Posted by

 Barry Siskind

 Community Manager

 The Second World War begat the generation of baby boomers, nearly 70 million strong who became one of the greatest economic waves of recorded history. The boomers then begat the Generation X’ers who unlike their parents work ethic, focused on family. The generation X then begat the Millennials who seem more bent on altruism that any of the previous two generations.

As the boomers are aging, the next two generations are demanding to be heard.

 The U.S. Based Center for Exhibition Industry Research in their latest report titled Power of Exhibitions in the 21st Century found that the Gen X’ers and Millennials have completely different attitudes towards exhibitions than did the baby boomers.

 The Gen X’ers and Millennials are used to seeing things in real time which does not interfere with the time they spend with their families or other personal pursuits.

 Are fair organizers taking the right steps to adjust to this demographic shift? Maybe the question is what fair organizers are doing to meet this changing demand.

 This is a discussion whose time has come.