Jeffrey Huang, Senior Manager of Employee Engagement and Outforce Global President at Salesforce, shares tips for making your events inclusive and welcoming to all sexual orientations and gender identities at every stage of a guest's journey.
As event marketers, we always want to make sure every single guest has an amazing experience. Among many things (a smooth check-in process, making sure the event is accessible, etc.), this means ensuring every part of your event is inclusive and welcoming.
At Salesforce, my team manages an internal events program that extends our company’s culture from HQ to the rest of our offices around the world. I’m also the Global President of Outforce, our employee resource group for sexual orientation and gender identity equality. Not only am I incredibly passionate about inclusivity at events, it’s something I think about for every single event we host.
Inclusive event marketing is good event marketing. It’s thinking about the seemingly small details that can make a big difference in how a guest experiences your event. Considering inclusivity should be a part of every event you plan.
From my own experience (and my own share of mistakes), I’m sharing those crucial details that can help make your events inclusive at every stage of a guest’s journey.
Note: Inclusivity should encompass race, ethnicity, age, physical ability, level of education, religion, and more. For this article, I'm focusing on how to create events that not only welcome the LGBTQ community, but all SOGIs (sexual orientations and gender identities).
But first, does it really matter if your event is inclusive?
Yes! Not only is it the right thing to do and a way to extend your organization’s values into your events, making your events SOGI-inclusive improves the experience for all of your guests, which is always a good thing.
And for any B2B marketers whose minds go straight to numbers, there’s even a business case for hosting SOGI-inclusive events: Nearly 5% of the world population identifies as LGBTQ, so hosting an event that welcomes all means 5% more attendees or 5% more potential business for your organization. And in large metropolitan areas (e.g., Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco), that number can increase to as much as 15%.
When choosing a location for your event, think about whether it’s the right fit for your audience — including the country, state, city, neighborhood, and venue. Is it a welcoming and appropriate place to bring this community of people together?
Increasingly, companies are refusing to do business and individuals are choosing not to attend events in places that don’t support diversity and inclusion, so it’s important to consider the larger context surrounding the location you choose.
Pro Tip
If your event is taking place somewhere with multiple event venues in one, ask what other events are taking place that day/night. The last thing you want is a nearby event (or one right before or after yours) that makes your guests feel uncomfortable.
If your event will have any presentations, guest speakers, or panels, it’s important to think about who you’re putting on stage. These people are visible and prominent representations of your event.
Make sure you have a diverse panel or speaker line-up. (Gender, sexual orientation, race, age, etc.) When guests see themselves reflected in the people on stage, they're more likely to attend, be engaged, and come away with a positive experience and impression of your brand.
Pro Tip
When you introduce a speaker, only reference their sexual orientation, gender identity, or race when it's germane (for example, introducing someone as lesbian at a speaker series featuring queer female executives).
Another element of your event to think about is your list of vendors and suppliers. Are any LGBTQ-owned? Most metropolitan areas have an LGBTQ business directory, and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce provides a list right on their affiliate chambers’ websites.
Pro Tip
You can also ask the companies you work with if they have any sort of supplier diversity program that encourages the use of LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran-, or minority-owned businesses.
Some events require a certain dress code (for example a fancy VIP event), but it’s also common to provide some general dress guidelines for guests. The problem? These guidelines tend to be based off the gender binary — i.e., suggesting men wear tuxedos and women cocktail dresses.
Instead, provide general dress guidance without the male/female binary descriptors and let attendees decide for themselves. People feel comfortable when they can wear the clothes they prefer and aren’t forced into traditional gender models.
Pro Tip
Instead of saying “for men” and “for women” in your dress guidelines, simply list what type of attire is recommended and leave gendered terms out.
A question I’m often asked is if event organizers can rely on their LGBTQ communities to help make an event inclusive or bring in more diverse guests. While some people may volunteer, asking your LGBTQ community to help is actually putting the work back on them.
Marginalized communities already experience emotional labor just by existing in this world. I believe it's up to those in places of privilege (e.g., straight and/or cisgender events professionals) to put the work in ourselves.
If you don’t feel like you have all the knowledge you need to make your event inclusive, do some research. You’ve already started by reading this blog post, but you can also find a lot of useful information by searching the internet for “LGBTQ inclusive events” or “how to make events inclusive to the transgender community.”
