Forget Generational Stereotypes: Design Events That Align with Human Values

Recently, David Allison spoke at the PCMA Convening Leaders 2025 Conference in Houston, Texas, and revealed the results of a valuegraphic study that identified the shared values of event participants across all age groups. The study identified how to design events that resonate deeply with your audience's core values, emotions, and behaviors—regardless of age or career stage. This article is based on those research findings.

Here’s a scenario you’ve probably encountered: you’re designing an event and trying to please everyone—from fresh graduates to executives nearing retirement. What do you do? For decades, the fallback has been to rely on generational stereotypes. But let’s be honest: these broad brushstrokes don’t work. Not all Millennials are glued to TikTok, and not every Boomer is stuck in the past.

So, what does work? Human values.
At Valuegraphics, we’ve spent years researching what really motivates people. These are the deep, shared drivers that shape our decisions—where we live, what we buy, and, yes, how we engage with events. By focusing on shared values instead of arbitrary labels, you can create events that resonate deeply with your attendees, no matter their age or stage in life.

The Power Values

To prepare for my keynote at PCMA Convening Leaders 2025, we surveyed 3,485 event attendees and accessed hundreds of millions of data points in our global database. What we found were three values–the Power Values– that stood out across the board: Employment Security, Personal Responsibility, and Community.

Let’s break them down and explore how they can revolutionize your event planning.

1. Employment Security: Make Events Feel Like Career Insurance

What It Means: For attendees, Employment Security is about more than just keeping a job. It’s about stability—now and in the future. People want to feel like their careers are on solid ground, and they’ll gravitate toward opportunities that help make that happen.

Idea in Action:Turn your event into a career development hub. Picture this: workshops on LinkedIn optimization, resume updates, and professional branding. Add sessions that highlight future industry trends or networking opportunities with top decision-makers. When attendees see your event as “career insurance,” they’ll not only come—they’ll leave feeling it was an investment in their future.

2. Personal Responsibility: Get Things “Done” Instead of “To-Do”

What It Means:  Attendees value taking action. They don’t want to leave your event with a mile-long to-do list they’ll never tackle. Instead, they want to feel like they’ve accomplished something right then and there.

Idea in Action: Design parts of your event around immediate progress. Imagine a “Get It Done Power Hour” where attendees can complete real tasks—whether it’s drafting a strategy, collaborating on solutions, or sending follow-up emails. Provide tools, like action-focused workbooks, that guide attendees toward completing tangible outcomes. When they leave with something crossed off their list, they’ll remember your event as productive and worthwhile.

3. Community: Create a Community of Communities

What It Means: Humans are wired for connection, but it’s not just about being part of one big group. Attendees also crave smaller, more personal connections with like-minded people.

Idea in Action: Make it easy for people to find “their people” at your event. When attendees register, ask about their hobbies, interests, or goals. Use this data to create micro-communities—whether it’s a group for morning runners, bookworms, or gardeners. For example, at a corporate insurance conference, you could host a gardening meetup for enthusiasts. These smaller connections create lasting bonds, turning your event into a place where people feel seen and valued.

Why Focus on Values?

We didn’t pull these values out of thin air. They’re the result of an extensive survey process and rigorous statistical analysis through the Valuegraphics Database, a global inventory of shared human values.

Why should you focus on shared values? Because they drive everything. Forget demographics—values are the foundation for how people make decisions. And when you align your event with the values of your audience, you’re creating an experience that feels deeply personal and impactful.

Putting It All Together

The ideas above are just a starting point. Use them as inspiration to create strategies tailored to your audience and goals. When you design events that align with shared human values, you’re not just planning a conference—you’re creating a deeply meaningful experience.
So, skip the stereotypes. Focus on what really matters. Align your event with the values that unite your attendees, and you’ll not only engage them—you’ll transform the way they see your event and themselves.

Values are the answer. Let’s put them to work.

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