Guide to Inclusive Events at RX
Welcome to the Guide to Inclusive Events at RX!
This Guide has been developed to serve as inspiration for every event team to create even more amazing and magical experiences for our customers, visitors and fans! It is designed to help you approach your event with an inclusive mindset, adding value by making all our attendees and event participants feel welcome, seen, and safe at our events.
You will frequently see the acronym ”DEI” used throughout the Guide. What does it mean?
D = Diversity
Who is in the room?
E = Equity
Who is trying to get into the room but can't - and what are the barriers?
I = Inclusion
Have everyone's ideas been heard, respected and understood?
B = BELONGING
Is everyone feeling valued through positive connections with others, and able to bring their authentic self to work?
These elements are critical in ensuring we are creating a culture of BELONGING – for our colleagues here at RX, and for our customers at our events!
Lucy Smith, Director – Entertainment DivisionMIP television content markets in Cannes celebrate series and talent watched by billions globally, attracting creatives and studio execs from 100+ countries. For years, our stages favored a principally archetypal male, Anglo-Saxon executive profile. We were missing voices from a huge swath of talent internationally. The catalyst for inclusion came when we adjusted our “filter” to present voices who were missing and bring parity and equality in our speaker lineup and schedule.
Our programme today reflects real diversity with headliners like Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae, RuPaul and Mo Abudu. We don’t exclude archetypes, rather we’ve broadened our vision of who influences TV production globally. Our Women in Global Entertainment Lunch with A+E Networks gathers 150 leading female media execs; our Diversity TV Awards celebrate excellence in inclusive programming across LGBTQ+, disability, race and ethnicity; and our médiaClub’Elles mentoring for women in film, TV and digital media is always to capacity. Each are now flagship industry events generating over €100K in sponsorships.
Kristina Rogers, Event Vice President
I’m most proud of the way our team has embraced inclusivity from start to finish for NYCC. We have an expansive ADA program that provides accommodations for everything one could think of, but the real magic comes from the mindfulness of the staff supporting it. Through education of our ADA program and empowering our team to provide the best experience to our fans, we've been able to dramatically improve the experience.
From fan feedback, it's the smaller moments of mindfulness that truly bring inclusivity to them; having chairs available everywhere for folks with mobility needs that would otherwise be standing, widening our aisles, investing in our ASL (American Sign Language) program to provide non-stop service at our largest stages, and most importantly, the mindfulness to have conversations with fans in the moment in order to identify what would aid them most and making it happen. Inclusivity at its core is mindfulness.
Mission:
At RX, we set out on a journey in 2021 to build a more inclusive culture, rich in diversity, where all employees may thrive in a safe, positive, and supportive working environment. At that time, we implemented an Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) strategy that included a phased approach to progressing our workplace culture over time.
Our focus from 2021 to 2023 was centered around building our foundation of Inclusion and Diversity. That included introducing Unconscious Bias Awareness training for all leaders; Inclusive Leadership training for senior and HR leaders; Psychological Safety assessments and workshops; launching Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in local markets, and the creation of Global Diversity Committees focused on supporting key dimensions of diversity. Each country where we operate is represented on the RX Global Inclusion Council by an I&D Champion, who provides local cultural context to all our I&D programs.
We will continue to progress our internal work while turning our 2024-2025 I&D strategic focus to how I&D can impact and become integral to our events, participants and the industries we serve.
The Guide to Inclusive Events at RX has been developed to serve as inspiration for every event team to create even more amazing and magical experiences for our customers, visitors and fans! The content of the Guide is designed to help you approach your event with an inclusive mindset, with the intention of making all our attendees feel welcome, seen, and safe at our events.
The Guide is filled with many suggested actions, so please – don’t be overwhelmed! Every event is at a different place in its journey, so each team is encouraged to set time aside to review the Guide together and select focus areas that you wish to incorporate into your event strategy and programming. You will find that many of the suggestions listed can be implemented at minimal or no additional cost, in turn creating tremendous, tangible value for our attendees.
