I feel like there was a time when the media talked a lot about millennials, then stopped talking so much about them, and now we’re back to talking about them again. It’s probably because that generation is increasingly becoming the decision-makers at companies, so if you’re not paying attention to them now, you will be soon because by 2025, 75 percent of the workforce will be millennials.

Concerning venues, Cvent recently conducted a survey of millennial meeting planner sourcing behaviors and found that they value cost as the most influential factor in deciding to host an event at a facility. Older generations value customer service as the most influential factor.

“As the next generation of meeting planners rises in the work place, hotels and event venues need to better understand their behaviors to close more group business,” said Kevin Fliess, vice president of product marketing at Cvent, in a statement. “It is clear from the survey findings that both the influx of millennial planners and advances in event planning processes and technologies are changing how hotels compete for lucrative group business.”

According to the survey, 25 percent of millennial planners say that negotiations are the most difficult part of sourcing a venue. In fact, they want to avoid one-on-one interactions as much as possible. Other generations, though, are much more open to face-to-face negotiations.

One of the more interesting findings (and I think it’s so important that I’m going to bold it) is that 50 percent of millennial meeting planners indicate that social media and blogs are highly influential when it comes to evaluating a venue compared to other generations. They rely on online reviews, ratings, and opinions, compared to traditional media.

Visit Cvent to get the full 2015 “Planner Sourcing Report.”

(Image: Tech Cocktail/Creative Commons)

Back in March, I wrote about Brian Mirakian’s brilliant SXsports session, “The New Cathedral: Sports Stadiums.” In it, Mirakian, director of Populous Activate, illustrates how stadiums are being transformed into more than venues to watch sports or concerts. They’re being designed to foster community engagement.

With that, I’d like to point you toward an article in Fortune that asks, “Did this architecture firm save baseball?”

“Kansas City-based architecture firm Populous is helping baseball maintain its cultural relevance. After the new Braves stadium opens in 2017, Populous will have designed 20 of the 30 active MLB stadiums, while being heavily involved in the renovation of five others,” Chris Matthews wrote. “Starting with the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992, the company revolutionized not just how stadiums are built—with closer seating and architecture unique to the characteristics of the ballpark’s home city—but how the game is marketed to fans. No longer would going to the ballpark be just about baseball: now fans could expect there to be games for kids to play, bars where young adults can congregate, and a slew of other entertainment options in the stadium’s immediate vicinity.”

As Mirakian presented during his session, stadiums are “the anchors of our cities and will be reshaped as the focal point of city building, embedded into the heart of cities.”

Please read the Matthews’ article in Fortune to understand more about how stadium design is helping keep baseball popular.

(Image: Atlanta Braves/Populous)

Last year’s Live Nation Entertainment lounge and theater session at VenueConnect was such a hit that we’re not only bringing it back again, but we’re doubling the content. Here’s what you have to look forward to when you attend this year’s premier venue industry event.

Want More Content – Think Outside Your “Box” (Saturday, 4-5 p.m.)
Got some holes on your booking calendar that you want to fill? Want to learn how you can increase your volume of business with alternative events? Hear innovative “out-of-your box” booking ideas from Shawn Gee with Maverick/Artist Nation and Geoff Gordon with Live Nation Concerts—who have teamed up to produce new content like The Roots Picnic and 50 Years Forward—and what opportunities might lie ahead for venues.

Speakers
Geoff Gordon, president, Live Nation Philadelphia
Shawn Gee, partner of Maverick
Moderated by Michael Evans, president, Live Nation Venues

Secondary and Tertiary Market Secrets to Landing Shows (Sunday, 10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Programming opportunities are hotter than ever, even in tertiary markets. Are you getting the most out of your venue—and maximizing its revenue potential? Join industry pros for insider tips on attracting tours and artists to your venue. This session explores what promoters and artists look for in secondary and tertiary venues. From a unique onsite experience and excellent event support to creative deal structures and turnkey marketing benefits, we’ll dig into what matters most.

Speakers
Jon Petrunak, director of business development, Live Nation Entertainment
John Bolton, CFE, vice president, SMG Entertainment, and past IAVM chair

Both sessions will take place on the trade show floor in the Live Nation Entertainment Theater during VenueConnect, August 1-4, in Baltimore, Maryland. Register now!

On Dec. 1, 2015, menu boards will have to be updated to include calorie counts for meals and individual items in order to comply with Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. According to registered dietitian Judy Barbe and the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC), the law applies to the following restaurants and retail food establishments.

1. Part of a chain with 20 or more locations,
2. Doing business under the same name,
3. Offering substantially the same menu items, and
4. Selling “restaurant type food,” which means food that is usually eaten on the premises, foods that are self-serve and intended for immediate consumption.

In order to help people better understand the law and its regulations, the NAC is hosting a menu labeling webinar with the Food and Drug Administration’s General Health Scientist Claudine Kavanaugh, PhD, on Thursday, May 28, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. (EST).

Please visit the NAC website to learn more about the upcoming law and to learn three ways to prepare for any “gotcha” stories.

(Image: NAC)

Up next on our spotlight of recipients of the IAVM Foundation’s inaugural class of 30|UNDER|30 is Brittanie Roldan, director of guest services at the Prudential Center and New Jersey Devils.

“One of my values here at Prudential Center is to think big, risk smart. It’s all about continuous learning, continuous improvement and innovation,” Roldan said when asked about what she looks to take away from attending VenueConnect. “That’s what I forward to taking away most from the IAVM conferences—getting around other industry professionals and figuring out more efficient and effective ways of doing things and really learning the industry trends and the opportunities that we have here to implement at Prudential Center.”

Please watch the video above to learn more about Roldan, and thank you to SearchWide and Ungerboeck Software International for their generous support of the IAVM Foundation’s 30|UNDER|30 program.