In case you missed the introduction, here is a quick summary:

Millennials want to hear about networking opportunities, personalized education, and insight on career paths. They respond best to transparency, clear objectives, and a connection to “what’s in it for them.”

Keep this in mind as we take a deeper dive into what appeals to Millennials so you can have a stronger grasp on how to engage, motivate, and empower these pivotal employees by maximizing the value stemming from your meetings and corporate events.

The Human Factor

The number one thing to keep in mind when gearing meetings towards the needs of Millennials is the value this group puts on face-to-face opportunities that will help them propel their careers forward.

When you’re in the planning phase, consider using pre-event assessments and surveys to gauge attendees’ interests and goals. Use this information to pair participants in small group situations that will allow them to build new relationships. Try not just to match groups based on similarities. Instead, factor in unique differences, such as pairing junior and senior employees, or attendees from distinctive backgrounds, to ensure they haven’t already interacted with one another.

Use social media tools and apps that let event organizers and owners better communicate with attendees as well as pave the way for participants to interact with one another. Examples include Bizzabo, which lets users see the conference agenda and message other attendees, set up face-to-face meetings, receive suggestions of personalized business opportunities, and integrate the app with their social media accounts to keep in touch with the people they meet at events.

Enhance networking opportunities by offering interludes during meetings and corporate events.

The key here is to keep your meeting interactive and driven by the human element.

Provide Choices and Flexibility

Millennials value a sense of choice and autonomy, which is a major component leading them to be innovative, willing to embrace change, and creative.

Consider this when designing your next corporate event.

Give Millennials the freedom to choose everything, from which small groups they’ll participate in, to their food and beverage options.

You can also integrate a sense of personalization into meetings by letting participants drive the discussion. Use opportunities for interaction, feedback, and questions as a way to determine the direction the meeting will take.

Millennials grew up using tools like social media and have come to expect to the ability to voice their opinion. They appreciate chances for collaboration, sharing, and rethinking conventional concepts.

Bring Social Elements into the Mix

We all know, Millennials are incredibly comfortable with social media and digital technology. So why not bring this into your meetings? Just be careful not to replace the essential human component.

Use social media as a way to enhance meeting content and objectives, rather than having it dominate meetings.

You can use social tools to take live polls and get a feel for what the audience is thinking, include gamification throughout sessions, or create a hashtag that can be used to Tweet and post on what’s happening during an event.

Embracing the Millennial Viewpoint

Millennials are a unique generation. They have a fresh, innovative approach to the workplace and how meetings are conducted.

They crave the opportunity to build relationships that can create a sound basis for their line of business. They want meetings that challenge them, interest them, and are a way to enhance their career.

This generation is desperately trying to navigate their way through the business world. And it may come as a surprise to you, but they value advice from their superiors. Millennials want mentors.

Our next article in this series will go over how to utilize meetings to break down communication barriers between different generations and ultimately bridge the skills gap.

Photo Credit: Charlie Edward / Shutterstock.com

Related articles: The Millennial Movement

Until next time!

The post Meetings Millennials Want appeared first on dynami.

By the last day nearly half of attendees have thrown in the towel and have one foot out the door. Their mind checked out yesterday.

Starting to sound familiar?

It’s time to redesign our meetings and here are five ways to do just that:

1. Shorter General Sessions

• This time is for setting expectations and building excitement. Focus on keeping these segments to under 90 minutes.

2. Longer Breaks

• People need time to catch up on emails, tend to projects, talk to loved ones, or just move around. Communicate to your audience the reason for the breaks. Don’t be afraid to cut into time dedicated to delivering content. Remember less is more when it comes to retaining information. Here are a few best practices when planning breaks:
  • Longer breaks after keynotes. If you host a 90 minute keynote, you’ll want to follow with a 30 minute break before starting the next session.
  • Provide 20 – 25 minutes between sessions. Give attendees the opportunity to reflect, develop relationships, and share best practices. This is more than just a break to walk from room to room.

3. Attendee Matchmaking

• Yes, people attend conferences to learn but they also attend to network. Sometimes it only takes one good connection to justify the whole event. Here are a few ways to help attendees reach their networking goals:
  • Form networking friendly areas. Setup tables and chairs for people to connect over a refreshment break. Encourage speakers and executives to spend their down time in these areas. This will generate a comfortable environment for people to ask questions and connect.
  • Breakout into small groups. Studies show learning and engagement is strongest in smaller groups. They create settings where people feel encouraged to ask questions and share best practices.
  • Breakdown barriers. Sit departments struggling with communication at the same table during lunch. Do the same with individuals who could learn from each other. Create opportunities for extended interaction between employees and high level executives. You will be amazed at the positive effect this has on morale!

4. Rethink the Classroom Setup

• There’s a revolution happening in the way offices are being designed, so why not meetings? Try a 360 stage in the middle of the room. Switch out the standard classroom seating for lounge furniture to promote collaboration. Get creative and you’ll inspire attendees to do the same.

5. Customized Experiences

• Technology has provided the ability to tailor what we focus on. Resulting in us becoming more selective in how we pay attention. We’ve moved from customization being an added bonus to it being expected. Here are few ideas to consider when personalizing your next event:
  • Add a ticker for upcoming talking points. This works best with expert panels but can be done with keynote speakers as well. Start by identifying different subjects during a session. Then allot an amount of time for each talking point. Use a banner at the bottom of the screen to notify attendees what subject is coming up next. We were inspired by ESPN for this idea and used it at a client’s Franchise Meeting. It was a huge hit!
  • People want options. Provide a schedule that allows attendees to pick and choose which sessions appeal to them the most.
  • Poll your audience. Before the event find out what topics interest them, ask about entertainment, and what off-site events they’d like to attend. People naturally become more invested when they are given the ability to choose.

If anything, I hope you take away from this article the fact that the way people are learning is changing. While millennials seem to be the hot topic in learning discussions, the change has to do with all of us. Technology has changed the way we receive information and therefore impacted our capacity for learning. It’s not a bad thing. People are evolving, and it’s time our meetings evolved too.

Until next time!

The post Meetings Designed to Engage appeared first on dynami.