Young Professionals IAEE Weblog

By: Julie Holzer ( IAEE YP’s Newest Committee Member and 2008 Future Leader Alumni)

To explain my vision for the future of the exhibition and events industry, it is important to first understand the background and events that have shaped my perceptions. Though relatively new to the exhibition industry, I have been immersed in hospitality and events since 2001.

My first job in the industry wasn’t on solid ground, but on cruise ships. A fertile training ground in the events business, I planned, promoted and hosted events for crowds of one to 1,000 and that is where I truly learned that events are only as good as the people who attend them. Whether hosting a trivia contest or a main stage performance, I discovered that the key to success in any event lies in its appeal to the audience.

Before each cruise, a list of passengers with age range and nationality was available and it was this list that determined the events and activities scheduled for the upcoming cruise. Each itinerary and season brought different passengers and different challenges and we adapted to each set of guests coming aboard.

The trade shows and meetings that take place each day in the exhibition and events industry remind me of different cruises and itineraries. It is very easy to continue to use the same promotional materials, schedules and venues year after year, but I believe the biggest change coming to the industry will be when show organizers adapt to the changing demographic of their exhibitors and attendees.

Member of Generations X and Y are emerging and taking the reigns in the business world and their needs are different from those that have shaped the exhibition industry in past years.

Meeting planners are starting to capitalize on Generations X and Y and this is a shift from past practices. Time has become a premium for these generations and longer meetings have become replaced with shorter, more intensive meetings.

Another way this change has become evident is in the move to the web as a tool for trade show information. Exhibitor service manuals, pertinent trade show guidelines, surveys and even social networking are moving online for the ease and speed of consumers. Printed materials are becoming rarer as the web, e-mail and voice mail blasts become more prevalent.

The next generation of trade show and industry leaders will have to appeal to the next generation of people coming up in the business world. The future of the exhibition industry depends on appealing to its audience, an emerging audience that is younger each year.

CEIR and IAEE have recognized the need for this change and are starting to research the best way to appeal to this younger generation of industry leaders and decision-makers through research and surveys (IAEE e-mail titled “IAEE: CEIR Announces Call for Volunteers” and dated 4/30.) With an estimated 112 million people from the X and Y generation (according to William J. Schroer of the Social Librarian web site,) this is a huge audience that the event and exhibition industry is beginning to tackle and must make continued efforts to understand in order for continued success.

Shaping the future of the industry is an exciting endeavor and will not only affect how show organizers market to an emerging audience but also how suppliers do the same in a changing environment.

As a supplier, it is my job to find and utilize the means to change not only on a superficial but a real level the experience of the people we service. Whether it is online ordering or a user-friendly operating system, it is my hope to influence how we market to a new generation. It is about making life simpler and more time-effective.

Listening to employees and rewarding them for their feedback is an important step to finding out what our customers want. Generations X and Y make up a good deal of the work force of show organizers, service contractors and facilities. Realizing and understanding the needs of our own employees is the first step to understanding and marketing to the needs of our customers.

Every day more members of Generations X and Y are entering the work force and more Baby Boomers are retiring, and this is an important time for the industry. It is each of our responsibilities to adjust and do our best to influence a changing demographic. Whether we use our online tools or the people we have working with us, we can shape the future of the industry.

My experience aboard cruise ships trained me to always listen to my audience and never lose sight of a customer’s needs. This is a lesson I have taken with me and is an important one for the exhibition industry as new generations emerge and the industry’s dynamics change and evolve.

Jeanavive Janssen Chair of IAEE Young Professionals and IAEE Secretary Nora Johnson will both be participating in a Live Webinar on June 30th about Planning Meetings and Events that Appeal to the Next Generation of Executives/Attendees.  Here is our Power Point Presentation from the Webinar (we had a fancier version but it doesn’t print well)

For more information visit: Meeting News

Three Parts: ON SUCCESS, ON BUSINESS, ON THE PROFESSIONAL

PART II: ON BUSINESS

By: Nora Johnson

During the first weekend of May, I attended my first-ever Shareholder meeting: the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting. From a meeting perspective, it was fascinating. From a business perspective, it was brilliant.

The only General Session, per se, took place on Saturday, May 3. The format was simple, yet very effective: sit, watch a clever cartoon and listen to general Q&A for the remainder of the day. I cannot speak about the specifics of the featured cartoon, but I must say that if you ever get the chance to attend one of their Annual Meetings, this was a treasure. Lessons and laughter; that’s all there is to it.

