression.

With social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, delegates are always on the lookout for content they’re able to share and use in future communications. Creating content that is shareable is another fundamental part of engaging Millennials in brand events. Experimenting with new technology and posting shareable content to the event’s social media stream helps delegates digest and process that information and work out how to pass it onto others.

Having created events for industry giants such as Visa, Amazon and Oracle, Live Union recognises the need for innovative and multi-dimensional events that meet the demanding expectations of Millennials. To conclude their report, Live Union says, “As event organisers, it’s our role to recognise that our audiences are the event, and their changing needs should dictate everything we do.”