Advita Patel, Founder & Managing Director at CommsRebel
After George Floyd’s murder there was a surge of activity in the events industry around diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. But now we’re seeing things begin to slip back to a pre-pandemic state.
If companies aren’t committed to expanding their contact list and continually learning, we’ll continue to hear the same voices speaking at events and reinforce the barriers keeping people out. We need to hear different voices and perspectives so we don’t get bored, spark new ideas and catalyse innovation – in every industry. Plus, refusing to listen to underrepresented or marginalised people reinforces the false narrative that certain groups aren’t welcome in that space. Is that really the message we want to be sending?
But it’s not just about who’s on stage. The environment of an event needs to be created with everyone in mind, not just a few. There’s the basics, like step-free access throughout the venue and captioning. But what about a quiet breakout room and live streaming and recording the event so guests can step out and not miss out? Or a work zone for people who aren’t free to take the whole day off? It’s important to keep coming back to the curb-cut effect: a ramp doesn’t just help attendees who use a wheelchair but makes your event better for many people who find it difficult to use steps.
Working with a diverse venue team is also key, to help you sense-check ideas, minimise bias and come up with extra suggestions. As Bates and Patel state in Building A Culture of Inclusivity (2023), “making progress in diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) and creating positive cultures has to be a team effort.”
