The group of older consumers is gradually increasing in the structure of the world consumer market. The companies that have discerned the huge potential in this segment often achieve better results and in some cases become market leaders. It proves that in order to achieve sustainable competitiveness it is necessary to study the category of aged consumers in-depth, to realize their characteristics and the mechanisms of formation of their perception. One of the important tools for achieving this goal are exhibitions, which not only provide an opportunity to build marketing communication with target audiences, but also allow to evaluate, form and correct their perceptions. This paper deals with the approaches to adaptation of an exhibition event for the target audience of older ages. The methodology of empirical research included qualitative and quantitative research, involving the participant observation method within the preparation of the “50 PLUS” International Forum and Exhibition.

ageing, consumers, target audiences, exhibitions, perception, competitiveness.

In modern conditions, congress and exhibition activity is one of the most important communication channels. It is a dynamic and complex process involving initiation, promotion, organization, sponsorship and support from the public and private sectors (Jin and Weber 2013) and therefore includes the efforts of a wide range of actors.

In recent decades, one of the new trends in global fair and exhibition activities has been the development of exhibitions for older generations (Grinin and Korotaev 2010; Exhibitions Market... 2017). The relevance of such exhibitions is closely connected with the global trend of population ageing (Ageing in the Twenty-First Century... 2012). Thus, according to Rosstat forecasts, in 2021 the share of persons above the working age in the population of the Russian Federation will be 27%, and in 2031 - 25% (Shabunova and Barsukov 2015).

Initially, exhibitions for older generations were exclusively socially oriented projects aimed at the development of a non-governmental system of support for the elderly population. Their role and objectives are now broadened. The main objective of such projects is to promote greater use of the intellectual, labour and moral potential of older persons.

Older people have knowledge, social, professional and spiritual potential that are important and necessary for modern society. In comparison with the previous generations, modern people of the “silver” age stay longer socially active or at least aspire to it (Sheresheva 2014). They become increasingly interested in a healthy and active lifestyle and in many developed countries they have higher incomes than young people (Wong and Ki Tang 2013).

Today, some large international companies are aimed at the market of older consumers. There are products and services that are developed and promoted specifically for customers of the aged category. Organizations offering such products are adapting marketing policies in order to increase the attractiveness of their products to the target audience (Szmigin and Carrigan 2001; Stroud and Walker 2013).

In this regard, the concept of exhibitions for older generations is undergoing certain changes, embedded in the logic of the concept of active longevity. Preservation of social and economic activity of older people is interrelated with development of the market of goods and services for this target audience, which is becoming increasingly more relevant to business (Stroud and Walker 2013).

In Russia there is also a tendency towards more active participation of the population aged 50+ in social, economic and other aspects of the life of society, developing their knowledge and skills, as well as assisting the younger generation and family members (Sheresheva et al. 2018). In 2016, the “Strategy of Action for Senior Citizens until 2025” was adopted, which includes the requirement for authorities at all levels to work on specific measures of support of people of mature age; search for mechanisms for extending their labour activities, and the development of educational and employment institutions for those who have reached their “silver” age. The expected result of implementation of the Strategy is “active longevity”, aimed at optimizing the state of health and the safety of elderly citizens, improvement of life support of this category of people, the protection of their rights and interests, and the promotion of well-being and social welfare.

A number of relied projects were adopted. Thus, in the Republic of Bashkortostan there is an “Older Generation” program. Within this program, almost 30,000 people have benefited from social tourism, and over 70,000 people have been trained in public universities. The Russian State Social University conducts monitoring to identify the most promising regional projects in the social area.

However, as a number of recent studies shows, older people are not sufficiently integrated in Russian society (Bykova 2015; Sheresheva et al. 2017). The pursuit of elderly people to new knowledge and improvement of living conditions, the use of modern gadgets, the desire to live more comfortably, to achieve a sense of coziness in the house and make one’s own life more exciting should be supported at a qualitatively new level, including with the participation of businesses and non-profit organizations. Exhibition activities can play a significant role in the realization of these objectives.

This article presents the results of the research aimed at developing an approach to the use of an exhibition as a marketing tool for the formation and adjustment of perception by the target audience of the company that organizes events for the older generation. The importance of perception of the company by target audiences is substantiated and the need for differentiated work with different groups of stakeholders is noted. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the lifestyle of visitors of the exhibition as one of the basements of communication policy formation.

The article has the following structure. The review of relevant literature considers theoretical aspects of exhibition activity, reveals the role of exhibitions in the marketing system of the organization. The next part deals with the development of exhibition activities for older generations in the world and in Russia. Then the methodology and results of empirical research on the perception of the exhibition by its visitors of the older age category are presented, as well as the evaluation of satisfaction with the event and the loyalty of participants to the “50 PLUS” project. In the conclusion, the main results concerning the building of relations between all participants of the exhibition are formulated: representatives of the organizing company, government agencies, exhibitors and the target audience.

Currently, the key role in the marketing activities of any company is work with target audiences. Having studied its capabilities and market needs, the company can compare market situation with its own potential and identify the target market or its specific segment for the development of a marketing strategy and subsequent systematic marketing work.

Competent shaping of target audiences and division of the market into corresponding segments gives an opportunity to fully grasp a positive effect from interaction with the audience of each of these segments. This interaction reveals the best positioning of products for consumers who have a particular style of life (segmentation according to the “lifestyle” principle), the results here being much better than relying only on demographic analysis (McKain 2019).

By shaping the segments of consumers that are most valuable to the company, it is important to pay special attention to the development of a sustainable relationship between these customers and the company. The presence of regular customers is often a major competitive advantage. In this case the issue at stake is customer loyalty, which means a positive perception by the client of the company’s activities, products and services, its personnel, image etc., first of all, from the experience of interaction with the organization, leading to repeated purchases and recommendations. In this context, perception of the company by its target audiences becomes of particular importance.

The perception of the company by target audiences is what current and potential customers think about the organization. Perception directly affects the attraction of new customers and the ability to retain existing customers.

An increase in the company’s market share due to positive perception has a number of advantages, including (Hellofs and Jacobson 1999):

• an increase in market share can bring positive signals as a quality indicator;
• positive emotional benefits of using a product that is popular in the markets;
• the value of a product or service can be increased as a result of the growing number of users of the same product (for example, the number of members of an online community, higher availability of applications).

