The High 5 that Millennials need at your event!

The world of information and technology truly runs on one basic functionality; innovation. From processing data to sharing knowledge, everything circles around innovation and if it’s not innovative, it might as well be outdated. However, what’s more important to understand is who in today’s era are evolving as the true innovative thinkers. In today’s scenario, millennials are the target group that have held this position firm and strong. So be it any conference, a chat show or even a small discussion on air, it is very important to target the millennials and curate content which matches their intellect and interest. The real question is how?

Follow these 5 simple guidelines to engage them at your next event.

1. Embrace Technology

Millennials love technology and that is the first thing that should be in abundance at your events. Millennials don’t read newspapers while having their morning tea but are more active on apps that share live events related to current or daily issues. It’s very important to understand the preferred mode of communication and speak their language accordingly. Sending them an email / WhatsApp invitation over a physical invite will not only save you on cost but also strike the right cord in terms of communication and help beat the clutter.

2. Keep them charged at every point

Speaking of technology, every millennial has a smartphone or a tablet or some next-gen communication model. Since Smartphones, with the kind of usage, tend to die on battery very easily, it’s very important to provide them with charging stations/junctions at your events. Millennials are always on the go and like to read/share interesting stuff around them. You can even aim at using these junctions as a branding opportunity due to its usability and higher crowd gathering.

3. Millennials reshare and review the content

Millennials are multi-taskers but that leaves them spoilt for choices, which has resulted in reduced span of attention. Whatever they do, they do it by choice and not by chance. And even if they do it by choice, they prefer it on their own terms and comfort. This is what you should be targeting. Take your content and make it available to the places where they want it to be available. From mobile apps and YouTube channels to Facebook/Instagram status links, make your content easy to find post the live event. Record it or even play it live, so that the ones who were not able to attend can get a view of it and feel inspired to attend next year’s edition. A great example to consider would be the Tomorrowland after movie. Not only are they short but also engaging to liven up one’s senses.

4. Social media if used perfectly works wonders

No one knows the history of social media like the millennials do. They both have grown old together and been connected for a long time now. To engage them at your event, make sure you have a detailed plan ready for social media communication. Social media if used perfectly can work wonders in circulating your message. From text messages to images to videos, use it aptly, especially, at events to promote your communication. Twitter wall, Facebook live, Twitter polls, Instagram hashtags are some of the very types. As a planner, it’s very critical to understand the scope of your event and accordingly utilize the power of social media.

5. They are all work, all play

Believe it or not, millennials do like to socialize and have face-to-face interactions. This is the generation that has seen the best of both the worlds; the real and the virtual. While work means business to them, try finding opportunities where they can indulge in anything but work. A small recreational activity or a session where they get to interact with other professionals on their own works perfectly for this crowd. The more you make it interactive and experiential, the more they are likely to stay connected throughout the event.

In general, millennials like establishing new connections. These connections not only help them advance in their careers but also make way for long-lasting bonds or partnerships. Moreover, these could be professional connections but with time can transform into personal connections, especially on social media.

Millennials have seen the transformation of the digital sphere. In years from now, they would be the eye witness of what this world aims to be in the next decade or two. By then they could be playing the role of a trailblazer for the future generation. As a planner, it is very important to understand them today and enjoy the journey ahead.