How to run events for a multigenerational audience: a guide

A conference audience now spans four working generations, and our 2024 UK survey of 4,067 people shows they want different things. 32% of 22 to 27 year olds would rather network online, while 44% of Baby Boomers quite like networking in person. This guide for event organisers and HR covers format, timing, networking, technology, feedback, accessibility and the choice of speakers and MC.

The audience at a typical UK conference now spans four generations, from a 22 year old in their first job to a Baby Boomer close to retirement. They arrived on different devices, will network in different ways and will tell you what they thought through different channels, if they tell you at all. An event designed for the organiser's own generation quietly loses the others.

This guide is for event organisers, HR teams and anyone assembling a mixed-age room. It draws on our Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 survey of 4,067 people in the UK, on Rob Davidson's podcast conversation about conferences, and on Alastair's 16 years programming entertainment for ships carrying every generation.

What does a multigenerational audience want from an event?

In short, more than one way to take part. Rob Davidson, managing director of MICE Knowledge, told the podcast that conferences cannot be one-size-fits-all, that younger attendees expect interactive participation and that planners must cater to every age group, in Reinventing conferences for a multigenerational audience. The data backs him up.

Format: mix the plenary with participation

A day of back-to-back keynotes suits the generations who grew up with lectures; a day of nothing but breakout activities loses the people who came to hear an expert. Alternate them. A 25 minute talk followed by a 15 minute table discussion gives the Baby Boomer the content and the Generation Z attendee the participation Rob Davidson describes.

Build in a way to contribute without standing up. 71% of Gen Z find it easier to connect with people close to their own age, so a hall of strangers twenty years older is not an easy place to raise a hand. Live polling, written questions on cards and a moderated app feed all lower the bar. On the ships, the shows that worked across every age gave the audience a job.

Timing: respect the working day and the journey

Attendees in their twenties are the most likely to have jobs that involve networking (61% of 22 to 27 year olds) and to live in a city centre (28% of Gen Z). Older attendees are more likely to be travelling from a village or rural area (33% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation, against 13% of Gen Z). A 9am start in a city centre suits one group and punishes the other. A 10am start with a proper coffee window suits both.

Keep sessions short and breaks long. Breaks are where networking happens, and networking is where the generations differ most.

Networking: offer three routes, not one

Among people whose job involves networking in person, feelings are split, partly along generational lines. That is not a room you can serve with a drinks reception alone.

Source: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024. Base: workers whose job involves networking in person.

Run three routes. Keep the open reception for the people who quite like it. Add a structured format, such as hosted tables with a question on each, for the "only if told to" group, who will take part if given a reason. And open an online channel before the event so those who prefer to network that way arrive already knowing three people. Val Corbett spent a career getting people talking and shared how in Networking, isolation and creating the connection.

Technology and apps: WhatsApp is the common ground

Event apps fail when they assume one generation. 92% of respondents use a smartphone to communicate, including 79% of the Silent Generation, so mobile is safe. Which app is not. 74% of Gen Z use Instagram and 66% use Snapchat, against 5% and 1% of the Silent Generation. WhatsApp is the only platform that crosses the room: 80% overall, 72% of Baby Boomers, 61% of the Silent Generation.

Two rules follow. Put the essentials (agenda, room map, Wi-Fi) somewhere that needs no app at all, such as a printed card and a plain web page. If you want a live channel, a WhatsApp group will reach more of your audience than a bespoke app. For payments on site, 53% would use contactless and 20% their phone, but 13% would pay cash, rising to 17% of the Silent Generation. Keep a till open.

Feedback: ask the way they answer

Younger attendees are used to giving and getting feedback often: 45% of Gen Z workers want it at least weekly. Offer more than one route. A one-tap rating at the end of each session captures the quick reaction; an emailed form the next morning captures the considered one. 98% of Baby Boomers use email, so do not assume older attendees need paper.

Accessibility for older attendees

Accessibility is often treated as a wheelchair question. For a multigenerational audience it is also a hearing, sight and stamina question. Use microphones for every question from the floor. Keep slides legible from the back. Put chairs in the networking space. And remember that only 24% of Gen X and 28% of Baby Boomers would answer a call from an unknown number, so if you need to reach an attendee on the day, text first.

Speakers and MCs: book for range, not for a generation

The speaker line-up is where organisers most often default to their own generation. Aim for a spread of ages on stage and brief every speaker that the room is mixed. A reference that lands with a third of the audience and mystifies the rest is a lost minute. Alastair's keynotes on generational communication are built for exactly this room, and he is also an experienced conference MC, with details at alastairgreener.com.

A good MC is the organiser's best tool for a mixed audience, because they can read the room and adjust the energy, pace and references as they go. Sixteen years of doing that at sea, for audiences of every generation, is where much of this guide comes from. For the workplace equivalent, see managing five generations at work, and for a lighter approach, our post on festivalisation.

Frequently asked questions

How do you plan a conference for different generations?

Offer more than one way to take part in every element: talks and table discussions, an open reception and hosted tables, a live feed and paper cards, a one-tap rating and an emailed form. Our 2024 UK survey shows the generations differ most on networking and technology, so build choice in there first.

Do Gen Z like networking at events?

Less than older attendees, but they will do it with a reason. 32% of 22 to 27 year olds whose job involves networking would prefer to do it online or another way, and 23% of Gen Z only network if told to. By contrast 44% of Baby Boomers quite like networking in person. Structured formats and a pre-event online channel help.

What event app works for all ages?

None reaches everyone, but WhatsApp comes closest: 80% of people use it, including 91% of Millennials, 72% of Baby Boomers and 61% of the Silent Generation. Instagram and Snapchat reach 74% and 66% of Gen Z but only 5% and 1% of the Silent Generation. Keep essentials available without any app at all.

Should older attendees be treated differently at events?

Treat them as individuals, but design for the practicalities. Use microphones for floor questions, keep slides legible from the back, provide seating in networking areas and text rather than phone if you need to reach someone. 98% of Baby Boomers use email and 89% use a smartphone, so digital communication is fine if the channel is chosen carefully.