Is Social Media Impacting on Millennials’ Event Experience?
28th February 2018
Questions
Do you think that social media has a huge impact on health and wellbeing of the millennial generation?
Should we as event managers be feeding social media at our events?
Do we rely too much on social media for promoting our events?
Should we as event managers concentrate on the event experience for the attendee instead of the growth of our social media?
How can we manage UGC effectively?
Comment below!
Interesting! What can we do as event managers to get the balance right? Should we ban devices altogether, so that the audiences can connect with the event in a more holistic way? I would be in favour of banning devices at certain points, but then, I am a grumpy old man!!
Hi John,
Thank you for your comment and good point…
However, if you ban the use of social media at an event would it not just deter millennials from attending? Considering social media and smart phone use is a big part of millennials’ lifestyles. Thus effecting the event attendance and popularity levels.
As an event manager we should perhaps consider discouraging social media use and instead, encourage the event experience. To do this, we as event managers, could potentially create “social media hotspots” that offer free Wi-Fi in that location only. When the millennial is away from this location they are then encouraged to experience the event as they are hopefully discouraged from using their mobile devices. What do you think?
I wouldn’t say to ban devices at events!! Devices help us to capture memories and relive them way after the day!
Hi Megan,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Do you think that rather that a ban on devices, limiting the usage e.g only providing free wifi at certain locations at the event is the best way to ensure that millennials enjoy the experience as well. Do you have any other ideas on how we can address this issue?
I find it really annoying that we rely on social media so much as a generation nowadays but I also feel like if we didn’t use it we would be missing out on things? It is such a necessity for so many people now especially with helping to promote events and spread awareness etc. As much as it would be nice not to rely on it or use it as much, I feel as though we have to!
We should be able to experience events without worrying about social media, I think it would be a much more enjoyable experience.
Hi Amy
Thanks for your comment! What do you feel you would miss out on at an event if you are using social media? Why do you think that many millennials’ feel as though they have to post about the event they are attending?
I feel like everyone needs to prove they are having a good time at an event by posting it on social media, there’s that saying “if you didn’t post it did it even happen?” so individuals feel as though they have to display their experiences at events on social media to prove they had a good time! It becomes a force of habit now getting your phone out at events and posting on a form of social media, which is what I find sad.
Hi Amy,
Yes very good point, so do you think that it’s now a case where people are using their phones at events more to show other people what they’re up to and to create this ‘ideal’ looking lifestyle rather than using their phone for themselves to create memories to look back on?
Social media is great for event companies. They are able to increase their profit margins by not having to spend money on marketing events. Social media allows events corporations to advertise their experience to the intended target market without having to create a marketing strategy. Although it can be argued that the use of social media at events, reduces the consumer experience at a live event, as they are too focused on recording the event they do not enjoy the environment. Millennials are arguably the prime target for events as they have a disposable income which they can use on creating experience through events. Social media allows them to share this experience with others, promoting themselves as outgoing people to their follows as well as advertising the event.
Hi Maddie!
Thanks for your reply. You’ve raised some interesting points here, particularly in regards to how social media can impact on an event company. Working from this point of view, would you agree that banning social media devices is a suitable suggestion for events? Do you think that this would in fact impact on event attendance or enjoyment?
I think the attendees enjoyment would be effect by having a ms banning social media. It allows attendees to share the experience with friend and look back at the memory. Which could encourage the follows to also attend future events. However the attendee is watching the event through a screen, rather than being engrossed in the experience. This can alter there perception of the event. By allowing social media they are letting guests experience the event over and over again. But if the ban social media, they are ensuring guests make the most of the experience and enjoying the event to its fullest.
Hi Maddie,
That’s a good idea in regards to people sharing the experience. For event organizers it is very important in looking for ways to attract new attendees and improve their event experience. Experiencing an event through a screen would appeal to some people but not everyone and social media allows the enjoyment experience to come back to the individual which they can share with family, and friends etc.But do you think it would effect the target market for some event organizers that specifically cater to millennial`s if the use of social media was banned ?
