We took a different approach to other studies you may have seen. Instead of another online survey, we went straight to the source, conducting in-person interviews to get a true picture of how this generation engages on the show floor at events. This project builds upon the 2024 study which identified attendee floor engagement preferences in general. 82% of young professionals we spoke with say they’ll attend in-person events again. Why? Because the experience is working for what they’re trying to achieve.

What can you do as an event organizer to keep them coming back throughout their career?

As an exhibitor, how can you tighten your approach to maximize impact with the next generation?

• What makes them visit a booth (sneak peek: product relevance tops everything)
• How they plan (or don’t), how they engage on the floor, and how they prefer to network
• What’s driving loyalty and what’s turning them off

This is research your marketing and ops teams need to see. It is designed for organizers and exhibitors. Organizers can use it to design stronger show floor experiences, and exhibitors can use it to sharpen booth strategy, messaging, and staff engagement with the next generation of buyers.