Leverage Your Event to Challenge Old Stories
Ideas to design events which shape the type of world you would like to live in
Since my pivot in the space of events, I have always seen the onstage space as a place we can make real our aspirations for changing (instead of following) existing narratives.
Whether that space is a physical stage or an online workshop - it is a space that you are designing. And so, it is an opportunity to think about: the narratives that prevail within our systems. The narratives in the world you would like to live in.
Then design that world you are dreaming about.
Beyond Tick Boxes
Sometimes attempts to design with inclusion and diversity can seem trite or engineered, rather than meaningful or impactful. They can become sterilised into corporate policies, even when they come from a good place.
So today I am sharing some ideas from designing both global events and grassroots dialogues, to think about inclusion, not just as a tick box exercise, but as an interesting challenge which will be good for your onstage conversation as well as your brand.
Look through a lived experience lens rather than an identity lens
Rather than thinking about optics, think about conversation.
What would bringing in different lived experiences on a topic help enrich your conversation? What groups of people or experts might have those lived experiences?
For example: in designing conversations about climate change - I often think through economic, regional, physical, mental and gender lenses, to help shape who might represent the different lived experiences of climate change on stage.
Get to know the existing narratives in the area you are programming
If you are designing an event in a sector you know well, these are probably already familiar to you. You can also do some light market research across other events, traditional media and social media.
What are the prevailing stories? Do you agree with them? What stories would you like to know more about? What would your audience like to know more about?
This is a rich area full of ideas to switch up conversations and create a lot of interesting insights.
Think about your overall event shape
Beyond the lineup of speakers, it is also interesting to think about the overall structure of your event.
Do the audience get to meaningfully input? Who controls who speaks? Who is setting the agenda for the day? What ways can people with alternative points of view contribute to the discussion?
Not every event space allows for a completely participatory setup, but considering opportunities to build in broader perspectives can help to allow space for a more inclusive conversation.
Don’t shame yourself into anything
Just because everyone is saying diversity is important doesn’t mean you should do it. Unpacking resistance, talking to different people and understanding the why behind diversity and inclusion will be more impactful in the long run.
You don’t need to read lots of it, but even scratching the surface on diversity and inclusion studies shows that it benefits a broad range of people, including brands and companies.
So, if you struggle to see or gain buy in about why this is needed from a diversity perspective, you could also explore its value from a financial and reputational perspective.
Over to you
I hope this gives you a few ideas to start to whole-heartedly embrace your event as a place to nurture the types of stories you would like to shape in the world.
For fun
If you happen to attend an event with a Manel, this website is a great way to record your protest against All Male Panels.
Tell me
How do you approach diversity and inclusion on stage?
What global narratives would you like to change?