The Guide is presented from a global perspective, with full understanding that local cultures and laws must be taken into consideration when deciding what and how to implement suggestions. The Guide is a living, breathing internal document, and will become more robust as we mature and progress this work over time.
And finally, incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content into your event programming is a top priority, but it is important that we implement properly. The Guide is designed to help you understand WHY each suggested action is important and provides safeguards you may put in place to ensure high-quality execution.
Thank you for taking the time to read the Guide. Please get in touch with Ray Rhodes, Head of Inclusion & Diversity, if you have any feedback.
Do it – Do it Right
Who has a seat at the table?Representation of people from different backgrounds is critical when you begin planning your event content. Having perspectives and input from people directly connected with different dimensions of diversity will create authentically meaningful experiences at our events for participants who identify with those dimensions of diversity.
Want to get it right? Be sure to seek diverse perspectives around the planning table from the beginning of the process.
Afraid to make a mistake? Mistakes will happen, and we will learn from them together!
To help you begin thinking with a more inclusive mindset, explore the following foundational elements of inclusion to provide ideas and focus areas for your event:
With a resolute focus on fostering belonging, WTM has developed ambitious initiatives to embrace individuals of all backgrounds. We have pledged to enlist 50% of our speakers from underrepresented groups to reflect the varied experiences of travel consumers worldwide. In 2023, we launched our inaugural ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit’ to address pivotal issues and enlighten global travel stakeholders on the importance of inclusivity.
Collaborating closely with our venue, ExCeL London, we are also working to improve accessibility and create a safe space for all attendees. In 2023 we introduced a Reset Room, recognizing the need for tranquil spaces amidst bustling environments, as well as a Multi-Faith Room to accommodate the significance of prayer. Additionally, a range of services tailored to individuals with mobility and assistance requirements further underscore WTM's dedication to inclusivity.
Get to know the “whys” through this Guide….
Let’s go a bit more in depth with some actions you may wish to consider at different stages of the event cycle and learn WHY they’re important. It’s never too early to start planning for the next event edition!
Before the Event
ACTION
Ensure your event website is WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliant for people who are blind or have vision loss, deaf or hard of hearing, and for people who may be sensitive to sensory overstimulation
WHY?
Good contrast in text vs. background colors, less-busy/amounts of animation and strobing effects make for easier navigation for everyone, and assist people with some disabilities navigate more independently
ACTION
Ensure your event website contains a prominent DEI Headline Statement on the home page (e.g., PGA event “Now, be YOU”)
WHY?
Your DEI statement will set the tone for our customers to know that they belong and that our events are a safe space for EVERYONE
ACTION
Incorporate diverse representation from our events in marketing images and panel promotions
WHY?
To create a true sense of belonging, it is important for our customers to see themselves represented at our events
ACTION
Use gender-neutral language in website text and event documents (they/them/their vs she/he, her/him, hers/his)
WHY?
Gender-neutral language is respectful and inclusive of our gender-diverse guests
ACTION
Provide clear information about inclusive experiences, content, and accommodation options at the event and venue on your event website:
- Diversity networking events and professional development content
- Facilities available for prayers and /or quiet meditation and reflection
- Quiet/reset rooms for anyone who needs to access
- Gender-neutral restrooms
- Venue and show accessibility maps, access to quiet/reset rooms, services available
WHY?
For some customers, these experiences and access/accommodations will influence their decision to attend the event and will allow them to prepare their schedule in advance. Promoting these experiences sets a tone for a climate of inclusivity at the event.
ACTION
Consider including a “Contact Us” option where people with disabilities may reach out to someone on the event team via email and ask specific questions about access.
WHY?
While we can anticipate most accessibility needs, we are not always able to anticipate them all. Providing access to an event team member for accessibility questions will help some participants better prepare for the event.
