And whenever possible, couple education with entertainment, says Sladek. That could mean incorporating games into the session, doing role-playing, using video, or having a competition, like the Research Chef Association does. RCA launched an “Iron Chef”-style cooking competition at the meeting for student teams from universities with culinary arts programs. It's a highlight of the meeting, not only for students, but for attendees who gather to watch.

More advice: Kill the PowerPoint, lose the canned presentations, and keep the sessions to 90 minutes, tops. “The idea of us sitting through a session for two hours is a major turnoff,” says Dorsey. Janssen agrees. “I avoid the talking heads,” she says. “It just makes me shut down.”

Promote (Get Viral)

To get Gen Ys to come to your meeting, you need to create buzz — get viral.

To get people talking about your meeting, Janssen suggests letting members get involved with the selection of some speakers via the Web. The presenter or entertainer could submit a short video to be posted on the meeting's Web site so the attendees can decide, “American Idol”-style, which speakers they want.

Another way to promote the meeting is to set up “blogging cafes” where people can post about their experiences at the convention in real time. “They want the exposure, they want the publicity, they want to be recognized — if you ask them to participate, to somehow be in control of the content, they are more than likely going to be evangelists for you,” says Mease.

Dorsey agrees. “The first thing I do is send out an e-mail to my list or text message my friends — it's very viral. If associations can get a critical mass of young professionals to go out and be cheerleaders, to write about their associations in their blogs and promote the fact that they are members and enjoy the meetings — those kind of things feed off each other,” he says.

Some forward-thinking associations are even using YouTube to spread the word. For its meeting this June, the National Apartment Association, Arlington, Va., is going to create a two-minute video about the conference and post it on YouTube, explains Jeremy Figoten, vice president of meetings and expositions.

YouTube could also be used to gain exposure for a good speech or performance at the conference. Think of the “Evolution of Dance” video that everyone saw a year ago. One of the most popular videos in YouTube history, it was performed by a guy who works the convention circuit.

Text messaging is also being used at conventions to appeal to Gen Ys. At last year's NAA convention, a large sponsor held a contest where participants would text responses to a given number to win prizes and discounts. They marketed the contest by having staff wear shirts that said: “Got Text?” explains Figoten.

Whatever the medium, the marketing message should be simple, to the point, perhaps irreverent, to appeal to young professionals. Dorsey suggests sending a postcard that lists five reasons why a young professional should come to the meeting. Don't be afraid to use humor and spell out concise, concrete benefits of attending.

While Gen Ys are inclined to join associations, association leaders should not assume they will. “Those that go after young members will thrive, while those that don't will struggle,” says Sladek.

But if you take the time to understand what Gen Ys want and reach out to them, they will be enthusiastic members. “They are really hungry for it,” says Dorsey. “Gen Ys have all the characteristics of loyal association members,” he says. “It's a golden opportunity for associations.”

By the Young, for the Young

There are more than 300 young professional associations in the U.S., according to Molly Foley, lead consultant, Next Generation Consulting, which runs the Young Professionals Summit, a national meeting for young professionals. Most have started up within the last five years, she says. In that period, for example, the Boston YPA has attracted 10,000 members and the Milwaukee version, Fuel Milwaukee, has gained 5,500 members.

While many are regional, some have gone national. The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network started in 1997 with one chapter in San Francisco, but it has since added about 20 chapters in the U.S. Three years ago a national office, and a meeting, were launched. The organization now has about 10,000 members, says Josh Solomon, co-chair, YNPN National.

The association grew out of the sense that there weren't a lot of defined career paths or professional development opportunities in the nonprofit sector for young professionals to move from entry-level to mid-level or from mid-level to senior-level positions, he says.