Perception of the company by target audiences occurs through several channels (Fig. 1). Let’s consider these channels in more detail:

Figure 1.

Channels of perception of the company by target audiences. Source: compiled by the authors.

• a complex of marketing communications, which aims to form the consumer’s opinion about the company and its product or service;
• external influence, which means influence on the decisions of a person by surrounding people;
• personal experience, positive or negative, which is the most significant channel of perception of the company by the consumer.

Speaking of the impact of exhibitions on the perception of the company, it should be emphasized that there is perception of the exhibition itself by visitors, and this imprints the general opinion of the target audience about the companies presented at the exhibition (Fig. 1). The more the perceived value of the exhibition itself, the more positive, all other things being equal, relations to exhibitors will be. In addition, the impression made on visitors by the stand of a particular exhibitor also matters. In this regard, special attention should be paid to the perception of exhibitions by target audiences.

Speaking of B2B market participants (businessmen, entrepreneurs, employees of companies), it can be noted that for them exhibitions give four valuable groups of opportunities (Fig. 2):

Figure 2.

Opportunities offered by exhibitions to various stakeholders. Source: based on (Brzeziński and Jasiński 2014).

• career research;
• business communication;
• professional knowledge;
• personal branding.

An important feature of exhibition activity is its integration character. Exhibitions provide an opportunity to build marketing communication not only in terms of product promotion in markets, but also in terms of assessment of consumer perception of these products, demand for them, competitiveness, as well as in building relationships with various stakeholder groups (Sarmento et al. 2015).

The communication aspect of exhibition activity consists of several components. Before the event, it is necessary to inform all specialists whom it may concern about your participation in the exhibition. External communication activity of any company is to attract the maximum possible number of relevant professionals to your stand before the beginning of the exhibition.

Such work is carried out by both classical advertising tools and with the participation of the sales and PR departments (Sereda 2012). PR activity establishes contacts with the media (business media, business publications). The sales department attracts new customers, while not losing regular customers, and restores connections with those customers who have abandoned the company’s services in the past. It is important that the combination of all components of the marketing complex helps to demonstrate all the advantages of products, to present novelties of the assortment range, to conduct specialized research, identify customer needs, and explore the competitive environment.

It should also be noted that exhibition activity itself should not be isolated, it should be combined with other marketing tools as part of the overall strategy. So, if the focus is on interaction with regular customers, it is necessary to invite them before the event to visit the company’s stand. And in the case when the main task is to attract new consumers, an aggressive marketing campaign is expedient.

Participation in the exhibition can seem a simple event only in the absence of experience in such activities. In fact, this is one of the most complex tools in the company’s marketing system. Interaction within the framework of the exhibition requires coordination between stakeholders. It is multifaceted and complicated process, especially taking into account big amount of exhibitors, which creates a large number of connections. Figure 3 shows a pattern of such coordination.

Figure 3.

Coordination between stakeholders at exhibitions. Source: based on (Jin and Weber 2016).

In addition to multifunctionality and the need to coordinate heterogeneous actions, it is necessary to consider the specifics of each particular exhibition: time and place of the exhibition, number of exhibitors, estimated number of visitors, industry ranking, etc. At the same time, the validity of expenses for exhibition activity is determined only after the compliance of this exhibition with the marketing strategy of the company is thoroughly studied, and the direct decision to participate is made in accordance with corporate procedures.

As a rule, such a study begins with determination of what products can be shown at the exhibition, as well as collecting information about which customers may visit it and which of the competitors will be represented there. Only then it is assessed whether participation in this exhibition corresponds to the marketing strategy of the company. Such assessment, among other things, enables clearly defining strategic decisions (objectives of participation in exhibitions and the choice of exhibitions that best correspond to the company’s development) and tactical marketing tools for a particular exhibition.

Since work on each task in participation in the exhibition must be properly organized, adjusted and monitored, this approach is easier to implement in a large company with an established structure. Solving such tasks in the framework of the proposed paradigm of exhibition activity presents a rather serious problem for small and even medium-sized enterprises, and especially for individual entrepreneurs. However, a company of any size today can find the opportunity to use this valuable tool.

It is possible to evaluate the effect of the company’s participation in a particular exhibition only in the context of the company’s marketing strategy. Positive synergy as such is achieved when the company’s exhibition activities are coordinated with other marketing activities.

Experienced specialists begin preparation for exhibition participation by determining which exhibitions most fully correspond to the activities of the company. After the main goals of participation in a particular exhibition are defined, the concrete issues of preparation for an exhibition, the format of participation and expected results are shaped.

Currently, the prevailing approach is that exhibition marketing should be incorporated into integrated marketing communications and into the company’s marketing strategy, which requires development of the marketing plan of the exhibition. Researchers believe that only a serious approach to this activity, including planning and training of personnel, can help the company effectively use exhibition marketing (Pitta et al. 2006).

Thus, exhibitions are currently one of the most important tools for companies to promote their products in the market, to maintain business contacts with partners, as well as to keep abreast of the latest trends in their industry. Exhibitions are an element of development for all components of the company’s marketing policy. The connection of exhibitions with other marketing tools enables implementing the production, pricing, marketing and communication policy of the company, achieving a synergy effect. Exhibitions provide an opportunity for a company not only to orient itself in the current market situation, but also to see relevant trends, as well as to get acquainted with new market niches and promising markets. Participation in such a multifunctional event also allows to analyze the scope and technologies of competitors, to assess the competitiveness and export potential of products.

Accordingly, the most significant parameters of an exhibition are the following (Butler et al. 2007]:

• plan of the exhibition;
• location of the exhibition;
• construction costs (accommodation);
• Internet access.

This information should be taken into account when organizing the exhibition and participating in it, because the effectiveness of participation of a company in the exhibition strongly depends on these aspects.

As noted above, the list of tasks solved at the exhibition is quite extensive and not limited by the sale of goods. Table 1 presents a model of interaction between exhibitors and visitors in different directions (Blythe 2009).

Table 1.Download as CSV 

Model of communication in exhibition activities.