ACTION
Enable attendees to include their pronouns and preferred names on their event badges if they wish
WHY?
For gender diverse guests, or for guests who have gender-neutral names, pronouns listed on their badges may prevent misgendering in interactions with other guests. For cis-gender guests, listing their pronouns on their badges can be a powerful demonstration of allyship for gender diverse guests.
ACTION
Make pronoun “stickers”/adhesive labels available for attendees to add to their badges if they wish
WHY?
Providing these adhesive labels will enable participants who were unable to add this information to their badges to share their pronouns
ACTION
Highlight for temporary staffing agencies that it is a priority to ensure that the temporary staff working the show is representative of the diversity of the region
WHY?
We have exciting temp jobs at our events that provide employment opportunities for people from under-resourced and underrepresented communities.
An estimated 1.3 billion people in the world experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us.
There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s:
Vision
Movement
Thinking
Remembering
Learning
Communicating
Hearing
Mental health
Social relationships
ACTION
Work with photographers and videographers to capture images from DEI events, and images of people from a variety of backgrounds
WHY?
These images will be helpful in promoting inclusive experiences and diversity in representation of attendees at our events in our marketing promotions.
ACTION
Incorporate diverse representation from our events in marketing images and panel promotions
WHY?
To create a true sense of belonging, it is important for our customers to see themselves represented at our events.
ACTION
Where appropriate, include local cultural experiences and customs in opening ceremonies:
- Performance by local cultural groups
-Honoring the First Nations
WHY?
In some regions, connecting the event with local culture and customs creates awareness and an enriching experience for guests and is a highly respectful gesture for Indigenous People of the region.
ACTION?
Consider special dietary needs of colleagues and customers who may be attending the event over important religious observances (e.g., Ramadan, Lent, Yom Kippur, etc.), or have other special dietary needs. Include Halal and Kosher catering offerings.
WHY?
Some religious observances require fasting periods or other dietary restrictions. Acknowledging these requirements and providing schedule accommodations, flexible mealtimes, and catering offerings for colleagues and customers where necessary is an important action of allyship.
ACTION
Communicate with all panel groups and speakers in advance of the event to be sure they are aware of the environment of the session (e.g., noise levels, lighting, audience attendance estimate, panel questions, etc.), and ask them if they require any accommodations – DO NOT RELY ON THEM TO ASK YOU.
WHY?
Panelists may need to prepare for the session environment in advance. For example, someone with autism may be sensitive to noise levels or intense lighting, or someone who is hard of hearing may need to sit close to the moderator onstage, or someone with vision loss may need an accessible teleprompter, a wheelchair user may need an accessible podium, etc.
ACTION
Ask panelists, moderators, and speakers to be mindful of using proper pronouns and preferred names of other guests on the stage with them. Ask panelists if they are comfortable sharing their pronouns, and having them listed in marketing promotions and session slides as part of your pre-event prep
WHY?
Misgendering or not using the preferred name of a speaker or panelist onstage is considered disrespectful and creates an awkward, uncomfortable and unsafe environment for guests onstage and in the audience.
ACTION
It is important that we properly prep vendors in advance for accommodations that are requested (e.g., special lighting requirements onstage, volume on stage monitors, teleprompter settings, etc.)
WHY?
Ask for what you need! Providing vendors with advanced notice for special requirements will make the day of the event much smoother than if you are making last-minute requests onsite and may save incurring additional costs to the event. Our request may result in the vendor making advances in their technology and service more broadly.
People are becoming more values-driven with their shopping and resonate more strongly with brands that reflect social issues of importance to them. We make every effort at Life Instyle to platform these issues and brands through various acknowledgements, feature areas, and content, and by continually assessing the accessibility of our event.