Social media is very much a part of society, I think it can truly be used as a great tool and platform, particularly for event managers. If done probably there can naturally be a great experience for the attendee and growth within social media. If individuals share those details of their events on social media, it naturally creates a buzz and an interest in that event, thus promoting publicity. However, with the suggestion that 1 in 4 Millennials is stressed on a day to day basis, is this due to the competitiveness of social media and trying to attain the ‘perfect’ lifestyle. I think a lot of people forget to live in the moment and appreciate what’s in front of them and are too keen to capture things andshare them on social media, potentially as a result of societal pressures.
Hi Jemma,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! If you think that people forget to live in the moment, do you agree that banning the use of mobile devices and social media at events would be beneficial to millennials?
According to a recent article posted by the Washington Post (Bahrampour, 2018) schools have found a way of ‘ditching phones’ by providing small pouches that lock when they put their mobile devices into them. Would this perhaps create a positive impact on millennials, particularly at events?
That’s so interesting! I do always say we seem to focus more now on looking like we’re having fun than actually having fun – I went to a friend’s 21st a few years back and I remember her other friends spent the entire time filming themselves on Snapchat and I couldn’t tell if they were actually enjoying it haha. They certainly weren’t interested in having a conversation or getting to know anyone else and when they weren’t on camera they stopped smiling and just sat there looking bored.
Me and another friend went to a gig once at Ally Pally and you couldn’t see past everyone’s screens 🙁 the band actually told everyone to put their phones away for one song which was brilliant and kinda old school like the whole audience connected (how hippy) but people couldn’t even last the whole song!
I don’t think you could ever really ban social media but it would be nice to encourage people to use it less. Banning phones at gigs would be amazing – you can always watch a band again on YouTube if you really want to relive it that much but nothing compares to soaking up that atmosphere and singing along with hundreds of other people!
I’d secretly love to ban phones at my (hypothetical) wedding – put disposable cameras out on the tables for people to take their own pics and then let the photographer and videographer do the rest and get people to properly enjoy the experience!
Hi Emma!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts… Your point about the disposable cameras at events is a great idea as people are able to capture the moment, allowing one to create memories but with less distractions.
When attending gigs, would you appreciate it if before you attended, everyone was told to keep the use of social media to a minimum? Do you think that this would discourage millennials to attend events in the long run?
I would definitely appreciate that and I think a lot of people my age (25) and above would but I’m not so sure about those younger than me who have grown up with smart phones! They might not like being unable to show everyone what they are up to
Hi Emma,
Yes that’s a valid point as the millennial age ranges from teenagers to mid thirties, therefore different ages are bound to have different opinions on the matter.
Do you think the younger millennials could see it from a different perspective if they understood more about the reasons behind it, a couple of these reasons being, to ensure they get the best experience possible and to decrease the mental health issues caused by social media usage?
Social media has allowed me to view content that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise; intimate gigs and different perspectives. It’s also a great way for smaller artists to be able to promote themselves when they don’t have the resources to be able to spend on advertising.
However at social events, parties, even holidays, I think people spend too much attention on getting the perfect photo to share to others rather than just enjoying the moment.
Hi Andy,
Your opinion is really interesting, particularly when talking about being able to view content via social media. However, would you be more likely to attend an event if you knew you wouldn’t be able to view it online?
In regards your point about being great for promoting smaller artists, would this encourage you to go and attend an event of theirs in the future?
I understand that the use of certain devices at events can be distracting, but if you take into consideration the Manchester terror attack, and unforeseen natural disasters, it seems unfair to withhold possibly the last point of contact to loved ones. Can you imagine being in a similar situation!?
Hi Jules,
Thank you for your comment. This is a very valid reason as to why not to ban devices at events. So would your personal preference be a suggestion of limited usage or even event managers not encouraging social media by using user generated content e.g hashtags and snapchat filters?
As an Events Coordinator at an events agency, I believe that not just millennials, but all guests to an event should be able to do as they please.
Even though social media is thought to be linked with mental health issues, I think this is the individual’s responsibility. They have paid/organised to attend the event, they should choose how they spend it – whether that be posting the event on social media, or enjoying the moment.
There are ways that event organisers could reduce the use of social media at their event, however the use of it cannot be stopped.
Surely event attendance will decline with social media restrictions?
