Welcome to the Guide to Inclusive Events at RX!
This Guide has been developed to serve as inspiration for every RX event team to create even more amazing and magical experiences for our customers, visitors and fans! It is designed to help us to approach our events with an inclusive mindset, adding value by making all our attendees and event participants 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, and our event teams are encouraged to set time aside to review the Guide together and select focus areas that they wish to incorporate into their event strategy and programming. We have found that many of the suggestions listed can be implemented at minimal or no additional cost, in turn creating tremendous, tangible value for our attendees.
You will frequently see the acronym ”DEI” used throughout the Guide. What does it mean?
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!
Diversity Who is in the room?
Equity Who is trying to get into the room but can't - and what are the barriers?
Inclusion Have everyone's ideas been heard, respected and understood?
Belonging Is everyone feeling valued through positive connections with others, and able to bring their authentic self to work?
Get to know the “whys” through this Guide….
Let’s go a bit more in depth with some we encourage our event teams 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
Event Website
ACTION: Pursue WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliance for people who are blind or have vision loss, deaf or hard of hearing, and for people who may be sensitive to sensory overstimulation
ACTION: Consider including a prominent DEI Headline Statement on the home page (e.g., PGA event “Now, be YOU”)
ACTION:Incorporate diverse representation from RX events in marketing images and panel promotions
ACTION:Use gender-neutral language in website text and event documents (they/them/their vs she/he, her/him, hers/his)
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
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.
Event Registration
ACTION: Enable attendees to include their pronouns and preferred names on their event badges if they wish
ACTION: Make pronoun “stickers”/adhesive labels available for attendees to add to their badges if they wish
Event Temps
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
Marketing
ACTION: Work with photographers and videographers to capture images from DEI events, and images of people from a variety of backgrounds
ACTION: Incorporate diverse representation from our events in marketing images and panel promotions
Venue-Local Culture
ACTION: Where appropriate, include local cultural experiences and customs in opening ceremonies:
- Performance by local cultural groups
-Honoring the First Nations
Catering
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.
Panelist & Speaker Prep
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.
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
AV Vendor Prep
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.)
Stand Accessibility
ACTION: Encourage Exhibitors to ensure their stand space is accessible for all attendees to optimize the attendee experience
Special Programs
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.
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.
Onsite
Prayer/Meditation Space
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
Safe Spaces
ACTION: Designate an LGBTQIA+ Safe Space
ACTION: Designate gender-neutral restrooms
Wellness Spaces
ACTION: Designate lactation/nursing facilities and process for storing and shipping breast milk
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.
Accessibility
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.
Special Events & Education
Special Events
Connect diversity observances to special event content, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, LGBTQIA+ History Month, Autism Awareness Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, Disability Awareness Month, and other regionally-relevant observances
Education
Representation on Panels
When planning panel or education events, keep in mind that the audience wants to take information and insights away that they can put into practice. Be sure to include people with different racial, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientation, generations, and people with disabilities, to share their perspectives and provide the audience with different angles to consider.
Representation in Subject Matter
Explore the demographics of the industry (race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQIA+, generation, disability, socioeconomic background, and other important facets). What are some of the industry-specific challenges people from these communities are facing? Create experiences that promote allyship, and representation of people who are underrepresented in the industry.
Sample subject matter: - Amplifying Black-Owned Businesses, Breaking Cultural Barriers - Amplifying Women-Owned Businesses, Women Leading Advances in AI - Amplifying LGBTQIA+-Owned Businesses, Navigating in Regions where Anti-LGBTQIA+ Laws Exist, Innovation by LGBTQIA+ Industry Leaders - Amplifying Disability-Owned Businesses, Accessible Travel, Innovation by Industry - Leaders with Disabilities Representation in Non-DEI Topics Seek out diverse representation of speakers and panelists for “non-DEI” topics. For example, seek out persons with disabilities (PwD) speakers and panelists from the industry and cover an important industry topic. Include PwD in a wide range of panel events – not only events centered around disability REMINDER: It is important that safeguards are in place to help ensure participants aren’t misgendered onstage or offstageNetworking Opportunities
Bringing People Together
Become familiar with industry associations representing:
- People of different races, ethnicities, and cultures
- Women
- People who are LGBTQIA+
- People with Disabilities
and invite them to meet at your event. Some groups may wish to sponsor networking events to make new connections and to make their event experience even more special!Be mindful of appropriateness of serving alcohol at networking events, and always have non-alcohol options for anyone who doesn’t wish to consume alcohol
Accessible Networking
For pre-scheduled, appointment-based networking events, be flexible with time intervals between appointments for people with mobility disabilities who may require extra time to travel from place to place. Consider adding a statement in the networking event registration area of the show website encouraging anyone requiring timing accommodations to contact the event organizer
Post-Event
Participant Feedback
Ask participants for feedback about accessibility and inclusive experiences at the event, via the post-event survey, or during the event if conducting on-site research.
Post-Event Team Meeting
Discuss what went well, and what could make the next event more inclusive and accessible.
Did Something Go Wrong?
NNot everything will go as planned, and that is to be expected. But RX provides a network of people to ensure our events can continue to navigate issues and make improvements for the next time around, including Ray Rhodes, Head of Inclusion and Diversity.
Many thanks to the Guide to Inclusive Events at RX Team!
Please contact any of the colleagues below if you have any questions about the Guide, or suggestions for content.
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
Please feel free to contact Ray Rhodes if you would like to consult with him regarding your inclusive programming for your events. You may also contact any of our Global Diversity Committee Executive Sponsors if you would like to consult with them about a specific dimension of diversity.
Alinne Rosa
Executive Sponsor
Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage
Toni Piela
Executive Sponsor
Gender Equity
Fleur Kearns
Executive Sponsor
APAC DiveRXsity (All Diversity Dimensions)
Adam Cartledge
Executive Sponsor
LGBTQIA+/Pride
Helen Sheppard & Merilyne Davies
Executive Sponsors
Disability/RX Enabled