Pro Tip
You can, of course, ask those in the LGBTQ community for their insight or help, but make sure you only approach them if you know they’re open about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
The language and images on your event page, emails, and RSVP forms should always be inclusive. Think about it: If your messaging and imagery doesn’t look and feel inclusive, a guest may be deterred from your event before they’ve even had the chance to check it out in person.
On RSVP forms, you can ask for guests’ gender pronouns (e.g., he, she, they), but only ask for their gender if it’s necessary for the event. If asking for gender, your first instinct might be to include “male,” “female,” and “other” as the options — but for someone who is transgender or gender non-conforming, the term “other” can be reductive and make people feel excluded. (This is also a form of “othering.”)
Instead, provide a blank write-in field so guests can type in what they want for gender, and you can still capture the information you need. And if you need to ask for honorifics, include the standard options like Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr. Rev., etc., along with the gender-neutral honorific Mx.
Pro Tip
If you are giving out t-shirts, I always like to offer both unisex/straight-cut and fitted options so everyone receives a shirt that fits their body.
It may feel small, but the words you choose when addressing your guests (whether it’s in a welcome speech, at the door, or during conversations) can make a big difference. Try to use gender-neutral terms – these small changes can go a long way in making everyone at your event feel comfortable and welcome. Some examples from GLAAD:
Here are some easy swaps to make your language more SOGI-inclusive:
When checking in guests, ask yourself if you really need to check photo IDs. This inquiry is important because transgender or gender non-conforming attendees might have IDs that don’t match the name under which they registered. If you don’t need to see ID, just ask for their name and check them in.
And if you’re giving guests name badges, provide pronoun stickers so attendees can indicate how they want to be addressed. Or better yet, include a write-in field on the name badges for people to write their own pronouns since you may not have stickers that match every attendee’s pronoun.
Pro Tip
If you need to check IDs for legal reasons, be willing to serve everyone even if their IDs don’t perfectly match how they look or how they refer to themselves.
For restrooms, best practice is to allow guests to use the restroom that suits their gender identity. People should have the freedom to use the restroom that’s right for them, without policing or questions.
Pro Tip
If you can’t find a venue with all-gender restrooms, try to find one with single-occupancy restrooms. These can easily be converted to “all-gender” restrooms and eliminate the possibility of anyone feeling uncomfortable.
When it comes to all-gender restroom signage, avoid those that show male or female figures as this plays into the heteronormative gender binary. Instead, choose signs that convey that the space is a restroom. If it’s wheelchair accessible, include the wheelchair pictogram. Go the extra mile by including Braille for those who need it.
Here’s some examples of the good, the OK, and the bad of restroom signage:
The Good: These signs clearly show that it’s a restroom, and it’s accessible. (Fun fact: The triangle on top of a circle is the universal symbol for unisex restroom.)
The OK: Even though the one on the left says “all-gender restroom,” it’s playing into the gender binary with the male and female pictograms. The sign on the right also shows a person in a wheelchair that’s smaller than the other figures, which can imply the person in the wheelchair is “less than” other people.
The Bad: This sign is bad for a couple reasons: The person in the wheelchair is clearly smaller than the other people, and it also includes a confusing third pictogram which can be mistakenly interpreted as a man in a dress. It’s best to avoid this third gender pictogram.
Training Your Staff
Be sure to educate your staff — including any volunteers, vendors, and speakers — on these best practices for inclusivity. The last thing you want is to take all the steps to ensure your event is inclusive, and then your guest speaker gets on stage and starts with a big, “Hey guys!” to kick things off.
One of my biggest pieces of advice is to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to homophobic or transphobic language or behavior at your events. If anyone acts inappropriately, the best thing to do is talk to them about it, and remove them from the event if necessary.
In reality, you can’t control every single situation. If something does go wrong and it affects a guest, immediately apologize, and let them know the steps you’re taking to fix the situation.
In the end, creating an inclusive event is important whether or not you think you’ll have LGBTQ guests (plus, you don’t always know who will show up or how everyone at your event identifies). And even if your guests aren’t LGBTQ themselves, if you make it clear your event is inclusive and welcoming, they’ll feel much more comfortable bringing a plus one who is, or spreading the word about your event.
