In collaboration with the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter, ABPCO, and mia, New Intent has published the results of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 2022 survey. The inaugural survey sets out individuals’ perceived understanding of DEI, their sense of belonging in the business events industry, where destination and event organisers are on their DEI journey, and what actions we need to take to prioritise DEI.
The survey was launched during the UK & Ireland chapter meeting at the ICCA World Congress in Krakow at a dedicated session on DEI. DEI and the survey results will be a key topic during the chapter’s annual conference in Glasgow in March this year. New Intent has designed a tailored workshop with ICCA UK & Ireland to further ICCA and the industry’s actions for DEI forward.
The survey received 85 responses, predominately from across the UK, as well as Ireland and further afield. The survey gives a simple overview of where people and organisations believe they are in their DEI journey. It will also influence a series of actions by New Intent, the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter, ABPCO, and mia over the next 12 months to drive forward DEI efforts in the industry.
Suzanne Singleton, Chair of the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter, said, ‘Business events should play a bigger role in promoting DEI in our communities worldwide. The ICCA UK & Ireland chapter has taken on the opportunity to drive the importance of DEI in the industry and highlight its importance in achieving environmental sustainability and legacy in our events. This year, DEI features heavily in our chapter meetings, our annual conference, and our education to members, and we look forward to reporting on the progress we will make.’
Heather Lishman, ABPCO association director said, ‘ABPCO was delighted to work on this survey with Rory. We were all keen to establish a ‘mark in the sand’ on where our industry is now, and to establish where there are gaps in knowledge. We can now work on education and knowledge sharing strategies that will help our members navigate towards more inclusive meetings.’
Kerrin MacPhie, chief executive of the mia, said: “DEI continues to be a key focus for the Meetings Industry Association, so we were keen to collaborate on the research while also working directly with Rory offering tangible support and guidance to our members. This commences with a free webinar on 2 February that places DEI in a business events context and discusses how it is linked to climate action, legacy and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Places can be booked via the mia’s website.”
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 2022 Survey is available here:
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
