EW spoke to two of UFI’s NGL Grant winners to gain insight into Millennials and exhibition education
NGL Grant is UFI’s inaugural grant programme, aimed at giving highly talented exhibition professionals the opportunity to have their say on the future of our industry, is supported by funding from Reed Exhibitions.
UFI invited five exhibition professionals to work together on defining their vision of how the event industry is changing, and the opportunities mega trends like globalisation and digitisation can deliver.
The group recently gathered for a workshop at UFI Headquarters in Paris, and will share their findings at UFI’s annual Congress in November 2016 in Shanghai.
Adeline Larroque Dosages:
What education in exhibitions did you receive and how did it help you?
The exhibitions industry is a demanding and challenging one that is often more difficult than it initially seems. Only if you have the right skills, will you be able to deliver and manage exhibitions effectively in the long run. I am lucky to have received a wide range of education in exhibition management and organisation. This has included training provided by my current and previous employers, learning from participating in congresses and conferences, and education that I pursued myself by taking part in online training courses. I truly believe that education is the key to success. The more you know, the more successful you can be.
How are exhibitions evolving to meet the needs of GenY and younger audiences?
Exhibitions are continually evolving to meet the needs and requirements of its audiences, including Millennials, which currently count for almost 50 per cent of B2B buyers. These younger audiences have different thinking patterns and expectations when they participate in exhibitions. For them, exhibitions should be treated more as ‘live events’ and include social, non-business related activities to foster the networking and bonding experience of participants. Millennials are looking for innovative and surprising happenings that will enhance their participation to the exhibitions. This is why we see exhibitions introducing sports activities alongside, health and wellness centres and also customised non-business related activities. Exhibitions are now also more digital and communication has changed to be able to reach out to the younger audience.
Matthias Pollmann:
What education in exhibitions did you receive and how did it help you?
During my studies of Business Administration, I got an overview of the exhibition industry during an internship in the strategic development department of Koelnmesse. In 2006, I became a trainee at the company and received a deep insight into the different tasks of an exhibition organiser. Besides that, I had the chance to gain some knowledge about the needs of an exhibitor during internships at two exhibiting companies. It was very helpful to get a profound understanding of the different parties and their needs.
How are exhibitions evolving to meet the needs of GenY and younger audiences?
The virtual and the factual world are partly merging. Exhibitions have to address their existing customer base on the one hand but adapt their concepts to reach younger people on the other hand. Generation Y is used to receiving information in real-time and nearly everywhere. Finding strategies to ensure relevant information reaches the customer at the right time is more important than ever to make sure that exhibitions will be the place for doing business.
