Three Things Forbes Included in its Under 30 Summit

With its recent Under 30 Summit, Forbes showed that it knows how to connect with the under 30 crowd. Forbes put a lot of research and effort into creating an event that catered to this audience while recognizing their unique experiences. The summit, which has been an annual event since 2014, took place in Boston, MA from October 1st to 4th this year. With over 7,000 people going to the summit, Forbes showed that it created enough interest in advance for people to want to attend.

How was Forbes able to reach this up-and-coming population? Here are three of the components Forbes included in its summit that connected with the under 30 crowd. 

1. Inspirational and Professional Opportunities

This event put young professionals in touch with opportunities that would inspire them, give them professional connections and teach them a thing or two. The summit included a wealth of content in different subject areas, from technology and science to health and social responsibility. It allowed attendees to connect with each other, collaborate and even learn about work opportunities. 

The crowd was able to learn and be inspired by top-notch speakers and celebrities, including Sophia Amoruso of Girlboss Media and John Chambers of Cisco. They learned from entrepreneurs, influencers and other powerhouses. They got the chance to talk to investors and network with other professionals as a way to grow their careers and opportunities. 

2. Entertainment and Experiences

Young professionals could get more than career-related education and inspiration at this summit. They also had fun. Event attendees had the chance to try different cuisine at an included food festival and experience the summit’s rocking music festival. 

The entertainment went beyond shows that attendees could watch from the audience. They also got to have unique experiences that engaged them. This aspect of the summit was new to this year, and it made a huge difference in connecting with the under 30 population. Attendees were able to test drive an Alfa Romeo sports car, learn from and play with a former professional basketball player and a bar crawl.

3. Recognition

With this summit, Forbes does a great job of tying an experiential event into its recognition of important people under 30. It goes along with Forbes’ “Under 30” list that yearly recognizes 30 innovators that are younger than 30 within numerous categories. This connection helps build interest around Forbes’ list and its authoritative position, while engaging with people on an in-person level.

The current summit recognized the new 30 people that were honored this year while also bringing back honorees from the past. In addition, the event recognized winners of competitions attendees were able to participate in. Medinas, a healthcare exchange platform, won the Global Change the World competition and received a $100,000 prize along with a $300,000 in-kind prize. 

Overall, Forbes did an amazing job at gaining excitement from its target audience and creating an experiential event that attendees would benefit from. The content, events and experiences kept attendees mostly in an "under 30 village" while also giving them the opportunity to fully appreciate the city by visiting different parts. Through a mixture of great content, awesome experiences and professional opportunities, the under 30 crowd was engaged and given the chance to grow personally and professionally.