ZCON highlights gap in conference agendas—and Gen Z's contributions to culture

While conversations about marketing to Gen Z dominate conferences, the founders of ZCON believed that the generation being talked about should have more access to the mic.

On Oct. 24 and 25, UTA Next Gen hosted ZCON, an event that brought together creators, marketers and media executives for panels with exclusively Gen Z speakers. Programming ranged from inclusion in the beauty space, Gen Z’s voting power and a creator award show hosted by Cosmopolitan.

The team was focused on infusing community into the conference, and stressed that their ROI was whether or not each attendee made a new connection, or “bestie.” The event housed a combination of pride, lightheartedness and earnest conversation, with opportunities for brands to better understand this generation. Since Gen Z is projected to be the largest and wealthiest generation in history, according to a Nielsen IQ report, ZCON stressed that brands can’t afford to not pay attention.

“The hustle that Gen Z has is just so incredible,” said Allen Ortega, global head of social and influence at CeraVe, speaking to a generation that entered adulthood during a pandemic. “We’ve been able to thrive in challenging environments and make something beautiful out of them, which is now this world of content that we live in.”

Spotlighting young perspectives

Invisalign took the stage on day two for a conversation on mental health and confidence. The panel included actress Kensington Tallman, who shared that she booked her lead role in Inside Out 2 while wearing her Invisalign, dubbing it her “good luck charm.”

Global brand president Kamal Bhandal shared that while Invisalign was once thought of as a product for older generations, a partnership with Charli D’Amelio that began in 2020 “put (the brand) on the map” among creators and a social-first demographic.  

“If we want to be a brand for Gen Z, we have to be a brand by Gen Z,” said Bhandal. “We work with our Gen Z team members to find the style of content that is really going to land.” 

Brands also used the conference as a hub for research. Sarah Armstrong, associate brand manager at Axe, worked the brand’s booth to solicit feedback on new product scents.

 “Maybe 15 to 16 year old guys can’t afford a Gucci or Tom Ford fragrance, but we’re seeing that the way young people think about attraction is also about everyday realness,” said Armstrong, who said the brand is shifting its budget from linear TV into social and creator work. “We want to show that Axe is listening, and that we know what you want and are delivering.” 

Challenging misconceptions 

The event kicked off with a trivia segment from Spotify, which was hosted by creators Eric Sedeño and Clark Peoples and inspired by the brand’s Gen Z Trends report. Despite the perception that Gen Z isn’t interested in long-form content, the segment shared that Gen Z watched 2.9 billion minutes of video podcasts in the first five months of 2024. 

Linkedin was focused on redefining its platform as a tool for more than just corporate spaces. Creator Gage Gomez, who has worked with Gucci, Amazon Student and Microsoft, said the platform led a standout panel. 

“Because social media and influencing is (one of) the most sought-after jobs in the world right now, the stereotype of Linkedin being a networking hub for a traditional 9-5 job has strayed people away from using it,” he said. “I think it’s important for creators on other platforms to promote Linkedin and familiarize individuals who are just starting on social media to get back on.” 

On a panel about inclusive beauty, Creator Antoni Bumba celebrated Gen Z’s continuous supply of creativity, which was a theme throughout the event.

“If I stop creating tomorrow, there’s gonna be someone else making better shit two weeks down the line,” he said. “ I love being Gen Z. I don’t know what I’d do if I was born any earlier.”