A new nationwide US survey, conducted by leading venue management company and producer of live events experiences ASM Global, reveals Gen Z and Millennial impact, demand for upscale experiences, food and beverage, safety and headlining acts.
ASM’s proprietary INSIGHTS customer experience platform surveyed over 120,000 guests and clients over one-year across ASM Global managed venues – the largest such portfolio of arenas, stadiums, theatres and convention centres in the US.
“Many of the takeaways are fascinating,” said ASM’s chief marketing officer Alex Merchán. “And some very surprising. The days of the performer or sports team solely driving ticket sales are evolving with other factors influencing decision making. Paralleling that is the desire for larger holistic experiences including enthralling ambiance and other experiential moments.”
The ASM INSIGHTS platform captured more than 8 million data points and the team says a second comprehensive study in the company’s Convention Center space will be released in early 2024.
For Gen Z and Millennials, attending an event is not merely about witnessing a performance, but a holistic encounter where the overall experience matters almost as much as the main act, with the emotional connection, ambiance and unique moments making them more willing to invest both time and money.
Data surfaced that Gen Z and Millennials attending a performance by a top artist, overall experience was 5% higher than average, with viewing expectation 16% higher. These younger fans are also willing to pay more for tickets to see a top artist perform, with ages 18–24 spending 12% more than average.
Food and beverage is also undergoing a radical transformation. The ASM INSIGHTS survey projects that “staple food & beverage options” will soon be gone. Guests’ demand for variety and creativity in F&B options is the second most important factor of their live event experience (after overall service experience) reflecting an expanded spectrum of tastes, mirroring the health-conscious and more exotic choices of attendees across various age groups.
In the ASM INSIGHTS survey across all venues and events, a statistically significant 41% of guests said they seek out a variety in food and beverage, whether health-conscious, locally sourced, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc.
Among the other findings in the ASM INSIGHTS survey:
- In a post pandemic world, safety, cleanliness, and staff were the most crucial factors in the overall experience at arenas, stadiums, theatres and conventions centres, with venues being rated “best in class” when scores in these three categories exceeded 80%.
- 83% of all stadium guests purchased food & beverage at an event, 9% higher than all other venue types and an increase from previous behaviours.
- 89% of guests cited an exceptional experience at convention centres, with attention to detail and helpful, attentive staff being the biggest drivers in an overall positive guest experience.
- The “hungriest fans”, spending the most on food and beverage at events, are based in Arizona and Nevada, spending twice the national average.
Additionally, venues with the ability to serve alcoholic beverages and provide guests with options for pre-event cocktails and concessions, combined with excellent service create a seamless experience. That drove customer satisfaction scores to up to 92% in December.
Merchán adds: “ASM INSIGHTS has provided us a broad yet rich perspective of what fans and guests expect at live events and we’re able to leverage this data into action to revolutionise the entire experience. It’s obvious the industry of tomorrow will need to continue a radical transformation.”
