VOICES FOR CHANGE
Louisa Daley speaks to Lauralee Whyte , founder of Spectrum Speakers & Entertainers and Shonali Devereaux , co-founder of Diverse Speaker Bureau , about the importance of having diverse speakers at events and how they support agencies on their DEI journey
Now more than ever , Diversity , Equity and Inclusion ( DEI ) is at the top of the industry ’ s agenda as we all make strides to create an industry that truly reflects the diverse and talented eventprofs
Lauralee Whyte community we are made of .
As we return to in-person events , how are agencies ensuring the speaker line up does exactly that ? To gain some insight , Louisa Daley spoke to Lauralee Whyte , founder of Spectrum Speakers &
Shonali Devereaux
Entertainers and Shonali Devereaux , co-founder of Diverse Speaker Bureau .
The bigger picture
A key reason to attend an event is to hear from its keynote speakers . Regardless of the topic , attendees want to leave inspired and more knowledgeable . Therefore , when working with clients , it ’ s vital for agencies to get the speaker line up exactly right , not only for the attendee experience , but also because of the bigger picture .
For both Whyte and Devereaux , having diverse speakers at events isn ’ t only important due to the message it sends about representation , it ’ s also about the impact it has on the event itself .
“ You could have people talking about the same thing , but their individual and lived experience will change that perspective on that discussion . That ’ s why it ’ s absolutely imperative to have a diverse panel of speakers – you want to have an event that ’ s thought provoking ,” says Whyte . www . conference-news . co . uk