Eric Blog Post # 2

I experienced a webinar from MPI presented by Jill Fjelstul and Kimberly Severt about the difference between Generation Y, also known as millennials, and meeting planners. It focused on a study that the presenters conducted on the shift from the events industry focusing on baby boomers, and Generation X to the next generation of attendees which is Generation Y, those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The goal of their study was to see through survey responses where Generation Y and meeting planners’ opinions about several parts of the meeting industry were similar and different. It is important research because marketing and tailoring events to this demographic is vitally important for the industry. This generation is the youngest in the workforce right now and their engagement will shape the future of events. It was interesting to hear the presenters speak about the differences between generations in terms of what significant events shaped their lives, their comfort with technology, and what they value. Some examples were that Generation Y survey participants reported that they tend to communicate with their friends via social media or technology while meeting planners still prefer to have face-face communication at their events, and one aspect where Generation Y and meeting planners did agree was that the cost of the hotel was more important to them than it having more amenities.