Event Companies Doubling Down on DEI
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders targeting DEI programs in both the public and private sectors. One of the first indications of how that would play out in the travel industry was a session at a hotel investment conference the following week, where the CEOs of 6 major hotel companies, including Marriott International and Hilton, were unified in their support of DEI. In mid-March, Arlo Hotels President Jimmy Suh announced he is expanding the DEI programs at his 7-property hotel chain.
Meetings industry associations, including the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), began speaking up as well. During a panel at PCMA’s Convening Leaders in January, Annette Gregg, SITE CEO, told attendees, “What does your membership expect you to do? What are you mandated to do, and then what should you do? You have to have a point of view. …If not, then that’s saying something, too.”
SITE was already in the process of creating a DEI Community, which had its first meetup during its Annual Conference in March. “The community will help us craft education sessions and a DEIB resource webpage,” she said.
Suppliers Leading the Way
Suppliers who are known for taking stands on other issues, such as sustainability, have been among the first to speak out on DEI, including tour operator Intrepid Travel. “The reality is, most companies love to talk about DEI, but they don’t back it up. Only 4% of corporations track their spending with women-owned businesses, and just 3% publicly report it. We do both,” said Leigh Barnes, Intrepid’s president of the Americas, in a statement.
Colja Dams, CEO of event and live-marketing firm VOK DAMS, has also been a strong advocate, and the company recently created a downloadable DE&I event checklist. “We’re sticking to our commitments to sustainability and DE&I, despite the current backlash. Not because we want to be seen as an enlightened company but because the future depends on it.”
Others have not been as vocal, said LGBT Meeting Professionals Association Chair of the Board of Directors Gary Murakami, who is also VP of global sales & industry relations at Teneo Hospitality Group. “I think many are still trying to navigate and understand the implications of what is happening today.”
The LGBT Meeting Professionals Association released a statement that sums up the meetings industry’s unique position to drive social and economic transformation: “Meeting professionals are becoming more intentional, asking deeper questions, and challenging outdated norms to cultivate lasting change. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that the spaces we create through our events reflect the richness and tapestry of human diversity and inspire a more inclusive future.”
Individual Voices Matter
Perhaps the greatest opportunity to reinforce the importance of DEI rests with individual planners themselves, such as Carine DesRoches, meetings & events director at the National Kidney Foundation, which has been supportive of her social media posts.
“As we witness some trying to undermine DEI efforts, we must confront the hard truth: The fight for inclusivity and equality is far from over,” she wrote on LinkedIn in February, in honor of Black History Month. “The struggle is real, and for many of us, especially within the Black community, the weight of these setbacks is deeply felt.”
Others are more quietly standing in solidarity, like event planner Edward Perotti, a white member of the LGBTQ+ community who likes to wear a sweatshirt that says ‘You’re Probably DEI Too’ and lists the various groups that are protected under DEI, from religious minorities to pregnant women to gig workers (created by God Ain’t Petty But I Am, a women-owned business).
He said that he often faces uncomfortable encounters with strangers. “I’m drained by such encounters. As an event professional, I strive to create inclusive experiences for all attendees. Why is it so hard to expect the same respect and inclusivity towards everyone, everywhere, every day?”
But he keeps wearing it. His message to fellow planners: “Make good trouble. Stir that pot, don’t be silent. Silent equals complicit.”
