Ensure tech events embrace diversity by including underrepresented voices, making content and venues accessible, offering financial aid, setting clear conduct codes, creating networking for marginalized groups, promoting diverse hiring, seeking broad input, diversifying leadership, accommodating dietary needs, and using feedback for improvement.
What Are the Best Practices for Creating Diverse and Inclusive Tech Events?
Ensure tech events embrace diversity by including underrepresented voices, making content and venues accessible, offering financial aid, setting clear conduct codes, creating networking for marginalized groups, promoting diverse hiring, seeking broad input, diversifying leadership, accommodating dietary needs, and using feedback for improvement.
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Prioritize Representation in Speakers and Panelists
Creating a diverse and inclusive tech event starts with ensuring that the speakers, panelists, and presenters come from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Actively seek out professionals from underrepresented groups in tech, such as women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities. This allows for a wider variety of perspectives and encourages more inclusive dialogues.
Provide Accessible Content and Venues
Ensure that all content is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes offering closed captioning for speeches and presentations, ensuring venues are wheelchair accessible, and providing materials in alternative formats when requested. Strive to select event locations that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity.
Offer Scholarships and Reduced Pricing
Financial barriers can prevent many from attending tech events. Consider offering scholarships, grants, or reduced ticket prices for students, individuals from low-income backgrounds, or members of underrepresented groups in technology. This can significantly increase the diversity of your event attendees.
Implement a Code of Conduct
A clear, well-communicated code of conduct helps create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. This should outline the expectations for behavior at the event and the consequences for violations. It's crucial that attendees, speakers, and staff understand and agree to abide by this code to foster a respectful and inclusive atmosphere.
Create Networking Opportunities for Underrepresented Attendees
Design networking sessions or social events specifically for underrepresented groups within the tech community. These can help attendees build connections with peers and mentors who share similar backgrounds or experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and community.
Facilitate Diverse Hiring Opportunities
Leverage your tech event as a platform for promoting diverse hiring practices among participating companies. Encourage exhibitors and sponsors to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion in their recruitment processes. This can help connect underrepresented job seekers with companies that value diversity.
Seek Input from Diverse Communities
Engage with diverse communities early in the event planning process to seek their input and feedback. This can help identify potential barriers to inclusion that you may not have considered and ensures that the event caters to a broader audience.
Diversify Event Leadership and Organizing Teams
Diversity should be reflected not only in your event's lineup and attendees but also within the team that organizes the event. Having a diverse organizing committee or leadership team can provide valuable insights into how to make the event more inclusive and can help in making informed decisions that cater to a wider audience.
Offer Diverse Food Options
Catering choices can reflect your commitment to inclusivity. Offer a range of food options that consider different dietary requirements and cultural preferences. Label food clearly regarding ingredients and potential allergens, and provide halal, kosher, vegetarian, and vegan options to accommodate everyone's needs.
Promote Continuous Learning and Improvement
After the event, gather feedback from participants regarding the inclusivity and diversity of the event. This feedback is invaluable for understanding what worked well and what areas need improvement. Use this information to make your next tech event even more inclusive and welcoming to all attendees. Continuous improvement shows a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
What else to take into account
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