6 Ways to Make Your Media Event More Inclusive
By Rachel Henry
Whether you’re hosting a press conference, FAM trip, or media event, it’s important to ensure it's inclusive for all. Inclusion allows attendees to focus on their role and have a good experience, without being distracted or limited by unmet needs. A lack of representation deprives your event of valuable perspectives and experiences, so it’s vital to create a genuinely diverse, warm environment from the get-go.
In this article, we share 6 ways you can make your media event more inclusive:
In this article, we share 6 ways you can make your media event more inclusive:
- Invite the right speakers
- Find the right partners
- Focus on accessibility
- Follow up with guests
- Ask for feedback
6 ways to ensure your media event is inclusive
1. Invite the right speakers
You’ve probably attended events where the expert panel consists of several men and one woman, seemingly invited as an afterthought. Use your event to actively amplify voices with intention and connect with your audience in broader ways. Establishing representation goals and policies in your organization’s workplace will lead to a broader range of voices and experiences. Don’t forget to ask people how they want to be introduced, including their pronouns. It’s best not to make assumptions, and only deliver relevant information to your audience.
2. Find the right partners
Finding the right partners can boost the credibility of your event, if you do your homework. Before you team up with other organizations, make sure they share the same values. There’s nothing worse than discovering a partner has skeletons in their closet after you’ve started planning a media event. Once you’ve found the perfect fit, make sure you and your team understand their needs, and lay out the ground rules for all guests. For example, smudge ceremonies and prayer are considered sacred and should not be photographed. Let your attendees know what’s allowed ahead of time.
3. Focus on accessibility
Removing barriers begins at the planning stage. Choosing an accessible venue ensures everyone can comfortably attend your event. When selecting a venue, consider parking availability, transportation options, indoor and outdoor surfaces, and if doors are automatic or need to be propped open. Ensure there’s wheelchair access, and look for gender neutral washrooms.
Consider hiring an ASL interpreter or have adaptive technology available for deaf or hard of hearing guests—an interpreter will ensure all messages are conveyed the way they were intended. Adjustable lighting and proper acoustics can help create an inclusive environment, but inform guests of potentially over-stimulating experiences like enclosed spaces, use of flash photography, and amplified sounds or music. If you’re serving food, offer a variety of choices to meet dietary needs.
4. Follow up with guests
Following up with your guests within a reasonable time period shows that you care about the relationship. Take the opportunity to thank everyone, and provide all relevant materials like your press release in PDF and print formats.
It’s also good practice to share a captioned copy of the recording, and to publish a transcript of the discussion so all guests can revisit the topics you discussed. The added benefit of a follow-up is that it will help keep the conversation going about your organization.
5. Ask for feedback
Asking for feedback shows you actually care about your guests and their experience. Request an assessment of the event by sending a brief survey. When you listen openly to responses, you allow guests to feel heard, which in turn builds stronger connections.
Remember it’s okay to make mistakes, but be prepared to make changes. Guests will likely be able to provide you with a new perspective and suggestions to improve your future events. Take the feedback and use it to help you learn how best to meet your community’s needs.
You’ve probably attended events where the expert panel consists of several men and one woman, seemingly invited as an afterthought. Use your event to actively amplify voices with intention and connect with your audience in broader ways. Establishing representation goals and policies in your organization’s workplace will lead to a broader range of voices and experiences. Don’t forget to ask people how they want to be introduced, including their pronouns. It’s best not to make assumptions, and only deliver relevant information to your audience.
2. Find the right partners
Finding the right partners can boost the credibility of your event, if you do your homework. Before you team up with other organizations, make sure they share the same values. There’s nothing worse than discovering a partner has skeletons in their closet after you’ve started planning a media event. Once you’ve found the perfect fit, make sure you and your team understand their needs, and lay out the ground rules for all guests. For example, smudge ceremonies and prayer are considered sacred and should not be photographed. Let your attendees know what’s allowed ahead of time.
3. Focus on accessibility
Removing barriers begins at the planning stage. Choosing an accessible venue ensures everyone can comfortably attend your event. When selecting a venue, consider parking availability, transportation options, indoor and outdoor surfaces, and if doors are automatic or need to be propped open. Ensure there’s wheelchair access, and look for gender neutral washrooms.
Consider hiring an ASL interpreter or have adaptive technology available for deaf or hard of hearing guests—an interpreter will ensure all messages are conveyed the way they were intended. Adjustable lighting and proper acoustics can help create an inclusive environment, but inform guests of potentially over-stimulating experiences like enclosed spaces, use of flash photography, and amplified sounds or music. If you’re serving food, offer a variety of choices to meet dietary needs.
4. Follow up with guests
Following up with your guests within a reasonable time period shows that you care about the relationship. Take the opportunity to thank everyone, and provide all relevant materials like your press release in PDF and print formats.
It’s also good practice to share a captioned copy of the recording, and to publish a transcript of the discussion so all guests can revisit the topics you discussed. The added benefit of a follow-up is that it will help keep the conversation going about your organization.
5. Ask for feedback
Asking for feedback shows you actually care about your guests and their experience. Request an assessment of the event by sending a brief survey. When you listen openly to responses, you allow guests to feel heard, which in turn builds stronger connections.
Remember it’s okay to make mistakes, but be prepared to make changes. Guests will likely be able to provide you with a new perspective and suggestions to improve your future events. Take the feedback and use it to help you learn how best to meet your community’s needs.
Plan an event everyone can enjoy
Hosting a media event of any kind is no small feat. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, and invite a broad range of people to share in the conversation. Diversity and inclusion helps you accurately and powerfully tell the whole story.
If you’re trying to plan and host an inclusive media event that knocks their socks off, Perch can help. Perch is a boutique storytelling studio that can help you create an authentically diverse and inclusive event to get the conversation started. Contact us for a free, 30-minute consultation.
If you’re trying to plan and host an inclusive media event that knocks their socks off, Perch can help. Perch is a boutique storytelling studio that can help you create an authentically diverse and inclusive event to get the conversation started. Contact us for a free, 30-minute consultation.