Hi Laura,
Thank you for your comments! Good point about it being the individual’s responsibiity, however do you think event managers have encouraged the use of social media at their events, thus increasing mental health issues? How do you think as event managers we can put a positive spin on the disencouragement of social media usage so that attendance does not begin to decline?
Hi,
Mental health is a very sensitive subject and therefore needs to be backed up with statistics and research.
This health concern has been a rising issue for decades now, even before social media was introduced.
I believe that some event managers do encourage the use of social media at their events, but I do not believe that events solely effect peoples’ mental health. Bigger concerns are beauty bloggers, models etc on social media, as they can be seen to increase pressures of body image and having the ‘perfect’ life.
I think that event managers could possibly put a positive spin of using social media less by using bold, bright branding stating around the event ‘enjoy the moment’ etc….
Hi Laura,
Yes- it is a sensitive topic and you can access information regarding mental health from reputable sources online that will provide with you with more specific information on this topic. There are many factors which affect mental health and some people may be affected more by this through social media than others, especially young female teenagers as you have mentioned about beauty bloggers having an influence on their lives.
Using the statements that you suggested at events, is a great idea because it would encourage attendees to think twice about using devices to capture the special moments. This should hopefully encourage them to start keeping memories in an alternative way.
I think we need to be more specific here in terms of what types of events are we talking about here?!…., seems to be widely linked with leisure events such as festivals, concerts and gigs. Having 12 years event management experience across leisure, public and corporate events these are all very different and social media impacts very differently to each sector. Take corporate events for example, conferences, incentives, award ceremonies, exhibitions, road shows – how much social media is really used at such events? You may start a hashtag comms leading up to a conference engaging delegates prior to event day and after but from my experience it’s not at the top of the clients list of priorities. Also different social media platforms are suited to different events. LinkedIn and Twitter for Corporate, Facebook and Instagram for Leisure, it’s unlikely you would post yourself at a conference on Facebook but you would on LinkedIn. Public events such as parliamentary elections, local elections – does social media help or hinder? What happened before social media?…..it wasn’t that long ago and events still happened and to maximum capacity such as concerts at Wembley Stadium, Glastonbury and Cheltenham Races. Yes, of course social media does raise more awareness of a particular event in any sector against not having social media at all but there is also an argument with who is actually viewing the content?…. is it the right audience and does a post of you smiling on a field with sunglasses on listening to music really influence someones decision on whether to go to that event next year or not…..? Personally I don’t think so, I still get more influenced by personal recommendations when it comes to leisure events and what value and experience I get out of attending industry events. Like everything in this world, all in moderation and that includes the use of social media.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment.
The events that the video is regarding are events in general, but certain events such as festivals, concerts and gigs do involve the attendees using social media much more. These events have a different purpose to conferences and exhibitions etc as they focus more on the enjoyment of their attendees. So, yes, each event is different and will attract social media usage in different ways as well as different amounts. However social media is useful for the above public events as it will encourage young people such as millennials to get involved and be aware of what is happening in the political world, for example, social media can help people to start voting. There are many people who are more influenced to attend an event through visual images and statements from social media networks such as Snap chat and Instagram, but equally many people use word of mouth recommendations such as yourself.
I agree that the use of social media and mobile devices at leisure events, particularly among Millennials, can distract attendees from the event experience – how much of a problem does this cause for event organisers though?
As both an event organiser and attendee, I’ve noticed that a lot of event attendees tend to spend most of their time recording an event so they can post about it on social media to prove they were there, or they claim they are recording memories, but they rarely actually look back on them…
However, I would argue that this is the individual’s decision to do this, and that it does not negatively impact other attendee’s experiences (most of the time), and I think UGC is an incredibly important and free promotional tool for event organisers.
It would be difficult to find a solution to this issue – I don’t think the WIFI hotspots mentioned in other comments would work as the majority of people are able to access social media via mobile data nowadays. I also don’t think event organisers should ban devices altogether, as I think attendees would respond negatively to this (it will feel like being back at school), and how would you police it?
I think event attendees have the right to use social media at events, and I think it would be ineffective to dismiss such an invaluable marketing tool – but I think that event managers could help reduce the issue by not actively encouraging attendees to use it.
