I am Tired of Diversity Events that Lack Diversity

Not all differences in people can be seen, but some differences are so glaringly obvious that when there is a lack of representation in the room, it stands out like a sore thumb and doesn’t go unnoticed. This is the case when attending certain events, the aim of which is to promote diversity in our workplaces.

Yesterday I attended a diversity conference in London, the theme of which was mental health. Given that the 2011 census records the population of London being comprised of 40.2 % of people from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, and given that a disproportionate number of people admitted as inpatients in mental health services come from BAME groups, it was uncomfortably obvious that there was a lack of people of colour in the room. This glaring fact was not just noted by the few people of colour that were there, it was noticed by white people as well.  

Yesterday wasn’t the first time that I have experienced this, and I am tired of going to events and conferences that promote diversity and inclusion yet are anything but.

Diversity has many streams and I think it is perfectly ok to have events and initiatives that focus on supporting and addressing issues faced by one particular stream, including those differences that are not visible. However, when an event or conference is about a topic that crosses all diversity streams AND is done under the banner of diversity, I think that event organisers and planners should go the extra mile to make sure that their event IS diverse and inclusive. They should do their best to ensure that their events are representative of groups who are underrepresented and at a disadvantage.

I don't for one moment believe that there is a deliberate intent from event organisers and planners to not be inclusive. I think it just isn’t in their awareness and their unconscious bias means they don’t think widely about people who are very much different to them. So much so that when they are reaching out to speakers and inviting people to attend, because they don’t have a diverse network themselves, they are limited as to the different type of people they approach.

Not wanting to name and shame, I spoke of my concerns to one of the organisers of yesterday’s event. They welcomed my feedback and will take it on board. It will be interesting to see what their next diversity conference is like, particularly as the one I attended last year had a similar issue.

If you are responsible for putting on conferences and events, if you put on events under the banner of diversity, here’s my advice on how you can make sure that they do what they say on the tin.

Check your own ‘house’ first

The conference I went to yesterday was organised by a large global corporation with employee resource groups for the diverse range of people that work for them. They could easily have tapped into this valuable resource and had people of colour from within the organisation as speakers or on the panels, and had more people of colour in attendance at the conference as well.

Even if they wanted to have only external speakers, they could have tapped into the networks of the diverse range of people that work within the organisation.

Look within your organisation and tap into the diversity within your own ‘house’.

Reach out to people who are different to you

Even if your immediate team is not diverse, whilst you should take steps to address that in the longer term, in the short term at least make sure that your event planning team is. Having a diverse planning team means that they will be able to see what you don’t see.  

Reach out to people who are different to you both those who fall within the 9 protected characteristics defined by the Equalities Act 2010, and those from other underrepresented groups. There are membership groups, networks and associations that support most underrepresented groups. If you don’t personally know anyone that falls within a particular group, a quick Google search will help you to identify those that do. They will have access to speakers and the people you want to attend.

Tap into the power of your LinkedIn network

With over 25 million UK users, every characteristic is represented on LinkedIn. Put a call out on LinkedIn for the particular group of people who need to be represented. In March this year, I put on an International Women's Day conference for BAME women in Sheffield. Whilst I knew many BAME speakers in London because that is where I am based, even though I am originally from Sheffield I didn't know any there. Because the conference was to support BAME women in the north, I didn't want the speakers to be all London centric. A call out on social media for speakers meant that I not only had speakers from Sheffield I also had speakers from Newcastle, the Midlands, Derbyshire, and Bradford as well as London

Who else needs to be there?

Look at the speakers you have selected and ask yourself who else needs to be there in order for your event to be totally inclusive. If you are putting on an event or conference under the banner of diversity, even if the topic is focused on a particular stream, still make sure that there is diversity within that stream. 

For example, if the event is for people who fall within the LGBT stream, think about how the event can be diverse within this group of people so that people of different characteristics who identify as LGBT feel that they are included too.

Even if your event doesn't fall under the banner of diversity, still look to make it diverse and inclusive. Diversity and inclusion should not just be an add on to what we do, it should be integral to our everyday lives. Until such time as it is, event organisers and planners should make sure that their events actually are diverse and inclusive, even more so if it is promoted under the diversity banner.

If after reading this article you’re still unsure how you can make your events or conferences more diverse and inclusive, get in touch, I am happy to help.