Analog Events held a three-day AI-focused leadership gathering for attendees of all ages bringing together higher-education decision-makers for programming, meals and experiential moments.

Creating association meetings and events that engage diverse audiences of all ages requires creative formats, activities and spaces that appeal to attendees with varying interests. From high-level engagement to quiet one-on-one interactions, different elements create memorable and inclusive experiences for all.

Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP-F, DES, head of meetings and events at the American Psychological Association, has had the privilege of partnering with several cities to advance the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) HBCU Rising Star Scholarship, an initiative she launched during her tenure as Chair of PCMA. This scholarship is dedicated to identifying and empowering talented students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by introducing them to the meetings and events industry as a dynamic and viable career path.

Through this program, selected students are fully immersed in the PCMA experience — participating in all facets of the event and engaging directly with key industry leaders. Knight’s goal is to ensure they experience the profession holistically, gaining both exposure and meaningful connections that can shape their future careers.

“At my current organization, I have extended this commitment to developing the next generation of leaders by integrating young professionals into committee discussions and the strategic planning process,” Knight says. “I also host internship opportunities that allow emerging talent to contribute directly to event planning and execution. I intentionally create opportunities for young professionals to engage with senior leadership at events, including committee chairs and board members, by hosting receptions for them to have the opportunity to connect.”

Knight says this intentional cross-generational interaction fosters reverse mentoring, where senior leaders gain invaluable insights into the priorities and perspectives of emerging professionals — ultimately strengthening the organization’s leadership pipeline and ensuring their strategies remain innovative and relevant.

When Anthoni Allen-Zouhry, brand strategist and head of brand partnership for THCR8TIVE, is designing an event, she always keeps age range at the forefront of planning.

“From Gen Z and Millennials to seasoned professionals, we know each group experiences an event differently,” Allen-Zouhry says. “For us, it’s about striking a balance: creating an environment that’s visually engaging and interactive enough to capture younger attendees while still being approachable and comfortable for older generations.”

THCR8TIVE doesn’t overload people with information. Instead, they build brand experiences that invite everyone to participate. This way, attendees of any age can connect with the event on their own terms.

Michael Mesbah, head of events, Analog Events, points out that the age of attendees shapes the overall experience. When an audience spans multiple generations, it’s important to layer the event so it feels natural for everyone.

“At Analog, we often build attendee archetypes to understand how different groups might engage with the content, the space and the pace of the program,” Mesbah says. “Age is part of that, but so are factors like accessibility, comfort with technology and networking style. By designing for variety and choice, we make sure every attendee has a path that feels intentional and connected, without compromising on sustainability.”

“When we talk about the challenges of cross-generational events today, inevitably someone will say that the younger attendees at the event are digital natives who only want to interact with their phones,” says Lee Gimpel, president and founder at Better Meetings, a Washington, DC–based firm that helps organizations improve engagement, connection and decision-making through better meeting, leadership and facilitation skills. “There may be more truth to that versus older generations, but the reality is that when faced with a boring speaker or when we find ourselves alone at a networking event, attendees of all ages pull out their phones today. It’s not some exotic impossible challenge to overcome just for younger participants.”

Although it is highly correlated to age, the issue with getting attendees of different generations to mix and connect at an event may really be more about who is at the same level of seniority and with whom do we mostly spend our time.

“Much like the lunchroom at a junior high, the senior executives often sit and talk with the other senior executives and people who are brand new to the field or to an organization also tend to find each other,” Gimpel says. “It’s not necessarily that people are looking for others of the same age, so much as they’re looking for others who have similarities to them in terms of the work they do and the needs they have.”

Gimpel’s experience is that it’s fairly easy to get twice as much engagement from an event with very little effort — and getting five or 10 times more engagement from attendees across generations is certainly achievable.

“We can slant the engagement so that it’s speaking across age brackets, but the bigger issue just seems to be that most audiences aren’t engaged,” Gimpel says. “If we devote more thought to connection and engagement, and true learning and fostering a community, events start to look different, versus what we usually see over and over in the same agendas and the same run of show formats.”

For example, if planners were to stand behind the metaphorical one-way mirror and observe a keynote presentation over lunch, they might see a lot of attendees not paying attention and a lot of them on their phones, regardless of age.

As Gimpel notes, yes, a lot of them might be younger people on their phones, but if we look around closely, we will see that a good part of that audience is disengaged. So, how do we fix that?

“For starters, do we really need one more speaker over two full days of speakers when attendees are being talked at? Probably not. Are big tables that seat eight, 10 or 12 attendees the best answer for engagement? No, they’re too big and awkward to have a decent conversation with more than one person sitting next to you so everyone ends up feeling pretty isolated,” Gimpel says. Do those who know each other mostly sit with each other? Yes, and that often leaves other attendees feeling lonely and isolated. And if we look around, do we see that the senior executives or the board of directors are often clumped together while others who are new to the organization or to the event are left to fend for themselves and feel disengaged? Yes. Traditionally, a meeting planner might see one’s role as making sure that there are enough tables, chairs, silverware, food and dietary options, and all the rest. But if we’re judging a conference along the really important metric of engagement, success looks quite different than checking those typical boxes.”

An iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina Kickoff Party hosted by Emily Estefan recently in Miami, FL engaged a wide variety of attendees.

A Delicate Balance

The main challenge that arises when event attendees are from different generations is finding common ground. As Allen-Zouhry explains, Gen Z and Millennials may gravitate toward fast-moving, tech-forward activations, while older generations may prefer clear messaging and personal interaction. At association conventions in particular, the difficulty lies in creating something that doesn’t alienate one age group while still feeling fresh and innovative for another.

