How to create an inclusive and diverse event

Recent world events regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and Pride Month have driven businesses and communities to recognize their social responsibility in providing accessibility and inclusivity in their workplace and events. Veertly has its own small, but diverse team, housing members from Germany and Switzerland, to Canada, and India and we recognize the importance of a diverse team to foster value and understanding with each other. A diverse team also brings a variety of different perspectives, solutions, and skills to the table, which can often boost company performance and assist in adapting quickly to the evolving needs within markets.

Likewise, it is important for event organizers to foster diversity in events, and to ensure that your event is accessible to variety of different individuals. This will enable you to increase engagement and foster understanding within your community, as well as enable your community to grow. To help you do so, we have laid out three main tips to keep in mind when organizing your next inclusive event!

Have diversity in your speaker panels

When selecting your speakers, keep your diverse audience in mind. A diverse panel enables the event to become host to a blend of opinions, experiences, and stories which can make for some great and engaging presentations and conversations! Additionally, attendees are more encouraged to go to an event if they see someone with similar experiences pursuing a similar goal or career; this goes a long way in terms of empowering these attendees to become involved within your community and to eliminate the ‘I’m the only one’ fear when pursuing their own goals.

Keep in mind your attendee’s needs

This can range from dietary needs to venue accessibility! You don’t want any of your attendees to be hungry throughout breakout sessions, or for them to leave early to feed themselves. Make sure you offer a diverse platter to accommodate all sorts of dietary needs. In terms of venue, ensure that your venue contains accessible features, such as a ramp, automatic door, or inclusive bathroom. One great way to enhance accessibility to your event is to host your event online (for those who can not attend your event), which allows you to reach and provide opportunities for an even greater population of diverse individuals. Also in an online event, your attendees might need a little coffee break. We’re a little bit biased, but we believe Veertly is the best virtual event platform to do so!

Have a diverse event planning team

Often times, you can not understand an individual’s needs or experiences unless if you have been in the person’s shoes yourself. Creating an all-inclusive event starts from the root — your team. Your team is what creates the event ground up, and a diverse set of inputs and opinions will allow you to tackle multiple obstacles at once to allow for an accessible event built from a diversified set of experiences.

It’s definitely not easy organizing an event to accommodate and include everyone, however, doing so will ensure that all individuals within your community are empowered and given the same opportunities to pursue their goals. We would love to hear your thoughts on how we, as Veertly, can become more inclusive as a company, so feel free to drop us a message here. As world events begin to settle down, Veertly will always support diverse individuals within our community. Black Lives will always Matter ✊🏿and our LGBTQIA+ friends will always be celebrated 🏳️‍🌈 — Happy Pride!

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