SISO
What the next generation of event goers wants
Vincent Polito , CEO Society of Independent Show Organisers ( SISO ), offers some lessons from the recent SISO leadership conference
Vincent Polito t this summer ’ s SISO
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Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City , the theme of the conference was ‘ Evolving Customer Expectations ’, a programme expertly crafted by Liz Irving ( president , Clarion North America ). The programme opened with a keynote from Kimberly Hardcastle ( president , mdg ) and Ken Holsinger ( SVP , Freeman Strategy Practice ). The intent of opening with the trends report was to help set a tone for this year ’ s theme .
A couple of the topics that I found most interesting and valuable for all of us to consider will be discussed here .
It is probably not surprising given the number of individuals 50 + that have left the workforce , but the average age of event goers to B2B events has dropped from 51 to 45 , the largest drop Ken Holsinger has ever seen since this metric has been measured . These Next Generation Event Goers ( NGEGs ) will look at events differently . So , what does this mean for organisers and how should we react ?
• I believe this should always be the case , but discard your conference template / show schedule NOW . This is the perfect reason to rebuild how you approach the event experience . Avoid overprogramming !
• Dedicate one day to call three types of attendees – loyalists , first timers and non attending prospects . A novel approach , but ask them what they value . You can involve exhibitors if you ’ d like and garner names of highest valued prospects from them . Don ’ t make this a monthlong project – take a day , involve the whole show team .
• Items focused on well-being , and this means more than a sunrise fun run , need to have a place in the event experiences , as do items focusing on corporate social responsibility .
The opening session , with Kimberly Hardcastle and Ken Holsinger
“ The categories that scored at the bottom included social media / influencers and government / political leaders ”
Vincent Polito
Both objectives can be accomplished inexpensively .
Some of our larger organisers have been taking an active approach to issues like sustainability and I do believe , this time , this is not a passing trend but it here to stay . I would encourage you to both understand and begin to take measured steps in this area . A future column will address this area in greater detail .
With homage to the Edelman Trust Barometer , the top three ‘ most trusted ’ sources among the survey respondents were :
• In-person events
• Professional trade organisations
• Academic institutions This represents an opportunity for organisers . While information is available in a variety of delivery methods , organisers should build off this ‘ trust ’. The categories that scored at the bottom included social media / influencers and government / political leaders .
The most concerning item that I heard at the SISO Leadership Conference keynote was a clear and increasing gap between objectives and satisfaction of exhibitors at events . There are many ways to explain this away , but I ’ d consider those excuses . In much the same way , I advocate disposing of templates , above , I ’ d do the same with sponsorship offerings . Where possible , sponsorship and even simply exhibiting needs a more curated touch even at entry level pricing . When offerings can more clearly address objectives , I believe satisfaction levels will increase .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 5 2023 15