Exhibitors		Visitors
Direction	Actions	Actions	Direction
Sales	Acceptance of orders	Shopping	Purchase sources
	Creating interest	Collection of brochures
	Obtaining useful contacts	Purchase queue entry
Communications (Outgoing)	Memorable images	Collection of brochures	Sources of information
	Product information	Receiving planned and unplanned information
	Promotion of a product or company	Analysis of offers
Communications (Incoming)	Meetings with former customers	Collection of gifts and brochures	Entertainment
	Identifying new customers	Visiting the demonstration
	Surveillance of competitors	Video viewing

Source: compiled by the authors.

The study of X.Jin and K.Weber (2016) was aimed at obtaining a comprehensive view of the attractiveness of exhibitions for different stakeholders: visitors, organizers and exhibitors. The study involved 535 visitors of nine business exhibitions in four cities in China, who were asked to take part in a survey. The research was also included in-depth interviews with the heads of the exhibition companies. As a result of the research, the authors came to the conclusion that it is necessary to distinguish the factors of attractiveness for each group of stakeholders in order to attract more such groups to the events.

The research also demonstrated that the distance of the exhibition is not important for exhibitors, but it is essential for visitors and organizers that the time spent on the way to the exhibition was minimal. Besides the distance, the attractiveness of the exhibition for exhibitors and visitors is determined by the availability of a comfortable place for rest, the availability of an exhibition venue. Less significant for visitors, but most significant for exhibitors are factors such as the economic environment of the region or city of the exhibition, as well as the cluster effect (leadership of the host city in the relevant sector, the existence of an industry association in the city, distribution units, etc.). This research confirms previous studies in this field, and from the practical perspective it shows the need to improve such factors of attractiveness as organization of recreational areas for visitors, as well as improving accessibility.

As for individual consumers, this group of stakeholders has specific interests, and it is important to distinguish different segments within this group with specific requests, and to focus on key target audiences for which a particular exhibition is of interest. This applies, among other things, to specific age groups. In this paper we focus on understanding the features and interests of older people as a promising target audience for organizers of exhibitions.

Target audiences of older age can be segmented into four main age groups (Sheresheva et al. 2017):

• “young old people”
• “average old people”
• the “aged elderly”
• “the oldest”

In the process of population ageing, the share of the older age groups increase in the structure of the elderly population.

The older age segment of the consumer market has been well studied by foreign specialists. In developed countries, demand for travel, recreation, health services from mature consumers is particularly high. They also show high demand for other services, especially those aimed at maintaining the household: housekeeping, security, lawn care, etc. (Stroud and Walker 2013; Tang 2015; McKain 2019). Moreover, it is the people of this age group that still prefer traditional media (television, newspapers, magazines) not only as sources of news and entertainment information, but also as a kind of guide, assisting decision-making in choosing goods and services (Sheresheva 2015).

From a marketing perspective, older consumers are “cautious buyers” who have enough time to study the purchased products in detail and form their own opinion about them. They are particularly sensitive to the extent to which the product or service meets the stated standards. At the same time, the channel of personal communication (“word of mouth”) when elderly consumers give each other advice on services, medicines, food goods, etc., is wide-spread.

The older generation is a target audience with age-specific characteristics (Table 2). Biological factor has a significant impact on marketing, including in the preparation of exhibitions for the older generation. At the same time, when holding exhibitions for the older generation it is important to take into account that the key role in marketing communication with older people is not played by biological age, but the subjective, perceived age at which people feel themselves to be (Kohlbacher and Chéron 2013).

Table 2.Download as CSV 

Analysis of specific characteristics of the target audience (older people) regarding exhibitions for the older people.

Parameter	Specific characteristics	Features of exhibitions for the older people
Vision	Reduced vision, problems with reading small print	The font of information brochures is larger than average, a large font of the base blocks of the website
Contrast	Text and background differentiation problems	High contrast of advertising brochures, presentations, exhibition stands
Visual search	Problems with finding the necessary information through visual search	Addition of visual navigation and visual elements of the exhibition with audio elements
Hearing	Problems with perception of high frequencies, difficulties in separating the information message from noise	Emphasis on the use of low and medium frequencies in reporting
Using “short” memory	Reduced ability to store large amounts of information in “short” memory	Increasing the frequency of repetition of advertising messages
Memory capacity	Reduction of the speed of information processing	Slower display of information
Understanding	Reduced ability to perceive complex text	Avoiding complex sentences, emphasis on bright and concise phrases

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of: (Baker and Bichsel 2006; Sim Ong et al. 2008).

Taking into account the specifics of segmentation of the target audience of older consumers, as well as the biological features of this category, the value offer of exhibitions for the older generation is guided by the following principles (Sheresheva et al. 2017):

• autonomy of action and choice of consumers in all aspects of life: shopping, financial resources management, etc.;
• a breakdown of consumers into “those feeling young and independent” and “those feeling senior and having passed authority to children”.

of Exhibitions for elderly people is not a new phenomenon in the world; they are held in Austria, France, Canada, China, Korea, South Africa, Kazakhstan, the UAE, as well as in other European and Asian countries. They have different positioning depending on cultural and national peculiarities (Annex 1). For example, in France such exhibitions are mainly commercial: first of all, they provide a platform for the presentation of new products and services for the older generation. In Hong Kong, on the contrary, exhibitions for older ages are social in nature, with a focus on the medical area and healthcare. It is worth noting that despite great respect of older age in Asia, exhibitions for people of this age began to appear relatively recently, almost simultaneously with the appearance of such exhibitions in Russia. However, when comparing a Russian 50+ exhibition with a similar one in Hong Kong, a significant difference is noticeable: unlike Russia, the Hong Kong exhibition is usually visited by entire families. Parents, children, grandparents come together, considering it a great opportunity to spend time with each other.

In most cases, exhibitions for older generations include the following thematic blocks:

• self-development, personal development;
• health and a healthy lifestyle;
• education and career;
• culture;
• beauty and fashion;
• society and the state;
• leisure and travel.

Exhibitions for older generations differ in scale, coverage and business partners, exhibitors. Some of the events are linked to international and local holidays, pension payments and other events in the life of older citizens. It is especially important that each of the exhibitions has its own positioning; each event presents either a bright social program (e.g., assistance to the elderly with disabilities) or a platform for interaction of active people of the older age, or a fair of goods and services for this category of citizens. The largest exhibitions last for over 4 days and divide the exhibition space into many different areas to be able to illuminate and offer all kinds of directions and activities for the target audience and business communities.

