More and more, multiple generations are coming together for events. Think about indoor and outdoor concerts, conferences, seminars, and rallies, as well as product launches, trade shows and other happenings, where crowds can number in their thousands. That makes it essential each attending age group gets their particular needs met and their learning style is accommodated whether it's a daytime event or an evening presentation.
These days, whatever the age of an attendee, a certain standard has come to be expected at a venue. No longer is it enough to provide the fundamentals (i.e. seating and a stage or playing area, and basic catering); there's simply too much competition from other arenas, theatres, stadia, not to mention conference centers, auditoria and other premises. To thrive, the venues and the event planners need to apply modern thinking, be totally consumer-savvy - and innovative.
Will Your Audience Come Back For More?
Safety has to take the highest priority of course, and that means the safety of both staff and customers. After that? Comfort! The key to running a flourishing venue that sees an increase in revenue year on year is to have ticket buyers coming back for more. Providing them with a comfortable seat that's easy to locate, a clear view and excellent sound go a long way towards making a venue a place that people can’t wait to return to - and one they will confidently recommend.
As well as expecting comfortable and aesthetically pleasing seating, event-goers have high expectations when it comes to parking, catering, cleanliness, washroom facilities, overall décor and design, and the efficiency of venue staff and performance technicians.
There's so much to consider, so many boxes to tick.
In addition, venues designed and built using eco-friendly, sustainable materials is something that matters to the paying public. Of course, it puts even more pressure on venue designers and owners as well as event planners, to meet ticket buyers' demands.
Covering All The Bases - All The Time
With today's audiences often being a multi-generational blend, keeping all members engaged during a performance or conference speech starts with great seating. The last thing you want is for spectators to feel uncomfortable or restricted in their chairs, even if they have a clear view of the stage and the sound is first class. During a short lecture, a two-hour concert, a lengthy opera performance, or a day-long sporting tournament, paying customers need the kind of seating that covers all of these:
- Easy to locate - thanks to modern aisle lighting and clear seat numbering
- Clean
- Stable
- Comfortable and roomy
- Good looking — seating needs to be entirely complementary to a venue's design, whether we're talking about an ultra-modern sports facility, a sumptuous theatre or classical concert hall with a decidedly nostalgic feel
- Big enough to provide sufficient leg room and back support
- Positioned to offer an unobstructed view, with no barrier to sound
Get A "Wow!" From Every Generation
Yes! Some attendees will have been born into a digitalised world, of course. But does that mean an event experience should be aimed squarely at Millennials? Hmm... what about people from previous generations who aren't necessarily expecting to be "Wow-ed!" every time they go out? They may also prefer to learn differently from younger people who enjoy a digitally interactive participation-type experience, with a choice of food outlets, as well as community lounges, hangouts and other cool places to "chill"! It might be that older audience members still need to be impressed, but want their Wow! from a traditional event experience - cool connectivity and digital wizardry low on their list of needs.
Whatever their generation, all attendees will appreciate excellent seating. The good news is that some of the best seating experts in the world are designing seating stands to suit just about every type of venue. They know how important it is to put customer comfort at the heart of their designs. It's thanks in no small way to super-smart telescopic automated seating systems with multi-directional movements and a broad range of functionalities, offering planners a wider choice of possibilities for every single event.
For us at Master Industrie, decades of experience in providing retractable seating systems and other innovative, high-quality seating solutions means we can help event planners everywhere innovate and accommodate their audiences with super-quick turnaround times at venues.