Among recent initiatives, ‘Acknowledgment of Country’ has been integrated on our website, in event comms and PA announcements (opening of events and education programs), and in the use of traditional land names. We have also commissioned a First Nations Artist to provide artwork for our speaker gifts (re-usable water bottles) and always ensure we review the diversity of our speaker line-up panels to ensure we have broad representation. In addition, during our curation process, we decline any brand that is utilising First Nations or Indigenous art that has not sought appropriate approvals or has appropriate funding/agreement with the artist(s).
ACTION
Encourage Exhibitors to ensure their stand space is accessible for all attendees to optimize the attendee experience
WHY?
Attendees with mobility challenges may not be able to successfully engage with exhibitors and may feel less inclined to do business with them if they are unable to navigate their stand space.
ACTION
For Exhibitors: Create a campaign to offer discounted or free stand space to a women-, LGBTQIA+-, minority-, disability-owned business that may not otherwise have the means to exhibit at the event. Invite them to create a business case, to be reviewed with a panel of industry leaders.
WHY?
Offering these businesses the opportunity to exhibit at our event may be life-changing and afford them the opportunity to reach their full potential.
ACTION
For Attendees: Create a campaign to offer discounted visitor passes for new business owners from underrepresented communities who may not otherwise have the means to attend the event. Invite them to create a business case, to be reviewed by a panel of industry leaders.
WHY?
Offering these individuals the opportunity to attend our event may help them network, inspire them to exhibit in the future, and afford them the opportunity to reach their full potential.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to the World Health Organization, disability has three dimensions:
- Impairment in a person’s body structure or function, or mental functioning; examples of impairments include loss of a limb, loss of vision or memory loss.
- Activity limitation, such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem solving.
- Participation restrictions in normal daily activities, such as working, engaging in social and recreational activities, and obtaining health care and preventative services.
I am most proud of our support of the African American Golf Expo & Forum (AAGEF). PGA Golf Exhibitions sponsors a “Share Your Story” video contest for AAGEF exhibiting companies with the winner receiving complimentary booth space at the PGA Show in Orlando. PGA Golf Exhibitions is strongly aligned with the goals of increasing inclusion and diversity in the sport and business of golf and have enjoyed working with Jim Beatty, the AAGEF founder, through the years to build important relationships and help grow involvement by underrepresented communities. This involvement has resulted in a number of new African American companies participating in our industry’s largest global business gathering. Their stories of perseverance and creativity have been truly inspiring to the entire team, and the feedback from PGA Show participants has been overwhelmingly positive.
Onsite
ACTION
Designate interfaith prayer and meditation space(s), ideally with easy access to restrooms, if there are no permanent prayer spaces and facilities. Prayer and meditation spaces may need to be gender-specific, as some faiths require.
WHY?
Some faiths require prayers at designated times of the day. Lack of designated prayer spaces may lead to customers spending time finding makeshift prayer spaces. Having a dedicated space allows our customers to practice their faith in a respectful and private manner.
ACTION
Designate an LGBTQIA+ Safe Space
WHY?
LGBTQIA+ Safe Spaces provide a safe environment for the most marginalized individuals of the community to find support and decompress should they be feeling anxious. Consider obtaining the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) Safe Spaces certification, to declare your event an LGBTQIA+ Safe Space.
ACTION
Designate gender-neutral restrooms
WHY?
While not all venues have permanent gender-neutral restrooms, converting an existing restroom space to a gender-neutral space benefits all people and identities; it helps minimize potential mistreatment or feeling uncomfortable when accessing gender-specific restrooms. It also eliminates unnecessary wait times for a restroom when one is open, but you do not use it because it isn’t associated with your gender.
ACTION
Designate lactation/nursing facilities and process for storing and shipping breast milk
WHY?
A safe and private space for nursing, with lockable door, comfortable seating, access to electric outlet and sink, and proper storage for breast milk will create a welcoming experience for people who are using a breast pump.
