International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, strengthens its “venue of choice” status for event organizers and attendees through its approach to inclusive, socially impactful, sustainable events that prioritize health and well-being, human connection and human-centric technology.
According to the “RESPECT: Shaping Events for Success” report released by McCrindle and ICC Sydney, 69 percent of Australians attended local entertainment events and 46 percent attended local business events in 2023, with high representation from Gen Z at events.
Digging deeper, two in three Australians (64 percent in total, or 72 percent of Gen Z, 70 percent Millennials, 65 percent of Gen X or 51 percent of Baby Boomers) place high importance on an event’s ability to create an accessible and inclusive space for all. Almost half of respondents (46 percent) value events that provide the opportunity for human flourishing, including contributing to those in need. As well, 52 percent of those surveyed valued inclusion of those with a disability, 51 percent valued involving local communities, 41 percent valued showcasing local culture, 40 percent valued inclusion of diverse genders and sexualities, and 39 percent valued creating a culturally inclusive space at events.
In addition, 52 percent of respondents (or 62 percent of Gen Z) consider sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to be extremely/very important at an event. Globally, sustainability is a key factor for 80 percent of event professionals, and a venue’s commitment to sustainability is a key consideration, with 52.8 percent rating it as either extremely influential or very influential when selecting a venue.
What trends are being driven by younger event attendees?
Events that prioritize health and well-being are extremely important to 55 percent of Australian respondents, particularly Millennials (64 percent). This cohort also highly values a seamless integration of technology at events (62 percent).
Looking at the younger group, Gen Z values novelty (65 percent) and customization (59 percent) in their event experience. Gen Z is also the group that places the highest value in opportunities to form new connections at an event (60 percent extremely/very important). Additionally, Gen Z is twice as likely as their older Baby Boomers counterparts to believe that social media is effective for promoting connection at events.
Social researcher and demographer Mark McCrindle (and founder of McCrindle) said the local results had the potential to shape future global trends.
ICC Sydney’s “RESPECT: Shaping Future Events” report aims to guide the industry towards innovative strategies that reinvent the landscape of business events and help to create impactful experiences for attendees spanning five generations.
Source: ICC Sydney
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