For Russia, this area of exhibition activity is relatively new and mainly social rather than marketing activity. These measures are mainly aimed at improvement of social protection and security instruments and breaking the stereotypes of old age.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that in Russia exhibition activity as a whole is weaker in comparison with the most advanced world experience, which is explained by the presence of a large number of problems in this industry. If in many foreign countries exhibition activity is characterized by a developed infrastructure of exhibition centers, the presence of support and subsidies from the state, as well as the fact that this industry is an important source of income and employment in the region or city of events, the Russian market of exhibition activities experiences almost complete lack of state support, the exhibition infrastructure in Russia is not sufficiently developed, there is low qualification of personnel employed in this industry.

Nevertheless, in some cities of the Russian Federation specialized exhibitions targeted to older people are held (Table 3).

Table 3.Download as CSV 

Comparative analysis of exhibition events for the older generation in Russia¹.

Title	City	Activity, USP	Frequency	Additional information
Third age. Active longevity2	Yekaterinburg	State programs of social protection, banking services, pension and insurance programs, medicine, health, healthy lifestyle, sanatorium treatment, leisure, travel, work and education, goods for home and garden, hobbies and handicrafts, beauty and fashion, food and beverages, technical devices, rehabilitation services, master classes, consultations of doctors, psychologists, lawyers, financial specialists, creative meetings, medical diagnostics, performances of creative teams, job fairs, prize draws	3 days in September annually	Specialized exhibition-fair of goods and services for middle-aged and older persons
Silver Age3	Irkutsk	Pension and insurance programs, banking services, education, books, courses, interest clubs, healthcare, active longevity, restorative medicine, dietary supplements, vitamins, mineral water, sports goods, dentistry, optics, clothing, footwear and accessories, natural and dietary food products, goods for creativity and needlework, author's works, cosmetology, cosmetics, phyto- and aromatherapy, appliances and devices for rehabilitation and rejuvenation, etc.	During the week from the end of August to the beginning of September	Exhibition of goods and services for older people
Golden Age 50+1	Chelyabinsk	Zones: Health, healthy lifestyle, the world of technology, leisure and travel, beauty and fashion, a cozy home, finance and law, household and social services, learning and hobbies, society and state	Held annually in August, from the 10th to the 17th	Socio-oriented exhibition and fair for people of adulthood
Days of the older generation2	Krasnoyarsk	Medicine and health, leisure and travel, personal and social services, domestic electric appliances, telecommunications, education, beauty and fashion, financial and insurance programs, legal services for elderly people	Held annually for 3 days in the end of September from the 10th to the 18th for over 11 years	Exhibition of goods and services for older people
Veteran compound3	Republic of Buryatia	Aimed to assist in management of a personal subsidiary household	Social orientation; is held for over 2 years for war participants and the disabled	Exhibition-sale of goods produced in personal subsidiary plots
Moscow longevity. Time of new opportunities4	Moscow	Master-classes, seminars, lectures, classes, sports sections, creative laboratories, language classes in each district of the city, aimed at improving health, obtaining new knowledge, skills and creativity development	Takes place for 3 days in the end of April.	Festival exhibition for Muscovites who prefer to lead an active lifestyle and use all the possibilities of the city for self-fulfillment
50 PLUS. All the advantages of mature age5	Moscow, Vladimir, Orenburg, Bashkortostan	Health, fitness, sports, employment, education, financial literacy, legal support	Held annually in November for over 6 years	Exhibition of goods and services for older people

¹ Pro74. Official website [Digital resource]/“Golden age” - 05.12.17. — Digit. resource - Access mode: http://pvo74.ru/show/2018/08/zolotoy-vozrast-50/

² Exhibition Navigator. Official website [Digital resource] “Expo Map” - 17.03.18. — Digital data. - Access mode: https://expomap.ru/expo/dni-starshego-pokoleniya-2018/

³ Bykova 2015

⁴ Mos.ru. Official website [Digital resource]/Time of new opportunities: at VDNKh the “Moscow longevity” festival will be held - 23.04.18. — Digit. data - Access mode: http://www.mos.ru/news/item/39416073

⁵ The “50 PLUS. All the advantages of mature age” Exhibition. 50 PLUS: official website. Access mode: http://www.50plus.ru/vistavki/exhibition/ (date of reference 01.12.2018).

The research presented in this article is aimed at identification of the opportunities for further improvement of the effectiveness of the Forum and Exhibition of the “50 PLUS” Project - the largest exhibition event in Russia, annually held in Moscow, which most comprehensively presents the opportunities, products and services to ensure active longevity (The 50 PLUS... 2018).

The empirical basis for the analysis was obtained in the course of studies conducted by the Center for Research of the Network Economy and the Laboratory of Institutional Analysis of the Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and was collected by means of the personal observation method within the frames of the organisation of the “50 PLUS” Forum, and document analysis.

The methodology of empirical research included two stages: qualitative and quantitative research.

The aim of the qualitative stage of the research was to identify short-term and long-term marketing goals of the company, as well as factors influencing the satisfaction of target audiences with the exhibition activities of the “50 PLUS” Project. In-depth interviews with representatives of the organization and focus group were chosen as a method of research.

The aim of the quantitative research was to identify the audiences’ perception of the forum and exhibition and their needs. Questionnaire survey and observation were chosen as the methods of obtaining information. Research of the needs of exhibition visitors and their perception of the event and the organizing company as a whole was conducted in November 2017 during 3 days of the “50 PLUS. All the advantages of mature age” Forum and Exhibition. Exhibitors, organizers and visitors of the exhibition participated in the survey.

This article presents the results of the analysis of 500 questionnaires of respondents, jointly representing the portrait of a visitor of the exhibition.

The “50 PLUS” Project is aimed at the development of a non-governmental system of support and protection of older citizens. It is a social initiative. One of the main objectives of the Project is to unite the efforts of the state, society and business to improve the quality of life of older people, create conditions for active longevity (Povyshenie kachestva... 2017). The socially oriented “50 PLUS” Project is supported by the state in accordance with the Action Plan for 2016-2020 for the implementation of the “Strategy of Action for the Senior Citizens”, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation Decree №2539-p of 29 November 2016.

