Commercial Integrator April 2023 - 50

DEI
Tips for Event Organizers
it takes is for is organizers to extend that
invitation to them.
Chaudhry notes that many industry
professionals are now standing in solidarity
with their colleagues. " I have spoken to
many and seen in various conversations
online - including in #AVintheAM threads
- where many #avtweeps state that they
will not join a panel unless there is fair
representation therein, " she explains.
However, Chaudhry cautions organizers
not to place these people in a situation
where they have to decline the opportunity.
" The chances are, these are exactly
the kind of people you do want to have on
panels, " she reasons.
Hendley underscores that a strategic
approach is the best way to ensure fair representation.
" It starts with the organization
or trade show itself, " she begins. " [They
have] to have that diverse mindset. " She
believes that this means event organizers
should evaluate everyone whom they
showcase within the organization. Hendley
adds, " It's not even just from a panel
perspective; it also means looking at who
is on the show floor and in the booths. "
She believes that, when the organization
itself has a diverse group of people, that
team is then better equipped to partner
with vendors and exhibitors on initiatives.
'It starts with the
organization or trade
show itself. [They
have] to have that
diverse mindset.'
- Alesia Hendley,
Sennheiser
More than that, organizations need to
look at the unconscious biases that exist
within and outside themselves. " I don't
think everybody's a racist, and I don't think
people do it intentionally, " Hendley states.
" However, there is [definitely] unconscious
bias, and you have to be able to address
that. " She adds, " That means putting in a
50
Commercial Integrator APRIL 2023
Alesia Hendley (center) poses with TD SYNNEX's Sandi Stambaugh; Iowa State University's
Mike Pedersen, CTS-D, CTS-I; CTI's Tobi Tungl, CTS-D, RCDD; and CI editor-in-chief
Dan Ferrisi for a panel discussion at InfoComm 2022.
more conscious effort and really being the
change you want to see. "
Other Inclusive Strategies
As we observed earlier, inclusion can go
a long way toward making everyone feel
that they belong within our community.
Hendley and Chaudhry emphasize that
there are several other initiatives that
trade-show organizers and participating
companies can engage in to provide that
inclusive environment during events.
Drawing on her own experiences, Hendley
mentions that, on the vendor side, many
people from marginalized backgrounds
do not get to attend shows, as they tend to
mostly do onsite work. " Instead of having
the technical person of color attend and be
on the panel, [companies] choose to leave
them in the field, " she reveals. Hendley
stresses that businesses need to look beyond
just having salespeople in attendance.
" Yes, we need the salespeople, because
we want to sell, " she remarks. " But we also
need technical people - who are living and
breathing these technologies day in and
day out - to speak on the panels from a
technical perspective. "
Thus, Hendley advises companies to
reevaluate such teams. " Most people in
this industry who are people of color are
in engineering or another tech field, " she
notes. " Yet, they don't get to experience
these shows. " Hendley adds, " By changing
things up, these people will have the
opportunity to not only experience but
also speak and [add] value to the show. "
Meanwhile, Chaudhry advocates for
building accessibility awareness at trade
shows and events. She brings up how British
Sign Language (BSL) became a recognized
language in the U.K. in 2022. " This is
a major step forward for the Deaf community, "
she notes. " And I am delighted
to work for a company that embraces this
and supports many other organizations in
supporting access to BSL interpreters for all
events. " Chaudhry also highlights the lack
of wheelchair access at a major trade event.
" The corridors [were] wide enough, but
too many stands required a step up and did
not have a ramp facility, " she recalls. This,
Chaudhry says, made it hard for anyone in a
wheelchair to access the stands.
Chaudhry believes that event organizers
need to keep such accessibility accommodations
in mind for future events.
As she astutely notes, " Inclusivity, in its
truest form, should allow for all to feel
welcome and for all to be able to access
whatever is on offer. "
The road to achieving diversity, equity
and inclusion is certainly not easy. However,
we can bring about the change we all
long to see if we commit to ensuring each
initiative that we undertake - no matter
how small - is meaningful, sincere and
comes from within. CI
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Commercial Integrator April 2023

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