When it comes to educational sessions at association meetings, lecturers bearing PowerPoint presentations still reign supreme, but that model is changing. New generations of attendees demand more active participation in learning, while at the same time the cultural background and individual learning styles of attendees can play roles in making educational sessions compelling—or boring. The most pervasive demographic shift is the generational one. The members of Generation Y, who were born in the 1980s and '90s, are just entering the workforce. They number 60 million Americans. As a group, they are more than double the size of Generation X and a rival to the 72-million-member baby boom generation.Members of Generations X and Y literally will not sit still for "a talking head behind a lectern," according to Kathleen Edwards, president of CompassPoints in Havre de Grace, MD, a consultancy that helps associations create more effective educational programs."Younger generations are growing up with multiple opportunities for engagement in learning," says Edwards. "They have computers and the Internet in school, rotating classes, hands-on experiences. They have shorter attention spans. They will not be happy with the traditional way of doing things." In fact, some planners report that younger attendees are brazen enough to log onto their BlackBerries to pass the time, or simply leave the room.