The Q&A session was unlike others I had seen. The questions were not previewed and selected prior to the meeting. In other words, the entire meeting was not scripted and staged. It was refreshing. People from across the world, across different age groups and with different motivations for attending stepped forth to ask their questions. Whether it was a question from a 12 year old boy or an international investor, all questions were treated with the same respect. Open and oftentimes humorously honest answers were given. The effect was one that bred confidence and ease.

Regarding business, I had been curious about the events that would take place around the main session. Why did I consider the business aspect of this meeting brilliant? Simple. Show the value of what you represent and offer by turning your Shareholders into your consumers. The major functions either took place at Borsheim’s (a jewlery store) that was adjacent to other store chains that fell under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella or at the famous Nebraska Furniture Mart.

One not only became more invested in the various aspects of the company because they got to see and experience the brands and products beyond the exhibit booth, but because THEY invested IN Berkshire Hathaway as they kept the sales teams on their feet and the registers rolling throughout the entire weekend.

How simply wonderful it is to contribute to the success of your investment. Better than exhibits and traditional giveaways, attendees experienced the products and services, chose what they would take home with them to remember Berkshire Hathaway and became financially invested themselves (as they paid for what they chose to bring home with them!). Ultimately, they are bonded tighter to Berkshire Hathaway than they had been before. The best part: they are eagerly looking forward to do it all over again next year.

Over the past several years there has been a true push in the industry to begin to understand the incoming professionals within our industry. What may have begun as concern or trepidation has turned into quite the wave of enthusiasm and open-minded curiosity. Questions emerging include:

- How do we track talented young professionals?
- How do we tap into their skill sets?
- How do we develop and work with them?
- How do we best bridge the generations within our organization in order to maximize the strengths and contributions each individual brings to the table?
- WHAT MOTIVATES THEM?

Please feel free to share your thoughts or even your own questions here, no matter what generation you are a part of. Enjoy the future!

Nora Johnson, YP IAEE Secretary

Cross-Post from : Young Professionals Discussion Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/young-professionalsee

There is a lot of talk about the next generation of events, related to Green and CSR…on top of that though I have been thinking about Sales and the way its always been done….

Here are some stereotypes that come to mind related to Sales People:
“The Widget Sales Person” doesn’t matter what it is the person can sell ice to an Eskimo
“The Brown Shoe/Brown Briefcase” been pedaling wares since the 70’s and you can spot them coming a mile away so you hide
“The Elevator Pitch” sounds like a wind up doll so practiced so rehearsed you can’t wait for the ride to be over
“Card Dropping Street Pounder” Ok, we know we don’t like them when they pop up when you least expect it and want to play the card trade game

To me these are old school practices which I hope will retire with the work force. As a Young Professional, who does Sales this method ‘bums me out” and over time has kept me down because management believed in only these methods. Sales is a word I personally would like removed from my title/and our cultures vocabulary. I hope going forward that our culture/generation can bring a higher calling to this portion of business and define a new term.

I look at this as relationship building, giving people what they want not brainwashing them that they need this “thing” - why does there have to be 100 different widgets competing against each other, there certainly shouldn’t be a monopoly on “things” but I do see two viable avenues in the future - the one-stop kings, who thru partnerships/collaboration can provide you everything you need at competitive prices and those who cater to very specific needs and personalities.

I think this should apply to booth sales too, it shouldn’t be about just filling space it should be about bringing the right people in. I went to the WonderCon event in San Francisco and I think it should be a model for all event planners - it was very simple, the exhibitors “would buy what they are selling” there was a mutual love. You could feel the energy from the attendees and the exhibitors. They weren’t in your face selling. Mind you this is a comic book event but why can’t that ‘love’ for what you do extend to all industries. Which goes back to get away from sales tactics, focus on people and give them what they desire. I have been to many events were there is very few attendees on the exhibit floor and the exhibitors are upset but as an attendee why do I want to walk thru a sea of generic pitches…

Well that’s my two cents. Was wondering if there is any other Young Professionals out there in sales and what you think about the traditional sales images…

Jeanavive Janssen
Chair
IAEE Young Professionals
http://www.ypiaee.com

An excellent comment I wanted to include it in the body of this post:

1. Nora Johnson | April 4, 2008 at 10:05 am

While reading through the stereotypes, I couldn’t help but chuckle. The stereotypes exist, and while it may be painful to some who feel they personally relate to one of the groups mentioned, what can we do but acknowledge that they exist and find the humor in it?

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