Perhaps usage could even be subtly deterred by providing event photography and videography that takes photos of the attendees and the event content, and allow attendees free access to these after the event, that they can then save and upload to their social media as they would have if they took photos/videos themselves?
Hi Courtney,
It may take the meaning of the event away if the main focus of people at the event is to only capture moments through recording. It may make the event organiser feel as if they could improve the event itself and make it more memorable in different ways. This may be through activities etc as you stated that many people do not look back on their memories. That is a great idea about having event photography and videography for attendees so as they are not using their own social media during the times when photos and videos are more attracted to the attendee. But if they wanted to do it themselves they could. This would definitely influence people to take these memories away as they still have something to remember them by and they didn’t take time off to physically capture themselves.
Embrace the future or get left behind. The audience interaction opportunities through social media and new technology is to powerful to ignore for any event in this day and age. Take all that away and what are you left with but a one dimensional experience. The important point to remember is allowing your event to still operate to the purists, who don’t want to involve themselves in that way, and with handheld personal technology such as phones and tablets, this is easily achieved.
I manage events are Cardiff City Football Club where our audience is very broad. To keep engaging with new fans and enhancing the experience to our audience we have had to embrace social media and technology on many levels, and we have done so with great results. But as I said, all of this has been done without alienating the long time, traditional fan base, and to some of them who have embraced it, they find themselves sharing experience with the millennial generations.
Hi Dale,
Social media usage is increasing with many factors affecting it and many people are using it for various reasons. You are right about the interaction opportunity that is created through it as it allows companies to reach out to more people and promote their services. Your comments are very positive, but do you think as an event manager yourself, that you could come up with alternative methods to engage your current and new fans with millenials? Do you think there are too many people just focused on making memories by recording and sharing their event experiences or this is needed?
Yes I think that social media is rising at a massive rate and people really depend on it a lot.it has it’s pro’s such as being about to reach a wide range of people but at the same time it can be distracting for us milenials.people look at photos on it and think that they should look a certain way which impacts on self esteem
Hi Shanice,
Thanks for your comment.
Social media is increasing rapidly and as well as having positives, there are also negative factors such as mental health. Certain social media such as Snap chat uses a lot of interactive features to encourage users to post. Do you think such platforms should reduce this level of interactivity do decrease the usage of it at events. Encouraging attendees to make their memories in other ways?
social media is vital for the events industry to succeed and cater for millennials. It benefit event manager’s but it may be a problem for future events. Overall I agree with this view!
Hi Mena,
Thanks for your comment.
This is a current topic that effects the majority of us, especially the Millennial generation and on the other hand it can also be a potential problem when social media is used severely. Would you encourage social media at all events or do you feel that it is best suited to particular events such as, festivals and concerts more than other events such as exhibitions and career events?
Being a millennial, i see a lot of this in my generation. But with such a controversial topic such as this, i believe one of the main reasons people in my generation . However, i think we are being mentally affected by social media. All over, we see the new trends, the new makeup or pictures of super models, portraying the ‘perfect’ body. This affects everyone because they feel insecure.
However, from the views of events management and business, this is a great way for you guys to increase advertising: cutting down on costs for huge banners and leaflets. But instead one tweet can bring masses of young people.
Hi Mohammed,
Thanks for your comment.
You are right in saying it is an issue effecting the young generation. Social media plays a huge role in peoples lives and it can effect your personal image. People need to be more careful on who and what they follow on these social media network’s. As event managers are promoting events, they are constantly looking for new ways that have alternative meanings in events and services that encourage people to try new activities.
In relation to having the perfect image, where do you think this issue started? Do you think other industries have a role in this?
I think it depends what your intention is with the event. What’s the purpose or motivation for the event? If your only intention is to make money then it shouldn’t really make a difference if people are not focussed on the event, because they are still attending and spending money. And logically will attend the next event, regardless of whether they enjoyed the first, because they want something new to post. However if the intention of the event is to truly entertain or inform, or in some manner really requires the engagement of the audience, then social media can be problematic.
I still believe it is one of the best advertising tools as I often ignore most other advertisements but still notice Facebook events. But it is difficult to discourage the use of media at an event if the event was promoted using said media.