“Budget also comes into play,” Allen-Zouhry says. “Every element has to appeal across the board without exceeding spend  — so we constantly evaluate what’s necessary to create an experience that resonates with all ages, without overproducing.”

Mesbah adds that balancing pace and format is one of the biggest challenges to today’s association events. Younger attendees want fast, interactive, bite-sized content, while more seasoned attendees may prefer longer sessions and in-depth programming. Another challenge shows up before the event even begins: communication.

“At a recent event, we used multiple channels to reach attendees, SMS reminders and AI-driven updates for younger attendees, alongside more traditional email and direct outreach for senior participants,” Mesbah says. “That mix ensured everyone was not only informed, but also felt like the event was designed with them in mind.”

A common mistake Mesbah sees association event planners make is designing for one demographic and expecting everyone else to adapt. Another is assuming either too much or too little when it comes to technology.

“Older generations are far more open to digital tools than many realize, but usability has to be front and center. At Analog, we layer options: structured roundtables or hosted dinners for those who thrive on formal connection, alongside interactive activations and casual spaces where conversations happen organically,” Mesbah says. “Without that variety, you risk leaving attendees on the sidelines.”

A big mistake Allen-Zouhry sees association event planners make when it comes to engaging attendees of varying ages is leaning too far in one direction. Some planners focus heavily on technology and flashy experiences, which may overwhelm older attendees. Others stick to overly traditional formats, which risks disengaging younger audiences.

“Another common pitfall is information overload,” Allen-Zouhry says. “Too much talk, especially in a convention booth setting, can lose attendees quickly. Attendees don’t always want to be told; they want to experience.”

In Knight’s experience, communication is the biggest challenge when engaging individuals from different generations. For example, she says young professionals need more interactive communication than older generations, who need more structure and discussion-based meetings.

“The key to this challenge is learning how to blend both styles, which will appeal to each audience type. One of the ways to incorporate both is to use tools that require audience participation and not just the talking head for 50 minutes,” Knight says. “Microlearning with key objectives and using technology can work across all audience generation types, the key is setting expectations early and communicating the format that will be used to enhance attendee engagement.”

At Better Meetings, they keep attendees engaged by creating an inclusive and creative environment for everyone to stay interactive and collaborate. Photo credit: Chris Zimmer

Steps to Take

Allen-Zouhry advises fellow event planners that the key is to design events with inclusivity in mind:

• Create activations that are intuitive and don’t require much explanation.
• Mix traditional hospitality (welcoming staff, physical takeaways, lounge spaces) with modern touches (tech integrations, interactive walls, digital giveaways).
• Keep the focus on the experience, not just the pitch.

“At the heart of every event we produce is the belief that everyone should feel included in the experience,” Allen-Zouhry says. “Conventions can often feel rigid and overly corporate, so our mission is to break that mold — to create moments where attendees step out of their day-to-day, have fun and connect. We tailor every activation with the brand’s identity in mind, but also with the mindset that if all age groups can find joy and value in the experience, the event will be more memorable and impactful.”

Mesbah stresses that variety is the key. As he explains, some attendees gravitate toward main stage programming and curated networking, while others prefer smaller activations or relaxed social settings where conversations unfold naturally.

“At a recent event with a core audience of 35 to 55, we still designed for flexibility, introducing AI-driven touchpoints, interactive lounges and structured mentorship formats,” Mesbah says. “What we’re seeing more broadly is that older generations are increasingly curious about technology, including AI, and younger attendees still appreciate moments of depth and tradition. That crossover allows us to layer formats without leaving anyone behind.”

The most successful events treat generational differences as both a challenge and an opportunity. Mesbah says that by layering formats, such as structured roundtables that spark mentorship, interactive spaces that encourage idea-sharing and thoughtfully designed lounges that invite authentic conversation, you can create multiple ways for attendees to connect.

“Whether it’s a 25-year-old attendee or a 60-year-old board member, the real impact comes when people see themselves reflected in the event and leave with a sense of belonging and inspiration,” he says.

If we say we want attendees of different ages to feel like they are participating in an event, the issue really seems to be that most are not all that engaged at most events, regardless of their age. Gimpel says one key question to bridging the generational divide at events is evaluating how we engage attendees at events overall.

“There are so many good answers to this question but the reality is that most meetings don’t think about engagement much, if at all,” Gimpel says. “A keynote that allows time for three attendees out of 1,000 to ask a question at the end isn’t much engagement. Doing a five-second poll over the course of 90-minute presentation isn’t much engagement. A few coffee breaks isn’t real engagement. I spend most of my time helping conferences and associations solve this problem, and the first thing I would usually suggest is that we move away from the typical formats where one person does a presentation to a passive audience or a few are part of a panel speaking to a passive audience. If we total up the hours that our participants spend at an event where they are just being ‘talked at’ rather than being engaged, regardless of their age, it’s usually an overwhelming imbalance.”

Gimpel says a really easy fix to this is to advocate for more collaborative sessions where groups of all ages work together; or sessions where small groups can generate shared questions for a speaker; or roundtable sessions that are well designed so that attendees from different generations actually get a chance to meet and talk with others.

“Perhaps we alter the room setup to better allow conversation. Or we encourage attendees to seek out those that they don’t already know or wouldn’t usually sit with and help them connect. Or we add structure to receptions or networking events to allow attendees to better connect,” Gimpel says. “We could put more intentionality into programming that draws on the expertise of different segments of the audience, be it by role, age, seniority, etc. There are so many good, proven ways to increase engagement overall, and even if we don’t focus all our efforts on solving for different age groups, inevitably that’s going to happen. At events, a rising tide of engagement lifts boats of all ages,” he says.

Making sure attendees of all ages feel included in events comes down to being creative, and being willing to be flexible with the way you deliver your message. AC&F