Meetings can help make positive change towards the community and environment, as well as bring together attendees capable of making the world a better place. But once the perfect venue, great accommodations and transport for a great event have been sorted, there’s still some vital attendee needs that aren’t always readily apparent. Here’s some tips to ensure that your Diversity, Equality and Inclusion approach makes everyone feel welcome — not to mention some blind spots it’s easy to overlook.
The tip of the iceberg
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is a vital part of any event, best viewed as a Diversity Iceberg where only the tip is visible above the surface with many other considerations existing beneath the waterline. While it’s easy to take steps to prepare an event for the differences we can easily see — age, race and gender — there’s a world of invisible points that also require consideration. Taking special care to create a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ population, speakers of different languages, and views both political and religious is just a start to ensuring everyone feels welcome.
“One of the hardest areas to tackle is unconscious bias,” explains Business Events Montréal’s Regional Director John Ehlenfeldt, who serves of the global board or trustees for Meeting Professionals International and obtained a DEI certification from Cornell University. “How do you unlock that within yourself? It requires a lot of reflection. It’s something that I’ve integrated in my career as well as in my personal life.”
Incorporate inclusion every step of the way
Think beyond just what you can see and prepare your event for the needs of your attendees through questionnaires and open communication channels in advance. By showing this effort beforehand, your guests will feel included before they even arrive — and you’ll have your bases covered from the outset.
“That’s one of the areas that Montréal shines in as a destination,” says Ehlenfeldt. “The culture of the destination encourages people to bring their true and authentic selves.”
Follow the lead of events like Montréal’s Startupfest (whose inclusivity initiatives have included offering discounted tickets for those with different budgetary constraints) with specially designed operatives to open the door wide to all.
Accessibility matters
When it comes to ensuring that those with special accessibility requirements are able to fully enjoy the event like all other attendees, it’s also important to consider those whose needs are also not instantly visibly recognizable. Taking steps to create a workable and safe atmosphere for the deaf, blind and even chemically sensitive will let the attending members of those communities experience all aspects of the event equally. Above all else, it’s extremely important for your crew to respect everyone’s independence by creating a space easily navigated by all who enter.
Diversity in the kitchen
There’s much more to think about than just allergies when it comes to food served onsite, and nut, gluten and other allergen-free options are becoming standard fare at events of all sizes. But there are other sensitivities to keep in mind, like ensuring those who are vegetarian or who keep halal or kosher are offered what they require at meal times. They say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, and it certainly is true for attendees.
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