ACTION
Designate a Quiet/Reset Room for anyone needing a space to reset from overstimulation. Consider organizing sponsorship of “fidget” tools. Space should be away from the event floor, and as quiet as possible. The room should be monitored to ensure guests aren’t using the space for conducting business.
NOTE: In some regions, it may be appropriate to designate Quiet/Reset Rooms or safe spaces designed to offer a supportive and private haven for attendees facing a moment of vulnerability, with a focus on those who, due to personal or cultural reasons, may seek the comfort and solidarity found in female-centric spaces.
WHY?
Quiet/reset rooms provide space where an attendee can retreat to safely whenever they feel overwhelmed or overload from the event environment. It gives them time and space to decompress and regulate their sensory system and balance their nervous system. Most guests will only need to use the room for 10-20 minutes at a time.
At Bar Convent Brooklyn 2023, we worked with our exhibitor, Jägermeister who partnered with The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and The Lesbian Bar Project to support and to encourage nightlife establishments to become an accredited Safe Space *for the LGBTQIA+ community. Onsite they had an airstream which held education sessions, meet and greets, screenings and custom engravings – and venues could become SIGBI certified Safe Spaces (for free); 89 venues signed up during BCB Brooklyn. It was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback and appreciation from our customers. To keep the momentum and support going into 2024, we are in the process of having Bar Convent Brooklyn officially accredited as a Safe Space.
Jackie Williams, Event Director
Although PAX Australia has a strong ethos of providing inclusive and accessible environments throughout the event, one of the areas I’m most proud of at PAX is PAX Together. PAX Together celebrates diversity, underrepresented groups, and stigmatised topics both at PAX and in the gaming community at-large. This area of the event includes an intersection of content across a Lounge, Theatre, LGBTQIA+ focused community booths, and consciously unbiased initiatives such as pronoun stickers, gender neutral bathrooms, and dedicated merchandise, all within a safe space for the community. The feedback from our PAX community is overwhelmingly positive and highlights the importance of this space: "Spaces like PAX Together aren't just nice to have and they aren't just affirming for folks- for some they are absolutely lifesaving.
Lauren Luciani, Exhibition Director
ACTION
Event teams should work with venues partners to ensure all parties are complying with local regulations, including accessible toilets, accessible water fountains, proper circulation space around and through doors, accessible entrances to the building, and working lifts/elevators in sites with multiple floors.
WHY?
Knowing the requirements and ensuring you have created an accessible event with proper accommodations in place improves our events and prioritizes inclusion while mitigating business risk
It is important to challenge our venue partners to make improvements when we are aware of accessibility challenges
Additionally, Event Teams and/or Venue Partners should consider:
- Accessible registration windows
- Accessible queue system for People with Disabilities (“PwD”), including portable seating for long wait times
- Accessible customer service and info desks
- Dedicated support desk for PwD
- Large signage
- Event info in multiple accessible formats (e.g., apps, hard copies, large fonts, braille)
- Early access to venue/event floor (not specific exhibitors)
- Parks for mobility scooters
- Spaces for wheelchairs and chairs for companions in auditoriums
- Sign language interpreters on request (with notice) and designated seating available within clear sight of interpreter
- Live transcription on screen for keynote speakers
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Epilepsy awareness signage when flashing/strobe lights are being used
- Lifts and ramps to stages and platforms
- Guide/service animal relief areas
- Quiet/Reset Rooms for neurodivergent guests, with access to “fidget” tools
- Allowing guests with qualified dietary needs to bring their own food and drink into venue (may require pre-event application process)
- Accessibility at after-hours event venues
“Inclusivity & Diversity” is one of the hottest topics in the beauty industry; anyone can be beautiful and successful. This idea is reflected in our show themes, such as “Beauty Beyond Boundaries” whose visuals featured people of various skin types and preferences. The show venue also provides accessibility, with dedicated parking spaces and wheelchair ramps for People with Disabilities as well as in-hall displays that are easily accessible."
- Sirirat Sungvichai, Exhibition Management Director