Since 2011, the following initiatives have been implemented:

• All-Russian federal newspaper “50 PLUS”;
• Talk show on the channel “Moscow. Trust”;
• “Improving the quality of life of mature and older people. Successful practices. Experience exchange” Conference;
• International conference on “Senior Marketing”, which brings together marketing specialists specializing in products and services for the “50+” category;
• “Big Game” Sports and Intellectual Marathon;
• “50 PLUS. New Life” Festival-Award;
• The festival of creativity of people of senior age — a unique platform where the older generation can exhibit and sell the products of their creative work for free;
• Association of companies operating in the market of goods and services for people of older age;
• The “People’s Card” Project — an interactive platform for systematization of information on goods and services for the target audience;
• “50 PLUS” network of clubs for active leisure of people of older age;
• All-Russian portal “Learn. Work. Earn.” and the first Moscow School of Innovations for older people;
• The “50 PLUS. All the advantages of mature age” Annual International Forum and Exhibition.

Each of these activities has its own concept, which is linked to the concept of the entire Project. All activities are aimed at improving the quality of life and creating comfortable conditions for active life and social adaptation of the older generation.

The association of companies involved in activities in the market of goods and services for “50 PLUS” adults aims to contribute to the formation of a new market niche. Its Plan of Action includes regional and international events, hearings and round tables in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. In 2012, the Project became the founder of the Independent “50 PLUS” Award for the best products and services for elderly people.

The “50 PLUS. All the advantages of mature age” Forum and Exhibition is held annually in the Moscow ExpoCentre on Krasnaya Presnya — with the support of the Department of Social Protection of the City of Moscow and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. This is an open communication platform for exchange of experience in support of adulthood, generalization of domestic and foreign practices in this field. It helps to spread interesting initiatives and practices, to get rid of the “it’s not my age” and “it’s too late” stereotypes, offering a new format of cultural and leisure services that meet the increasing demands of an elderly consumer, as well as the level of modern media and technological processes. The event is attended by manufacturers and salespersons of consumer goods and specialized services, with operating interactive zones — over 60 venues with lectures, seminars and master classes. Main directions of the exhibition: health and sports, employment, educational programs, financial literacy, legal support.

The exhibition includes 10 sections:

• “Learn. Work. Earn.” (seminars on self-development and job search);
• “Health and Healthy Lifestyles” (seminars on healthy nutrition and health);
• “Education and Career” (seminars on educational and career topics);
• “World of Hobbies” (entertainment issues focused on the interests of older people, such as cultural events);
• “Beauty and Fashion” (modern trends in the anti-age beauty industry);
• “Society and the State”, in which issues of civil position and social development are discussed;
• “Finance and Law”, aimed at improving the financial and legal literacy of the population;
• “Leisure and travel”, in which possible directions of travel and leisure are discussed;
• “Comfortable Home” (seminars and master classes on home arrangement);
• The “Food Market” dedicated to healthy foods.

On the final day of the Forum and Exhibition, the final and awarding ceremony of the winners of the “50 PLUS. New life” festival prize take place. Every year, according to the results of the universal vote, the Board of Trustees of the “50 PLUS” Prize awards winners in 8 nominations: “Education”, “Creativity”, “Lifestyle”, “Business”, “Mentoring”, “Good Deed”, “Talent”, “Overcoming”.

The team of the “50 PLUS” Project strives to attract the self-sufficient, successful and capable of making large thought-out purchases to the Forum and Exhibition. They combine life-long savings with the opportunities to use their funds for recreation, tourism and health improvement. This means that there is a need for new attractive products and services, as well as reliable producers and suppliers.

At the time of the study, the organizers recognized that the event was not so much interesting for the people of this social status because the proposed content was originally developed for old people in need of social assistance. The desired target audience is not interested in attending the event, which is perceived more as a goods and services fair, or as a social project for people with low income. This is absolutely not in line with the expectations of middle-income and high-income people who have different interests, lifestyle and needs. In addition, the exhibition was not well adapted to Russian realities, as its format in the starting version repeated the experience of foreign exhibitions of this type.

In order to resolve these problems, additional requirements were needed:

• Analysis of the perception of the exhibition by all stakeholders: visitors, exhibitors, organizers;
• Thorough study of the needs, interests and wishes of the target audience;
• Competent event positioning, a system of organization, communication and adaptation of the exhibition event to the target audience.

Foreign research on the needs and lifestyle improvement of the older generation clearly shows that there is no homogeneity within any age group in terms of marketing (Lazer 1986; Katz 2001; Stroud and Walker 2013; Gilleard and Higgs 2014). Segmentation should be performed not by age strata, but by psychographic characteristics, social status, etc.

On the basis of studies carried out in 2015-2017 by the Center for Research of the Network Economy of Lomonosov Moscow State University, generalized conclusions were made; they can be summarized as follows (Sheresheva et al. 2017, 2018):

1. People of the “50+” category have very different motivation for further work; financial and non-financial factors are equally important and significantly influence when deciding whether to continue working activity. There are those who work for the sake of income, those who see the job as a source of interest and developmen, the rest combine “the pleasant with the useful”. In the city of Moscow the desire of people to work is more than in other Russian regions. In Moscow, the older generation is mainly motivated to continue their career or business to remain independent, while in the other cities of Russia work is often the only opportunity to survive and help close relatives.
2. The need for socialization, self-development and active pastime is more vivid in the capital. However, the awareness of the target audience about the city’s leisure opportunities (free of charge or at a reduced price) is not high. In the era of modernity, it is very difficult for the elderly to find what they need in the huge information flow. Raising grandchildren is also a priority for most respondents.
3. Sports are no less popular among the age of 50+, and the main motivation is health benefits. Respondents love hiking and skiing trips, carrying them out not only in solitude, but also in a family format (for example, with their grandchildren). They are actively engaged in gardening and vegetable growing. For elderly Russians it is especially important to engage in sports in groups created directly for their age category, as it not only provides the opportunity to do sports and improve their health, but also to communicate, to meet peers.
4. Travelling falls into the priorities of those aged 50+, and most respondents love and wish to travel regardless of their social status. Even those who do not have enough money, try to find any opportunity to go somewhere. Many people travel around Russia, especially the inhabitants of the regions. In the capital, more preference is given to foreign trips.
5. The area of goods and services is perceived as attractive enough, although shopping is not perceived as an area of life in which older people would like to spend a lot of time. The main problem is a modest choice of suitable products on the market in terms of price and quality. Important criteria in choosing things are quality and convenience. There is a large differentiation in the consumption of goods and services relative to the financial situation of older people.
6. Most respondents are interested in using the computer and the Internet. The main purposes of being on the Internet space are the search for the target information and being on social networks. People of “50+” use online shops and payment for services via the Internet. In case of difficulties in using the latest technologies, depending on the needs, they ask for help from relatives or attend computer literacy courses. Also, the desire to learn how to use computers and smartphones is connected with the desire to establish contact with young people. Skype is quite popular among the older generation.
7. A holistic image of a person aged 50+ can hardly be created on the basis of mass media. The image they broadcast is regarded as largely distorting reality. Coverage of life and topics relevant to older people is not perceived as interesting by the media, the majority of attention is focused on pessimistic stories that form a distorted impression of the elderly.
8. Despite significant problems in the area of social security, noted as the most serious factors impeding the satisfaction of the older generation (size of pensions, the situation in healthcare), the main criterion for a positive assessment of the quality of life is respect for those aged 50+ as persons, and not as “pensioners” — based on attention and respect behalf society and, in particular, the younger generation.

