Event First Steps have launched a second survey as part of its ongoing, sector wide research into racial diversity in the events industry.
Event First Steps was founded by Elena Clowes, Caitlin Kobrak and Priya Narain and aims to help industry newcomers navigate and find their place within the events world. The event professionals initiated this diversity research project at the end of 2020.
Commenting on the first survey, Clowes said: “It was a great start, but we knew going into it that it wouldn’t be a one time thing. Diversity is something that has always been an important focus for us at Event First Steps. We are passionate about having open conversations on the topic, and being part of the change. We are determined to help to create a better, more inclusive industry for the next generation of event professionals.”
“Last year we saw a big focus on racial diversity for a few months across the industry,” added Narain. “A lot of corporate statements and think pieces around the topic, which was great but we are all painfully aware that making a difference in this area takes much longer and much more than an Instagram post or two, it requires deeper change. We are hoping the results of this year’s survey show some marked improvement in our sector.”
Clowes agrees, and stated that: “It would be an indication that companies are coming through on those smaller internal changes that ultimately make a big difference to our industry overall.”
Previously, the survey drew in results from hundreds of event professionals. Event First Steps aim to double the respondent rate this year to provide a bigger picture on the current state of the industry, and show the next focus areas for improvement.
“We are working with colleagues in various corners of the world so we know that challenges vary in each market – but we can also learn best practices from each other too. Collecting data from all over in this survey is a great place for us to start,” commented Clowes.
One area, Kobrak noted, is around policy: “The previous survey results showed that 50% of respondents did not know of any policies or statements in place from their employers on diversity and inclusion, and we are really keen to see if there is a change here or not.
She continued: “Speaking to our industry partners around the UK, we knew that the intention was there to make a difference, so we would love to see some big changes to reflect that. It’s not only important for our current industry, but especially for the next wave of event professionals that we know are waiting in the wings.”
To complete the survey, click here.
The survey is supported by Dr. Caroline Jackson of BVEP, and data analyst Nigel Williams.
