Page 40 - Food and Drink Business Magazine May 2019

AUSPACK REVIEW
✷ YOUTH APPEAL
HOW TO WOO
GEN Z WORKERS
Youth marketing and recruiting experts shared some surprising insights on Gen Z workers at the NextGen Breakfast Forum on the final day of AUSPACK 2019.
By 2025, Generation Z will comprise more than a quarter of the Australian workforce, and Growth Tank founder and a youth marketing expert David Willey (pictured) shared his insights on how to connect with this important group.
Gen Z members prioritise positive workplace and culture higher than financial benefits, and place a higher importance on job security and fair pay than their millennial counterparts, he says.
To make this group happy and productive, Willey says, companies will need to be seen to be ethical, offer clear and structured career progression, and offer them personal (in addition to professional) development opportunities that help them grow as an individual.
They also value regular feedback, flexibility and work-life balance, he says. “Understanding that your employee’s life is more important than their work is key.”
Presenter PWC Australia’s Justin Ling said his company uses more digital channels than ever to recruit and engage with its younger recruits.
He also noted that alternative pathways to employment are growing, and he predicted that school leaver recruitment will overtake graduate recruitment within five years.
AUSPACK 2019 makes its mark
Attracting the highest number of visitors to date, AUSPACK 2019 occupied the biggest floorspace, and boasted the most adjacent events, in the packaging and processing trade show’s history.
BY the time AUSPACK 2019 wrapped up in Melbourne at the end of March it had broken every record in terms of attendance and size, according to its organisers.
The trade show attracted nearly 8000 trade visitors, which was up 25 per cent compared with the previous-largest show.
“This year we had the largest floor space we’ve ever had – it was close on 20,000 square metres,” APPMA chairman Mark Dingley said. “Not only did floor space sell out nearly six months before the event, we attracted 105 international exhibitors, which is the most ever and a fifteen per cent increase compared with the previousedition.”
AUSPACK 2019 also featured the highest number of adjacent events running alongside the free exhibition, including: the inaugural Business & Industry conference which featured presentations on more than 40 speakers from around the world; the APPMA Awards of Excellence gala dinner, which had more than 400 attendees; and the NextGen Breakfast forum, which delivered engaging advice on how to attract and retain Gen Z.
ETF’s Anne-Marie Mina said, “AUSPACK 2019 has continued to build on its reputation for being ‘the place’ to launch new technology.Thisalsoincluded
the very popular livestreaming videos on AUSPACK’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages, where suppliers showcased the benefits of their solutions.
“These videos are a great way for people to learn about potential new suppliers, and are just one more reason visitors and exhibitors find AUSPACK so informative,” Mina said.
“For four consecutive shows, we have continued to grow the event and continued to break records. It’s so very exciting that the entire Packaging and Processing Week 2019 offered absolute value to both visitors and exhibitors,” Mina said.
AUSPACK 2021 is scheduled tobeheldinSydney. ✷
40 | Food&Drink business | May 2019 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au