HI Katie,
Thank you for your response.
I think many could agree with you. The type of event and the target audience of that event can have a greater impact on the event itself. I suppose my question would be. How can we encourage Millennial’s to attend events that engage them enough, where they don’t use social media or wait until after the event to post about it? Is there such an event? and is there already a strategy that event managers can use for this instance? and is it viable? It s a tricky subject to cover as the whole ‘Millennial’ area is fairly new to the world of information, we don’t have a lot of data to go by. SO any information given can be helpful.
I believe it is an important subject these day. Generally people tend to use social media too much lately and I feel like they are missing out on real life events, social interaction and relationships.
Hi Claudia,
Thanks for your comment.
It is becoming more of a current topic and the effects should be discussed a lot more than it is! Many people do feel this. Are you aware of the term FoMo? (Fear of missing out) and what do you think you could do to prevent this?
Yes it is too much. I was on a train and noticed many people busy with their phone. Nobody is talking to eachother , just busy with their phone’s. On the other hand, social media is good because as a business you can do lot’s of advertising and showing your product to the people which makes money. It has positive and negative sides.
Hi Mashadul,
Thanks for your comment.
Many people are busy using social media on different devices and forget to look around them. Unfortunately this is one of the negative impacts of social media. However there are positives as you mentioned. What do you think are the positive factors for companies promoting to the Millennial generation and what can they learn from them?
Social media is extremely vital for the events industry for them to be successful. It benefits event manager’s but it may be a problem for future events. Overall, I strongly agree with this view and will recommend it to others.
Hi Sals,
Thanks for your comment,
Yes- you are right. It is necessary for the events industry. There are many people who support social media usage at events. What problems do you think the events industry may have?
This is a great video and interesting. I am more aware of social media now and will still look into it.
Hi Pratikchha,
Thanks for your comment.
It is inspiring to know you have gained knowledge in this area. Does this motivate you to do more research?
I strongly encourage the use of social media strategy for the events industry. It enables the events to gain wide recognition/coverage by building excitement and creating a buzz; not to mention the exciting tools provided by some platforms such as modified custom snapchat filters which entices consumer engagement. Furthermore, allows the possibility of converting potential customers. Thus, highly important in the business context, but the impact would be on the long-term; as previous commentators stated social media usage can be a distraction to on site attendees as they are more inclined to look at their digital devices rather than enjoy the events in place. That would be a impactful as it may result to having less loyal attendees (retention decrease). So the pros of it would be the sales gained from the wide exposure and the downturn would be due to distraction resulting to attendees not genuinely enjoying the event therefore, no drive to go back to the event in the future.
Considering stated points above, I still withstand with using social media as a mean of marketing tool and attendees enjoyment because if the attendees are millennials then the significant drive for their visit to your event would be the trend set via social media as opposed to older attendees who rely heavily on word-of-mouth and recommendation. Moreover, social media can be used to improve customer experience by improving communication between attendees and management using hashtags as a call for attendees to give live feedback to your event. There is evidently more pros and gains than cons and loss. My opinion is use different techniques to connect the social media to the event e.g. live tweets, challenges, relatable filters etc. just so the consumers are still involved with the content of the event even if digitally.
I strongly encourage the use of social media strategy for the events industry. It enables the events to gain wide recognition/coverage by building excitement and creating a buzz; not to mention the exciting tools provided by some platforms such as modified custom snapchat filters which entices consumer engagement. Furthermore, allows the possibility of converting potential customers. Thus, highly important in the business context, but the impact would be on the long-term; as previous commentators stated social media usage can be a distraction to on site attendees as they are more inclined to look at their digital devices rather than enjoy the events in place. That would be a impactful as it may result to having less loyal attendees (retention decrease). So the pros of it would be the sales gained from the wide exposure and the downturn would be due to distraction resulting to attendees not genuinely enjoying the event therefore, no drive to go back to the event in the future.
