Don’t believe the rumors that Millennials and Gen Z don’t value meetings and events. In fact, the under-40 attendance numbers are increasing.

Almost half — 42% — of meeting, convention and conference attendees are Millennials and Gen Z, and 18% are under the age of 25, according to new research from ASM Global, a venue management and live events company that currently manages 98 international convention centers and hosts more than 90 million attendees annually. This is a jump of 6% from last year’s data.

The under-40 crowd also are upping the number of shows they go to annually. Sixty percent said they plan to attend two or more conventions or conferences this year. The majority of those said they plan to attend between two and four shows annually moving forward.

“The tide has turned,” said ASM Global Chief Marketing Officer Alex Merchán. “The younger generations are a driving force in the events industry; and with a new generation of influential players and decision-makers, it’s time to reimagine the industry around these evolving expectations.”

Among those evolving expectations of Millennials and Gen Z:

• Dedicated work areas on site. They want to have a place to work while they participate in meetings and events. This means they will need comfortable areas with plenty of connectivity to get some work done without having to leave the conference or meeting space, said Dan Hoffend, ASM Global executive vice president, convention centers. To meet that need, ASM Global envisions creating “hush hubs” — dedicated work areas attendees can use to conduct essential business while on site. Hoffend said, “We want to enable our attendees to maximize their time in hubs where they can catch up with home/office work and then jump back into the event.”

• Engaging experiences, both on- and offline. Next-gen attendees are looking for emotional connection, ambiance, convenience and the opportunity for the unique moments that will make them want to come back for the next event. They want on and off-site events that are fun and engaging, with interactive elements. Also important to this demographic are wellness programs, immersive experiences, and quiet rooms where they can work and chill, as well as personal meeting spaces, among other factors. On the digital side, the next-gen attendees want cutting-edge digital networks and high-speed connectivity, effective digital wayfinding and engaging social media campaigns.

• Healthy, sustainable food and beverage offerings. While by no means is this limited to the youngest of today’s conference-goers, next-gen attendees said this is a key factor for them. Almost half, 44%, said they want more of a variety to choose from so they can better meet their dietary and lifestyle F&B needs — a whopping 88% gave high satisfaction scores when they were offered a diversity of food and beverage offerings. Among the factors they consider are whether foods are healthy, locally sourced, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian, the survey found. A few examples of food items gaining traction include gluten-free pizza and birria tacos, while beverage options include hard seltzer, hard-liquor, ready-to-drink options and zero-proof beer.

In an earlier ASM Global study that focused more on entertainment events, F&B was the second most important factor of a live experience for Millennial and Gen Z attendees, just behind the overall experience. The company’s food and beverage division, SAVOR, has created the Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Institutes to find new ways to meet these evolving demands, as well as train and develop the next gen of F&B professionals both within its ranks and within their venues’ local communities.

“The meetings and conventions industry is undergoing a generational shift where the younger generations are not just participating but actually changing the landscape, influencing the overall experience at these events and even the type of content being offered,” said Hoffend. “More and more we are seeing an increase in meetings and conventions that are targeting the younger generations through their topics, such as health tech, nonprofit, technology, young entrepreneurship, SaaS, travel, commerce, and even political events are now skewing younger.”

He added that these INSIGHTS reports are helping them gain an understanding of what attendees want out of their experiences. “We’re learning what foods and diets are highest in demand, how much courteous and attentive staff really matters, how important safety and security is to our guests, and more. We are able to hear what our guests are saying and implement; and as a result, we are seeing higher guest ratings across the board,” Hoffend said.

The survey, which was conducted by ASM Global’s proprietary INSIGHTS customer-experience platform, collected data from close to 20,000 convention organizers, exhibitors and attendees over the last six months regarding their experiences during meetings, conferences and conventions across the full contingent of convention centers ASM Global manages.