HOW EVENTS CAN BETTER FOSTER INCLUSION IN 2022
Fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion requires action. We live in a world that is in need of significant change consistently, and we all have a role to play in making it happen. As members of the event industry, we have a responsibility to our clients, vendors, performers, and attendees to show that inclusivity is not just talked about, but manifested at every level.
Wizard Studios has always taken great pride in ensuring that we embody the types of changes we look for in the world, with the aspirations to inspire other event production companies to follow suit. Learn how event producers and organizers can increase representation and build a better community.
Invite Diverse Voices to the Stage
Representation matters. Who you hand the microphone over to matters. Whose perspective your event is choosing to highlight matters. This is crucial to understand in order to foster inclusivity in the events world. Your choice of speaker says a lot about your company and what your event is prioritizing.
Your audience has signed up because they want to learn, grow, and get a new perspective on important issues. With so many extraordinarily bright individuals and so many wonderful resources to find them online, there’s no excuse to not diversify your panel and give plenty of room so these voices can be heard. Include people of all genders, races, and cultures. If you are encouraging speakers to apply for your conference or event, make it very transparent that you want to include a diverse array of voices. Be considerate and clear with your wording to make sure you’re not practicing “tokenism”, but instead that your company is working to ensure that your event reflects your community.
Build a Diverse Team
Most event production companies look to cultivate inclusion in their events, but are likely not valuing that same inclusion amongst their own programming team. In order to create a more diverse and inclusive event, you’ll need to do more than recruit varying speakers.There is truly no better way to start embodying diversity in the event\ industry than from the inside out.
The more diverse and multicultural your team, the better for your company, your events, and your audiences. Highlighting inclusivity on your own creation and production team at a genuine level, helps you understand unique and important perspectives from the multiple voices of different backgrounds and experiences. This only helps your organization expand its reach and growth in humanity. In addition, it moves your organization away from a strictly performative sense of diversity (always keeping inclusion at arm’s length) to exemplifying it as a foundational value within your company. Want to make sure you can reach these important goals? Consider appointing someone as an Event Inclusivity/Diversity Coordinator to ensure all internal and external practices embody the sense of inclusion that your company is aiming for.
Make your Event Accessible for All
Our world still has a lot of continued growth and improvements to make in regards to fostering more inclusivity, so let’s get one thing straight: accessibility is a part of inclusivity. If you deny accessibility, you are denying inclusivity. Luckily, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has created an event organizer’s list of guidelines that can help you ensure your event is as friendly to disabled attendees as able-bodied guests. This list includes allowing service animals, hiring sign language interpreters, and training your staff to have the skills to speak with disabled people and offer assistance if needed.
Accessibility extends to finances, as well. There could be countless individuals that would not only benefit from your event, but also really want to attend, but can’t afford it. If you would really like your event to be inclusive and accessible to all, consider offering event scholarships, reduced ticket prices for students or those who may have been directly affected by an economic crash, or a tiered ticketing system that gives access to individuals depending on what they can afford to pay. These small changes can go a long way and your audience will appreciate more than you could ever know.
In the end, all of our current efforts to build diversity in the event industry are really just the start of it all. This is a work in progress. We believe in a future where people facing systemic oppression and inequality aren’t just able to attend, but their voices are vital. Inclusivity is at the core of Wizard Studios, as we’ve been creating solutions that inspire and engage with humanity at the center. If you’re interested in transforming your next event into an extraordinary gathering, rich with opportunities to better foster inclusivity, be sure to contact Wizard Studios today!