Considering the points above, I still withstand with using social media as a mean of marketing tool and attendees enjoyment because if the attendees are millennial then the significant drive for their visit to your event would be due to the trends set via social media as opposed to older attendees who rely heavily on word-of-mouth and recommendation. Moreover, social media can be used to improve customer experience by improving communication between attendees and management using hashtags as a call for attendees to give live feedback to your event. There is evidently more pros and gains than cons and loss. My opinion is use different techniques to connect the social media to the event e.g. live tweets, challenges, relatable filters etc. just so the consumers are still involved with the content of the event even if digitally.
Hi Eman,
Thanks for your comment,
It is very refreshing to see a point of view like this. Social media has many benefits for the industry such as the ones you have mentioned. There are people who would benefit more from not being so heavily focussed on using social media at events. For example people may want to use it if they have not attended many events themselves and truly to let others know they have experienced that event. Whereas others may just want to take photographs to capture their memories. But the millenial generation that do use it a lot more have more of an opportunity to share the events message/ service to others and increase marketing for it. There are many positives but also negatives.
Great video but there are some points I feel that needs to be addressed. Firstly I believe that events managers do not care about the mental health of others over social media. It is more about quota then individuals. Mental illness and social media are interlinked. The younger you are with a social media outlet can cause more pressure on an individual.
Many do not go to events due to cost, location and other factors. That is why livestreams are good for people who struggle. You can gain money from livestreams with sponsors.
Lastly, there are blurred lines when it comes to the definition of millennial. Many people complaining about millennials are actually ones themselves. Many younger people are branded with this negative brush.
Hi Rebecca ,
Thank you for your comment.
This may be the case for some events manager’s but fortunately not everyone does this to a great extent. Social media has its benefit as you mentioned with the live streaming. It can helo people in many ways. And people that rely heavily on it sometimes do not see it as a problem and will not admit to the effects of it.
What do you think event manager’s can do to solve this issue, can they introduce ways of enjoying events to the maxium without social media or will this take too long for the industry?
Interesting points. I don’t totally agree though, I think social media is a huge part of any event, it allows for people to share their experiences in real time.
I don’t think that it is event manager’s responsibility to mediate how people use social media at the event as it is something many people use in day to day life.
Finally, I think social media for the use of providing information about the event is really useful and should be encouraged.
Hi Ilona,
Thanks for your comment.
It does allow people to share , especially for people that can not physically go to an event but it can have an effect on them.
But event managers do need the statists of how many people share their event and when they do it. What benefit do you think this can achieve for them.
There are events which heavily rely on social media and others that do not
Good video.
But it is not clear if this is adressing millenials or the event managers? Also there is not up to date research showing the true negative effects of social media at events. It is very general.
Hi Yasir,
Thanks for your comment.
It is based in a general view to start getting people thinking of social media at events . You can be for or against but there are postives and negatives on both sides. Why do you think the millenial generation use social media at events and do you think it will increase in the future?
One of the main reasons of using social media at events is sharing happiness with others and this has been a trend since social media has arrived. I think trendicity will continue, even though we are missing actual event experience.
Hi Yasir,
Yes that is one of the main reasons. It allows people to join in your experience without them physically being there. It may contine especially with new the trends of bloggers and gadjets.
Yes, you are right. I think innovation modern gadgets and high speed internet is another reason for young generation addiction to social media. Immagine 5 years ago we were not able to go live on social media but now we go live whenever we want and share live event with everyone around the world.
Internet is being used in many events and live streaming is very popular and will continue to develop.
Interesting content! A good topic to speak about, escpially in this modern time. Social media is a huge issue effecting most of us and we can definitely Learn from this. We are heavily relying on it for our happiness, trying to prove to the world we are enjoying ourself But we should be introduced by event managers new and different ways of enjoying ourself at events.
Hi Mahima,
Thanks for your comment.
Sadly this is an issue for lots of us. Do you think event attendees would be open in trying new things provided by events manager’s to experience the event in the same way. Or would they depend on what they know and feel comfortable with.
I believe social media does have a massive impact on our well-being, for example it could case a lack of self esteem. However, it is highly used by many people and it does definitely get the message/event across. Does it take away the real life experience? I don’t think so. Events promoted on social media gives us all insight into the event.
Hi Ayesha,
Thanks for your comment.
That is is a view many of the population also share. For some people it may take the experince away if they are heavily dependent on it. But it does help someone to also experience the event while they are not there.