As the number of young professionals increase within the meetings you plan, it will be imperative to take their needs and desires into consideration. You might even begin by asking if a live gathering is necessary. Many young professionals prefer to meet and learn electronically. While this might appear threatening at first, planners who stay ahead of the curve in understanding the true role of meetings in today’s organizations are the ones who will continue to thrive. Review the questions below to see if you are adequately responding to the expectations of these emerging groups.
Planning team – Most of association and corporate leadership is still dominated by Baby Boomers (those born approximately 1946-64). Those in the emerging generations deserve a seat at the planning table during the development of meetings. What can you do to recruit and involve young people in the design, implementation and evaluation of the meetings you plan? They’ll share a wealth of information and suggestions if asked.
Dates – With the new diversity of ages attending meetings, the conflicting needs are multiplying. Have you/can you take young parents’ scheduling concerns into consideration, for example? (school starts, popular school holidays, spring breaks, etc?) If you schedule meetings during shoulder season to save money, will you be precluding younger workers who are balancing work responsibilities and child care?
If you schedule meetings on a Saturday, will young professionals refuse to attend because they don’t work on weekends due to personal commitments? How can you determine the best time for different meetings? A series of poorly timed events can significantly impact association revenue or corporate productivity.
Location – Attracting young professionals to out-of-town meetings can be difficult due to the commitments they might have at home. Will the destination city be available at a reasonable airfare if young attendees are traveling with families? Will the location offer opportunities for entertainment? Many of those in younger generations might wish to combine a business meeting with a long weekend of rest and relaxation.
Amenities – Do the locations you choose have amenities that might appeal to younger members or employees? Are there local attractions they might find entertaining? Are there child care and kids’ activities available for those who want to bring their children? While the emerging generations understand that travel for meetings is sometimes necessary, they still look for ways to make it balanced and enjoyable.
If the meeting is being held in town, will it be timed for those who might have child-care responsibilities? Will the location force a percentage to spend too much time commuting to and from the gathering? The cost savings of choosing an out-of-the-way location might be defeated if young people find the time and distance too onerous. How can you balance the two?
Program – How will the purpose of this meeting be perceived by those in different generations? As an opportunity for networking? For socialization? For fun? For learning? For building one’s influence? As a mandatory, but questionable use of time? What can you do to engage every age group, from young workers to veteran contributors?
Schedule/agenda – What’s the balance of content, socialization and fun? Most young professionals would prefer more “meat” in a shorter period of time. How can you accommodate this, given that many in older generations are used to the opposite?
Speakers and content – Those in younger generations have come of age on a diet of interactive media. The “talking head” is dead, yet many are still conducting breakout sessions. If the session is not engaging, they might remain in the program if necessary, but surf the Web, respond to e-mail or text-message their friends in the room about how boring the meeting is. Given the opportunity, they will bolt and make a note not to attend meetings organized by ____________.
