--- title: "Friday Buzz: Get Ready for Gen Z" id: "39495" type: "post" slug: "friday-buzz-get-ready-for-gen-z" published_at: "2017-08-25T21:49:06+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T20:13:33+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/08/25/friday-buzz-get-ready-for-gen-z/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/08/25/friday-buzz-get-ready-for-gen-z.md" excerpt: "With a digital-native generation reaching adulthood, events might have to get more interactive to adapt. Also: a culture problem you might be facing." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "Meetings" - "Trends" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Friday Buzz: Get Ready for Gen Z Interactivity is already a big deal for meetings, especially those focused on trying to win over younger audiences. But that problem is about to get much more pronounced, *Skift*’s Jaimie Seaton [points out in a new article (opens in a new tab)](https://skift.com/2017/08/23/gen-z-wont-tolerate-boring-meetings-that-arent-interactive/) . Here’s the gist: With gen Z—a generation only slightly smaller than millennials—quickly reaching adulthood, interactivity is going to quickly become a requirement, in no small part because younger generations have spent their entire lives surrounded by the kind of technology older generations only picked up on later in life. That said, the use of interactivity can’t be forced, Red Velvet Events President Cindy Lo tells Seaton. “Here’s the funny thing about gen Z and even millennials; if it looks like you’re trying too hard it won’t work,” [Lo told the publication (opens in a new tab)](https://skift.com/2017/08/23/gen-z-wont-tolerate-boring-meetings-that-arent-interactive/) . “When we are meeting with clients to talk about conferences, before we even begin we ask them a lot about their company culture and what their values and goals are, so we can align it with the event.” So, in other words, more interactive, but not *too* interactive, so as not to seem forced. Got it? ### What Culture Eats > [#Culture (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Culture?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Eats [#Innovation (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Innovation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > for Breakfast, Too [https://t.co/LBEddeTjhP (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/LBEddeTjhP) > by [@jamienotter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jamienotter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > via [@WorkXO (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/WorkXO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Talent Anarchy (@TalentAnarchy) [August 25, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/TalentAnarchy/status/901082043622326272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Familiar with the phrase** “culture eats strategy for breakfast”? It’s a commonly made point about how the wrong culture can break down the right strategy, and it’s one WorkXO’s Jamie Notter [disagrees with (opens in a new tab)](http://jamienotter.com/2015/07/culture-and-strategy-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/) . But Notter does see culture eating something else: innovation. “In today’s age of disruption, everyone’s talking about the need for innovation, but too often it stops right there—at talk,” [Notter writes in a recent blog post (opens in a new tab)](https://www.workxo.com/blog/post/206-culture-eats-innovation) . Check his post to learn how cultural problems might hamper your innovation efforts. ### Other Links of Note **Two-factor authentication is a good way** to protect your account, but it’s not foolproof on its own, [as journalist John Biggs (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/23/i-was-hacked/?ncid=rss) recently learned. *Lifehacker* [has a guide (opens in a new tab)](http://lifehacker.com/plug-the-security-holes-in-your-two-factor-authenticati-1798403323) on strengthening your mobile security. **Find the language around association management systems confusing?** [Delcor has a glossary of terms (opens in a new tab)](https://www.delcor.com/resources/blog/know-the-lingo-association-management-system-glossary) to help clear things up. You might want to bookmark this one. **Perhaps too much optimism isn’t a good thing.** *Mashable*’s Aaron Orendorff [makes the case against (opens in a new tab)](http://mashable.com/2017/08/25/dark-side-of-optimism/) always seeing the glass half-full. (designer491/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Trends](https://associationsnow.com/tag/trends/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [ArticleReport: Cost, Stability Top Meeting Planners’ AgendasOctober 20, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/20/report-cost-stability-top-meeting-planners-agendas/) - [VideoThe Graham Report: New CEO Trends in 2024January 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/01/31/the-graham-report-new-ceo-trends-in-2024/) - [VideoIntroducing the Graham Report Short Intro V2December 16, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/12/16/introducing-the-graham-report-short-intro-v2/) - [VideoIntroducing the Graham Report IntroDecember 16, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/12/16/introducing-the-graham-report-intro/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F08%2F25%2Ffriday-buzz-get-ready-for-gen-z%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !