Gabrielle Austen-Browne , founder of Diversity Alliance and co-founder of Diverse Speaker Bureau , talks venues and DEI

n recent times , companies have become hyper aware of the need to demonstrate social responsibility and are turning their focus towards how they can become more socially sustainable through DEI projects and initiatives that are designed to promote social good .

However , this can be especially challenging for venues , particularly historical venues who may have links to Britain ’ s colonial past or who may have limitations with regards to accessibility , to implement DEI in customer-facing ways . Diversity Alliance have been working with venues , helping them to integrate achievable and impactful DEI strategies .

Most recently , we worked with { 10-11 } Carlton House Terrace , helping them to refresh their procurement process to reflect today ’ s world by enabling greater supplier diversity . We supported them to create a supplier diversity programme and a supplier commitment statement to encourage their partners and current suppliers to consider their own DEI commitments .

Some suppliers who haven ’ t historically been given the opportunity to work in these types of venues won ’ t always be aware of

“ We highly recommend education around understanding biases in general , with emphasis on knowledge gaps on biases in procurement .”

Gabrielle Austen-Browne

the processes , operations and general nuances of a venue , so this requires providing support to help them make it through tender , then supporting them through RFPs if required . If they win the business , we advise on how best to thrive in delivery and service , so that we don ’ t inadvertently set less experienced suppliers up for failure .

Imogen Steinberg , venue sales and front of house manager at { 10-11 } Carlton House Terrace said , “ we view supplier diversity as a strategic business mission and an integral component of our DEI strategy . Our commitment to this mission reinforces our visions and values while visibly demonstrating our support for equal access and business opportunities .”

From experience , before beginning the work of building a pool of diverse suppliers , venues and venue teams need to become culturally aware and culturally knowledgeable . Taking part in workshops to understand the challenges and opportunities around DEI for their venue for clients , suppliers and other stakeholders , and collaborating to decide on DEI priorities , is incredibly useful .

In addition , most of us recognise we have biases . These biases , although unintentional , impact supply chain activities . This is why also we highly recommend education around understanding biases in general , with emphasis on knowledge gaps on biases in procurement . The education element is also incredibly important when it comes to being able to articulate the ‘ why not ’ when implementing DEI . This knowledge and understanding also helps with being able to authentically connect with diverse suppliers and clients .

Although the moral reasons for doing this work are important , supplier DEI initiatives can make a significant difference to a brand reputation , brand loyalty and client satisfaction , which ultimately can increase a companies ’ revenues .

Supplier diversity also can affect change from a socio-economic perspective .

This is where the equity comes in DEI . CN