According to the results of a survey held directly at the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition, the following was revealed:

• 80% of the exhibition visitors are women, 20% are men;
• 24.2% of respondents are in the age group of 60-65 years, 23.3% — 65-70 years, 15.8% — 55-60, 11.2% — 70-75, 10.7% — 50-55, 9.8% — 75-80 years, other visitors are aged “80+”;
• 44.7% are married, 29.4% are unmarried, 25.9% are widowed;
• 87% have children, 13% have no children;
• 45,5% of survey participants receive no financial assistance from children, 40,6% receive assistance, 34,8% - assist their children financially;
• For 88.3% of visitors the main source of income is pension, 20.9% work for salary, 9.7% have their own business, 1.5% receive a disability benefit, the rest have their own production (e.g. vegetable garden) or charitable work;
• 71.3% of respondents work for income, 56.4% for interest and development, the rest have a disability or an age barrier to work (cannot get job because of age);
• 65.9% of respondents would like to have an additional source of income, 18.4% did not need additional funds, 15.6% found it difficult to answer;
• To receive additional income, 61.2% of people are willing to participate in master classes, 55.1% — to listen to lectures, 49.5% — attend training, 24.5% are willing to undergo retraining programs, 23% are not willing ”to develop” for reasons of limited capabilities in health, fatigue, lack of desire and necessity, the presence of many specialties or education degrees, and also have a financial barrier or a stereotype that such expenses are “a waste of money”. The rest of the survey participants are happy to attend exhibitions and festivals, if this allows them to find additional income opportunities;
• 64.9% of respondents came to the exhibition for the first time, 12.6% — attended for the 2nd time, 15.9% — visit annually;
• The exhibition allowed 43.4% of visitors to make new acquaintances, 42.5% to find a new hobby, 36.3% were able to find or get a product or service of interest; 14.2% were able to find business partners, 7.2% did not find anything interesting for themselves, others liked the presentation of the Dr. Bubnovsky Medical Center;
• 73.9% of respondents consider family and children the main value of their generation in Russia, 71.3% consider health the main value, 53% — financial stability, tranquillity, security and independence, 47% give preference to education, self-development and work, 39.1% consider friendship, kindness, motherland and unity as the main values. For the rest, one of the 3 main values in life is: energy, communication, engagement and socialization, new knowledge, system, justice, peace, love, beauty, rest and peace of mind, positiveness and joy, recognition and respect, loyalty and devotion, creativity.

The main products and services that interested visitors are: press, cosmetics, honey, clothing and footwear, body diagnostics, massage, fitness, yoga, qigong, Nordic walking, employment, specialist consultations, excursions, crosswords, fur coats, educational programs.

The most attractive topics are: art, psychology, nutrition, health and medicine, construction, design, parapsychology, volunteering.

Most attention in master classes was paid to: floristry, embroidery, needlework, gardening, drawing, cooking, craftsmanship, sewing, vocals, medical consultations. In addition to specific activities, the exhibition gave respondents the opportunity to communicate, learn something new, “to learn inspiration and positiveness”, “to feel the holiday atmosphere”.

Also, according to the results of the survey, data were collected on the expectations of visitors (Table 4), satisfaction with the event and wishes for its improvement. Most respondents chose between 6 and 7 values (of 10): 29.7% of visitors rated it at 7/10, 25.8% rated at 6/10. There were also those who were very pleased with the exhibition, and those who were extremely disappointed. The calculation showed an average satisfaction rate as 6,47%. Thus, there is considerable room for improvement.

Table 4.Download as CSV 

Expectations of the participants of the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition.

Who?	What do they expect?	What do they get?
The visitor as a target person	Free, new and useful entertainment and activities that are interesting and attractive, meet modern needs and trends. Offers at discounted prices. Convenience, comfort, space for communication and acquaintance, tranquility and pleasure. Memorable souvenirs, gifts.	The same every year, little variety, narrow assortment, the same exhibitors, a fair of goods and services that are unaffordable in terms of price and can be purchased near home. The same not particularly interesting concert program, noise, poor navigation, inconvenient placement, small and uncomfortable exhibition area, as well as the recreation area, high prices. Lack of structure and systematization, overload of excess and unnecessary information
The visitor as a target consumer	An interesting platform for the purchase of goods and services for the elderly at a special price, search for business partners, participation in modern master-classes that are necessary for life improvement, for course enrollment, entry into interest clubs, communication with direct employers, purchase of trips abroad, enjoyment of live music and performances by famous artists, participation in round tables and discussions, new contacts. Representatives of international companies with targeted import offers, participation in private consultations and targeted trainings, communication with foreigners, study of a second or third language are also of interest. Opportunity to participate and get engaged in active activities rather than simply observing as a spectator. Targeted offers and activities for men.	Goods and services do not meet the expectations of the target audience; products are mainly domestic, of low quality. It can be purchased at almost any fair in the area of residence. The opportunity to start business acquaintances is extremely low, as such a public simply does not attend this exhibition because most visitors are pensioners with low income. According to respondents, the proposed master classes are useless and uninteresting. Instead of direct employers there is only the employment office. Noisy concert, not always pleasant music, few famous artists. There is no closed area for business communication. Few specific proposals, especially for men
Organizers	Want to see more active, self-sufficient, wealthy and solvent representatives of the older age, capable of making large thoughtful purchases, wishing to develop and to improve their lives among visitors , and among exhibitors — the business community, more reliable companies, including foreign companies, which can be trusted, offering specialized products at a special price.	The main visitors are family and single people who are experiencing financial difficulties, and who want to find ways to earn money, communicate and relax. The main exhibitors are representatives of small business in Russia, providing goods and services of doubtful quality at average market prices.
Participating exhibitors	Want to see more solvent visitors, convenient navigation, closed rooms for communication with buyers, separation of exhibition blocks by topic, cheaper exhibition space rental	Visitors are not interested in purchasing the offered goods and services at a proposed price. Navigation is inconvenient, it is difficult to find the desired stand. Themes and directions are mixed in the exhibition area, it is difficult to navigate. The rent tariffs are high.

