Top Five Reasons Why Young Professionals Offer Exhibitions an Exciting Future

By Nancy Drapeau, PRC, CEIR Research Director

CEIR research with young professionals suggests an exciting future awaits business-to-business exhibitions and exhibitors that deliver the content they crave. Here are the top five reasons for this position:

Reason #1: Young professional attendees have a strong connection to the exhibition channel, 98% identify one or more high value takeaways from attending.

The most popular takeaways reflect the best of what exhibitions have to offer: keeping informed of leading trends/new products; gaining a deeper understanding of available products/services; interacting and seeing a wide variety of products and meeting with a large number of vendors in a short time period.

Reason #2: Most professionals who attend an exhibition plan to visit again. 93% say it is likely they will attend exhibitions in the next several years.

Reason #3: When it comes to walking an exhibition floor – it’s all about engagement. Young professionals are accustomed to immersive, interactive face-to-face entertainment settings. Those who walk the floor want to engage with the product (80%), booth staff (84%), and the booth offerings (87%).

Reason #4: Mobile devices are a broadcast media boon opportunity for organizers and exhibitors. Half come armed with their mobile device to help them record and process what they are experiencing. The most popular activity is taking pictures to look at or share with others.

Reason #5: Like attendees in general, young professionals come to shop (86%) and learn (83%), and they also attend for the EXPERIENCE (67%). The emotive aspect of attending is important, 44% of young professionals seek inspiration and motivation to help them advance their organization’s and personal career objectives. This quest is a call to action to organizers to step it up and assure content delivers on this goal.

There are many more reasons why young professionals’ wants and preferences speak to a bright future for the industry. Click here to download the full report.

To read about what organizers are doing to attract and retain young professional, click here.