Incorporating DEI into Business Events

In today's globalized and interconnected business landscape, fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. Business conferences and events serve as crucial platforms for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. By intentionally incorporating DEI principles into these gatherings, organizers can create environments that reflect the rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences within the professional community. We’ll explore a bit why DEI matters in business events and provides actionable steps on how to effectively integrate diversity and inclusion that welcomes all people.

If you are still wondering why DEI matters in Business Events, then follow along. If you already know that it is key to your success, then you can skip ahead. Most business events are held for a variety of reasons from increasing ROI, to providing spaces to continue to build and further relationships with members or customers. Some events focus on education and knowledge sharing. Many include elements to help the host of the meeting be viewed as the thought leader in that business or industry.  

Some organizations or companies hold events because they recognize that by gathering diverse groups of people in a non-traditional office setting, they can get some stellar out of the box thinking, driving creativity and problem-solving within their business or industry. Some business events also include elements of recruiting talent (either intentionally or unintentionally.) Given that the world is a diverse place, and the reality is that as global access increases, we are interacting with people from every nation, culture, background, and frequently on a daily basis.

So do you want your recruiting for example to not reflect a diverse environment if your organization claims to be supportive of DEI principles? Or should your event be equally reflective of your values? Can you truly increase knowledge and education sharing if you are not being inclusive of cultures or access even? And are you really a thought leader if you are only representing a small non-diverse microcosm? And what kind of relationships and partnerships are you truly building if you are only focusing on those like you?

There are real business result reasons as to why DEI matters in your business events. It’s not just doing the right thing. From productivity, recruitment, relationship building, knowledge gathering and sharing. Now that we see these are genuinely important outcomes that increases your company’s bottom-line as well as their values, the big question is how do we implement DEI in events?

First and foremost, you have to plan and build your event asking yourself each step of the way, is this diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Get in the habit of asking yourself that throughout the planning process, from site selection and contracting to ordering your food and beverage!

If you are just getting started though here are 6  areas that can be of assistance for increasing DEI in your business events:

1. Diverse Speakers:

   Ensure that your speaker lineup from your keynotes to breakout speakers represent a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Aim for gender balance, ethnic diversity, and include speakers from different industries and career levels. Every single attendee should feel at some point that they are represented by your speakers!

2. Inclusive Marketing and Promotion:

   Use inclusive language and imagery in promotional materials. Highlight the diverse range of participants to convey that the event is welcoming to all. Avoid stereotypical representations and tokenism. Look at every picture taken and used for marketing. Read the language, is it relatable to a variety of generations? Can you segment your marketing? BUT and this is crucial, make sure that your marketing also accurately reflects the event itself. You can’t provide diverse marketing and then create a very exclusive event!

3. Accessible Venue and Resources:

   If your meeting is being booked in the US, every property has to hold up to the American Disability standards.  That is not true outside of the States.  But just because it is ADA compliant, doesn’t mean a property is truly accessible. Not only should you be looking at mobility access, but what about how you’ve set your meeting up, are your aisles big enough, are there clear views of the screen and speaker, etc. And accessibility is not limited to physical mobility, what about pricing? Is your event outpriced or being held at a venue that most of your attendees can not afford? Additionally, can you provide resources such as captioning, sign language interpreters, and materials in multiple languages to accommodate diverse needs. These things can be cost prohibitive but with technology there are also a lot of creative ways to access things. In addition, a good way to overcome travel accessibility or even cost accessibility, a digital or virtual option may serve your event well and should be considered.

4. Interactive Discussions and Spaces that Encourage Expression:

   Design the overall event, breakouts, and networking to encourage active participation from all attendees. Incorporate diverse perspectives not just into the content and structure of sessions but also into your networking and discussion times. Be sure to include in your conference materials, or even have your emcee mention that all ideas and questions are welcome. Incorporate a code of conduct that supports DEI.  Design a networking opportunity that encourages attendees to connect with people outside their usual circles. Icebreaker activities and diverse networking formats can help break down barriers.

5. Food And Beverage Inclusivity:

    Many planners when looking at a menu or selecting food for events do not truly consider the impact of not having any food available that an attendee can eat. It really is critical to collect dietary and allergy information in advance whenever possible. And if you are doing any sort of registration process, it is always possible. If you do not have a registration process, it certainly becomes more challenging. So be sure to cover all your basics and make certain that at a minimum that each food event has something that vegans can eat. But also make sure there are gluten-free options that are also vegan. Make sure that there are fun alcohol-free options not just water and soda. (A vegan option is something that vegetarians, dairy-free, and most religious groups, can eat without having to cover 10 different meals.)

6. Commitment from Leadership:

  If your Business Event does not have support and the clear demonstration of support to the commitment of DEI principles from your leadership it will easily be pushed aside.  So when designing your event, make sure to include your company values and to reinforce and request leadership to pay attention to each activity. As the event draws closer, outline for them what DEI principles and considerations were taken into account so that they can be supportive and reinforce them while at the event! Leadership buy-in is crucial for fostering a culture of inclusion, both within the company and at conferences and events.

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into business conferences is not just about checking boxes; it's about creating environments that celebrate and leverage the richness of human diversity. It’s also not just about ‘doing the right thing’ it is about living it and encouraging others to do the same.  By embracing DEI principles, business event planners can contribute to a more inclusive and innovative landscape. Through intentional efforts, we can transform business events into catalysts for positive change and progress and a clear, accurate representation for your company’s values.