Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion into Your Event

Business events can be powerful experiences for businesses and professionals. They provide the perfect environment for connecting, exploring, and learning. Most industries today try to address diversity and inclusion. But many events can still fall short. There are still more male speakers than female.

Forgetting or ignoring certain people groups can leave attendees feeling out of place and sometimes unwelcome. Building an event that delivers strong experiences and outcomes means prioritizing attendees. Being sincere about including everyone and embracing diversity can literally make or break your event.

Let’s take a look at some ways to master diversity and inclusion in your event’s structure.

1.   Choose a Diverse Speaker Lineup

About two-thirds of professional event speakers are male. Traditionally, speakers travel between events, which tends to make events exclusionary toward caregivers, who are typically female. But today, there are virtual and hybrid options that can make it easier to diversify your speaker lineups. It’s important to choose speakers who can represent a variety of people groups and cultures. This is not just about appearances; it’s about making a wider group of attendees feel welcomed.

2. Prioritize Accessibility

Today’s hybrid and virtual events help make them accessible to more people. But there is something about being able to attend an in-person event. No matter what type of event you are hosting, it’s important to master accessibility. Here are a few tips:

·   Choose a venue that is wheelchair accessible, has accessible parking spaces, and allows service animals.

·   Include sign language interpreters and make sure to include them for your virtual audience as well as your in-person attendees.

·   Make sure the event design is accessible. Seats shouldn’t be crammed together, for instance, allowing enough room for everybody.

·   Ask attendees to share their accessibility needs when they sign up for your event. This lets you work with the venue and other partners to ensure accessibility.

3.   Attendee Name Pronunciation or Pronouns

You want your attendees to get the most out of your event. This means you’ll need to remove barriers that may make someone feel uncomfortable. A mispronounced name or being misgendered can feel uncomfortable or embarrassing. Whether your event is in-person, virtual, or hybrid, you want everyone to feel welcomed. Here are a couple of options to help.

·   Attendee Name Pronunciation. You can add a pronunciation key to your event name tags, so that attendees will all feel welcomed.

·   Set Pronouns. Whether you put personal pronouns on event name badges or on online event profiles, include the most common pronouns to ensure everyone feels welcome. (he/him/ his, she/her/hers) You can also allow custom pronouns if you plan ahead.

4.   Build Accessible Event Websites

Diversity isn’t just about the event. It’s also how you publicize and advertise your event. Make sure your event website and social media platforms show how your event values diversity and inclusivity. Your event website should be ADA and WCAG compliant so that it is accessible and allows for equal access for people of all abilities. Here are a few tips to help.

·   Include alt text on all images

·   Structure content logically and meaningfully

·   Make website navigation intuitive for those who only use a keyboard

·   Choose fonts, font colors, and font sizes that meet accessibility guidelines.

·   Leave enough white space between design elements for easy viewing

5.   Use Inclusive Graphics and Images

The images used on your event website and social media posts should represent your audience. Failing to secure a diverse speaker lineup may turn away some potential attendees. Graphics should emphasize inclusivity so that potential attendees will see themselves as part of your ideal participant.

Name Tag Pros Specializes in Event Name Tag Designs

From adding pronoun choices to choosing fonts and colors, Name Tag Pros can ensure your event name tags are inclusive and representative of your brand and event.