MEETING delegates are changing the way they consume content, requiring planners to relook the design of their events, said a brand experience expert at this week’s PCMA Meetings Forum Singapore.Lisa VanRosendale, senior vice president of FreemanXP, who kicked off the day’s presentation, said: “The audience wants bite-size content, on-demand and on-the-go concepts, engaging formats and participatory experiences.”
Some of the learning trends highlighted by VanRosendale include flipped learning, which sees people acquiring knowledge outdoors and returning to the classroom to solve issues together; and gamification, which satisfies people’s “love to connect with each other”, among others.
When asked if the entry of Millennials into the workplace has catalysed the change in information consumption, VanRosendale said: “The consumer space has everything that influences the way we do events. I’m not a Millennial but I’m customising my consumer experience. What I pick, what I watch is decided by me; I’m dictating my own programme. I get my news on Twitter. Life is a lot faster today.”
Technology advancements have also created new ways for planners to deliver content and offer sponsorship opportunities. With augmented reality, for example, sponsors who are absent from the tradeshow can still reach out to the audience, while the rise of telepresence technology and virtual events can help bring content to people who were not able to attend.
VanRosendale advised meeting planners to understand their audience and “market the event to who you want and the way they buy or do their job”.
“Do an audience profiling and build your event strategy around that. Planners need to have different event tracks for different audience. Build an event brand equity and then have different messaging for specific audience under that,” she suggested.
Meeting venues also need to redesign their spaces to support the new learning model and appeal to a varied audience, she urged.
In response, Angeline Lue, director of sales and marketing at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia, said the venue is already moving with the times.
“We deal with cross-gen audiences, so we have to have different meeting designs,” she said, offering examples of beanbags being used in place of chairs in meetings, the creation of a lounge with all-day refreshments where delegates can graze and network, and events being held outdoors.
