“Party like it’s 1999…”

As I attend industry events, talk with other planners and suppliers, and read the latest industry publications, I come across some interesting ideas and activities. Lately, it seems that activities geared toward late teens and young adults are hot topics. This demographic is looking to gather together more than any others and they want an experience. Here are four fun things to do that that I would love to incorporate into a future event:

1. Silent Dance Party – This is a dance event similar to a high school dance where there’s a DJ and a decorated room or gymnasium. Music is playing and lights are spinning. Attendees are jumping up and down and dancing all around. The difference? Everyone attending is wearing a headset. The music is being played through the headsets and not in the room. It’s actually hilarious to watch. This type of dance might be an option if you’re dealing with a noise ordinance or the event room is too close to another space that might be affected by the loud music.
2. AR Scavenger Hunt – Augmented Reality app companies exist who can help design and create it for you, or you can build it on your own. This is a Pokemon-Go-style scavenger hunt. You can customize the locations of the items to find and what the items are that are found. Program locations that are related to you and your attendees using GPS coordinates. Create items to be found that are relevant to the event or organization. Attendees then use an app on their mobile devices to search for items using clues provided by the host and other players, earning points along the way. It’s fun to see attendees walking through the convention center looking for your “invisible” logo or a company’s mascot “hidden” at the entrance to the trade show floor.
3. Giant Video Games – They are actually fun for all ages. The games include classics like Pac Man, Space Invaders, Galaga, Tetris, Donkey Kong, and more. These are old school set ups with controllers and TV’s but on steroids. The consoles and controllers are oversized and broadcast onto wide screens. Watching attendees try to play the games with huge buttons and giant joysticks is very entertaining. Some games work better with a team of people each one manning just one button each. Talk about a team-building exercise!
4. Old Fashioned Fun Fair – This is very low-tech but regaining popularity with young adults. Reminiscent of the grade-school days, this event can include a cake walk, Bozo buckets, ring toss, fishing in a barrel, knock down games, free throw shots, rubber ducky pick-up, and more. Attendees can collect tickets to redeem for novelty prizes like oversized sunglasses, whack-a-ball paddles, bubbles, and ring pops. The game and prize options are endless. For the ultimate fun fair experience, don’t forget to give away the proverbial goldfish.

There are many other fun things to do but these stuck out as my favorite. The main focus of these activities is experience. Attendees are looking for a personalized, unique experience and one that promotes interactions with others and opportunities to network with each other.

Have you incorporated a new and different experiential element into your events? Please tell us! Email me or share it here.

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