Based on the analysis of the data received, including detailed responses from visitors, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• The concept of the exhibition is focused mainly on women, it causes much less interest among men. Most of the men came to the exhibition with their wives;
• The main target audience of the event is between the ages of 60 and 70. For people who recently crossed the threshold of 50, the exhibition is much less interesting. Visitors over 75 years of age find it difficult to attend the event;
• Over half (55.3 per cent) the visitors (mostly women) are lonely in their private lives and are looking for a companion;
• Most of the respondents do not get financial assistance from their children, some cannot find a common language with the younger generation; the majority of respondents are in need of additional income;
• The main visitors of the exhibition in the “50+” category are divided into 2 subgroups: those of average financial well-being and an income level just below average;
• The main source of income of the respondents is pension, but a large part of visitors continues to work because they love what they do; work is their only opportunity for additional money, communication and socialization. Most people are ready to develop and work further if they have the opportunity and understanding of how to implement this need. At the same time, many people feel tired of work and want to finally start enjoying life and get their well-deserved rest-time;
• Most visitors came to the exhibition for the first time, but almost a third of respondents visit it repeatedly. There are much more women who are on a repeated visit; men rarely attend the event again. Respondents believe that though the exhibition itself does not always meet their expectations, the concept and idea of this event is rather impressive, and they hope to see something new when they visit it again;
• The participants of the exhibition received the greatest pleasure due to the fact that they were able to make new acquaintances and engage in various activities and hobbies. Only a third of the visitors were able to find the goods and services they were interested in.

Accordingly, it is reasonable to recommend a number of measures to adapt the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition to the needs and peculiarities of older Russians.

First of all, it is necessary to create a clear concept of positioning the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition; it is important to present it not as a charity project, but as a project of corporate and social accountability.

It is necessary to take into account the interests of regular visitors of the event, new and potential visitors. However, it is impossible to limit these considerations to merely age requirements: segmentation should be based not on age strata, but on wider characteristics (income, psychographic profile), which can be identified by questionnaire survey and determine differences in lifestyles.

Therefore, it is necessary to separate the activities of the “50 PLUS” Project, and, in particular, the Forum and Exhibition into different categories; to conduct different activities for people with middle and upper middle income, and separately for people with low incomes. The first group includes a large number of older working people with high social activity and market orientation, while the second group has very limited opportunities in terms of purchasing power, and they are in need of assistance and suport. The first group is more sensitive to the proposed characteristics of brands, their emotional component, while the second group focuses primarily on price characteristics and needs more social protection and philanthropy. Nevertheless, even this group is of interest to business, — it is more committed and loyal to brands that have once proved their value in terms of price and quality, they are more reliable in loan payments, they are ready to save in order to make a gift for their loved ones, and most often they make purchases on their own.

In addition, it is worth organizing several separate events, divided by themes and interests; make some exhibitions general and introductory, and others — specialized. According to responses to the questionnaire, the visitors of the exhibition call for that. Firstly, they would like this exhibition to be held more than 1-2 times a year, and to last longer than 3 days, because during this time it is simply impossible to learn and experience everything. Besides, visitors get very tired of noise and over-information, and there is hardly anywhere to rest in silence. Secondly, each subgroup of consumers of old age has its own interests, hobbies, and, most importantly, values and purposes for visiting the exhibition.

Among the respondents, there were many people who complained of the low-quality organization of the event. Appeal for help to the workers of the exhibition did not always help, they could not answer the questions of visitors. Therefore, it is necessary to attract qualified personnel, motivate employees, prepare for the exhibition in advance and conduct thorough briefing and regular training, both for the Project employees and for Forum and Exhibition recruits.

According to the results of sociological research, people of older age often hesitate to ask questions to salespersons or organizers. Very often this is due to the fact that students, volunteers and representatives of companies who work at the exhibition are young people, i.e. buyers and salespeople are from different generations, they speak “different languages” and use different terminology. To correct this, it is necessary to attract more peers of the target audience to conduct the event and participate in it, thereby reducing barriers of communication. It is also reasonable to organize special training for young people, employees and participants of the “50 PLUS” Project, whose purpose will be to communicate with the older generation.

On the other hand, the role of participating exhibitors should not be underestimated. Thorough assessment of current and potential participants will help understand how to attract new visitors and exhibitors, as well as increase the loyalty of those who already participate in the event. It is necessary to perform more careful selection of exhibitors, enterprises that offer unique and better quality products, including foreign partners from different business areas developing goods and services for older people.

The exhibition area should be divided into zones by theme with special marking, so that visitors could easily find what interests them. Moreover, it is necessary to make preliminary registration so that visitors can register in advance for free health diagnostics, a computer literacy lesson, consultation, lecture, training or master class, and come by a certain time. This will help to reduce the burden on all participants of the exhibition, elderly people will get less tired.

At many foreign exhibitions, participants are given digital badges, which are scanned when visiting a particular exhibitor. This greatly simplifies and speeds up communication processes, facilitates the work of exhibitors and gives the visitor the opportunity to relax and not fill out the various forms once again. This practice is particularly useful for the aged visitors: it will be possible to send the visitor’s data to the exhibitors, who, if necessary, can contact him/her and send commercial offers.

The “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition traditionally take place at the ExpoCentre, and for many people it is a very inconvenient venue due to chaotic entrances that make it difficult to find the right pavilion. Due to the difficulties in movement and lack of free parking, organizers should organize a transfer from the metro station to the exhibition. Besides, it is necessary to hang out program of the event at each entrance, place digital stands and organize navigation through the Forum and Exhibition with the help of volunteers.

