DEI in Virtual Events
We know that travel and cost are two of the biggest factors in choosing virtual over face to face, but there are other benefits that I don’t think we appreciated enough before the switch to virtual became mandatory in 2020. We hadn’t ever really considered how a virtual summit, meeting or conference benefitted people in different ways because we had become so used to travelling and meeting up and assumed everyone else found the experience as fulfilling as we did.
Not so. We just weren’t thinking inclusively, which set us off thinking how running sessions virtually would be a benefit for so many, from a DE&I perspective.
1. A lot of us in our company are extroverted people, but not all, by any means. We extroverts really haven’t got a clue how daunting it is for an introverted person to have to walk into a massive room, full of people and be expected to feel comfortable. If you are joining from home you can manage your comfort levels by turning on your camera when you feel it is ok and in breakout rooms, virtually, you have the added benefit of being in your comfortable place and not forced to ‘network’.2. There are a number of people who will be attending your meeting or conference who have personal responsibilities. Whether that be people caring for children, elderly parents or other requirements. Some of us have responsibilities for children and older parents and without the ability to work remotely and join meetings virtually, we simply wouldn’t be able to attend. We simply can’t be excluding people because their responsibilities at home preclude them from attending.
3. A limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina can certainly be an issue when having to travel to venues and then be expected to move seamlessly from plenary to breakout and team sessions. I hope we are more thoughtful about this now but people with unseen disabilities will tell you they can be excluded completely, often not through anything other than thoughtlessness. Auditory and visual tools that exist on most virtual platforms help participants but we can all still do better when considering the challenges of others in designing any meeting.
4. We are not saying that virtual meetings are the panacea but we do believe that the daunting nature of having to arrange, pack, travel and then be away form support networks can have a profound effect on us all at various moments in our lives. And for people who suffer with their mental health, knowing that they just have to click on the button and they are connected can be a huge relief.
Since the first time we properly considered DE&I in the early 2010’s, it has been a focus for us to educate ourselves, and to provide environments where everyone can receive the same experience as everyone else. We firmly believe that running virtual meetings benefits more people in a more equitable way.