5 Editor ’ s Letter
HE / HIM
hen it comes to planning this magazine , it ’ s typically a pretty natural process , we have expertise in events and can confidently write about almost any topic and call upon the best voices in the space .
Looking at planet , it ’ s no different , Conference News has a watchful eye on the industry-bods doing things sustainably ( and those who don ’ t ). We know what to write , who to talk to and how to give organisers insights into pressure points for their day-to-days . With people however , it ’ s different . From my perspective I ’ m male , white , straight and grew up above the breadline in a first-world country , if there ’ s privilege to be had , I ’ ve got my fair share of it . Which made pinpointing what organisers should do to push the message of DEI , to support under-represented groups , hard .
Fortunately , I know quite a lot of very clever people in events , one of which is Gabrielle Austen-Browne , founder , Diversity Alliance . She very kindly agreed to guest edit this edition of the magazine , alongside yours truly , to highlight the areas eventprofs should be paying attention to .
With that in mind , we ’ ve got a packed issue which includes the results of our non-alcoholic drinks survey , how organisers can create inclusive spaces , what to do about tackling tokenism , how a standardisation around sustainability could impact businesses across the sector and much more .
In this process , I ’ ve learned it ’ s ok to ask for help , I ’ ve also learned a lot about how people from all walks of life contribute to the story of events . If you take anything away from this issue , I hope it ’ s that our planet is for everyone . After all , it ’ ll take a village to get our industry where it needs to be .
Cameron Roberts Editor Conference News www . conference-news . co . uk