Most visitors would like to see more advertising of this event. Many of those who came to the exhibition for the first time reported that they had never heard of the “50 PLUS” Project before. This indicates the problems in planning and implementation of the communication campaign because the exhibition has been held for over 6 years. Priority was given to the use of various traditional media, however, as shown by the survey of visitors, the majority still learned about the exhibition from the Internet, from acquaintances, at Social Services Centers, Multifunctional Centers and other state and social institutions. Therefore, in our opinion, it will be useful to increase the emphasis on online communications. In Russia, there is developed “word of mouth” among elderly people, many of them are ready to share their opinions not only with close relatives, but also with friends and acquaintances, including on social networks. It is advisable to advertise on the websites of State Services, Active Citizen, Official website of the Mayor of Moscow, to make e-mail subscription to different databases of contacts of the aged population (Timepad, for instance).

To increase event attendance in the future, it is necessary to conduct a number of studies among the male audience in order to understand which activities should be organized for them at the exhibition. It is reasonable to investigate the target audience with a higher social status more thoroughly in order to attract this category of consumers to the activities of the “50 PLUS” Project.

It should also be noted that it is important to improve cooperation between the state and business on the development of targeted proposals for the older population in general and for presentation during the Forum and Exhibition in particular. Building partnerships based on agreement with the non-governmental sector enables successfully resolving the social problems of the state and taking into account the interests of consumers. It is necessary to increase the trust of entrepreneurs to each other and to the state, to change the views of the state and business regarding the aged category of consumers, on the one hand, and the attitude of Russians of the older generation to the state and business, on the other. Stereotypes of Russians of “silver age”, their fears and psychological attitudes are barriers to decision-making and active participation in society. Many of them need support in terms of their involvement in public activity, as well as broadening their horizons about trends, offers and opportunities in the market.

As noted above, “silver” consumers are a very heterogeneous group in terms of habits, interests and many other characteristics. For them, not only health and quite are important, but also the opportunity to get involved, to live one more life, to gain new knowledge, experience and impressions, to remain active participants in the life of their homeland, to stay in society, communicate, be needed and respected. Taking into account these values will make a success of companies among this target audience.

The success of any business, whether commercial or social, is rooted in a deep understanding of its target consumer, based on a careful study of its characteristics, interests and requests. This is certainly the case of businesses dealing with goods and services for consumers of older ages.

In Russia, “silver marketing” is a new direction, many entrepreneurs do not yet know how to establish contact with the “aged” category of consumers. To make a brand profitable and beneficial to people and competitive in the market, it is necessary to understand and apply the most effective marketing tools to help a company/organization implement its plans, satisfy consumers, partners and other participants of the business space.

One of the most effective marketing tools for interaction and study of the consumer age category is an exhibition, which is a powerful communication platform. It helps to achieve the goals of the company and represents all the achievements of the industry’s market at the moment, giving an opportunity to clearly see the current market situation, as well as to penetrate new territories and niches.

Exhibitions provide an opportunity to build marketing communication not only in terms of product promotion to markets, but also in terms of assessment of consumer perception of these products, its demand and competitiveness.

Based on the conclusions of the analysis of the results obtained by the authors of this article in 2016-2018, it is possible to draw a number of conclusions about the perception of the target audience of the “50 PLUS” Project in general, as well as about the perception of the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition by visitors and about directions to improve this event.

From the first year of its holding the Forum and Exhibition was generally perceived either as a fair of goods and services, or as a social project to support older citizens. This contradicts the idea of the organizers that the main target audience of this event is active older people with middle and upper middle income, who should be the “engine of development” of the “50 PLUS” Project, aimed at promoting the principles of active longevity and stimulating the relevant activity of business and the state.

The main problem of achieving the goals of all stakeholders, as well as the effectiveness and quality of the event, is that the buyer cannot find his salesperson, and the salesperson— a buyer; there is demand, but there is no supply in response, there is supply, but there is no sufficient demand due to disinterest or various barriers (Table 4).

It is necessary to develop a systematic approach in order to achieve the goals of all stakeholders, attract the target audience to the event, increase the satisfaction of exhibition visitors and expand opportunities to improve their quality of life. To do this, it is necessary to create different models of interaction between the state, business and NGOs, including the infrastructure approach and the network model of interaction. This implies the formation of infrastructure to support the development of social and commercial services for the event by expanding the range of participating structures: state bodies, development institutions, business entities. Further development of the “50 PLUS” Forum and Exhibition by means of accumulation of resources of a wide range of participants and formation of a resource base of projects will reduce implementation costs and contribute to a cumulative effect.

Integration of efforts, decentralization and joint activities of organizations that sell products and services to the target audience, resulting in the formation of joint groups of participants using the resources of several companies, will help to reduce the excessive burden on the organizers of the project, create a sustainable supporting infrastructure, the basis for the creation of new products and services for older persons.

It is reasonable to integrate all participants of the process into a single communication space for interaction of competences around a single organizational core, with a clear distribution of roles and responsibilities on the development of certain segments, as well as on the sharing of benefits achieved by bringing together and enhancing mutually reinforcing organizations.

A limitation of our research is the fact that the analysis is carried out on the example of a single (albeit the largest) exhibition event (the “50 PLUS” Project Forum and Exhibition). In this regard, it is necessary to carry out further research, covering other similar events taking place in Moscow and other regions of Russia. This will enable adjusting the findings if necessary, increasing their validity and allow for scaling up the problems identified and the recommendations formulated.

In conclusion, we emphasize once again that the core of success in modern markets is the application of the basic principle of marketing, which states that the purpose of the company should be to meet the needs of the consumer, leading to the formation of loyalty. Regardless of the size of the company, customer orientation is necessary for it, hence the value of all marketing tools that help build relationships with target audiences. Therefore, participation in exhibitions acquires growing value for companies as an additional tool for working with target audiences.

Marina Yurievna Sheresheva, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Head of the Center for Network Economics Research, Head of the Laboratory for Institutional Analysis, Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University. E-mail : m.sheresheva@mail.ru

Ksenia Timurovna Yakovleva, Master of Management, Senior Coordinator on Commercialization, PepsiCo Russia Holdings. E-mail: ksuhayk@gmail.com