Ascent: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Ascent strives to motivate and to educate decision-makers on the business case and best practices for inclusive workplaces and events. Learn more about this initiative.

Making Your Events Inclusive for Neurodiverse Attendees

The CEO of an organization founded to amplify autistic voices shares how to make events more welcoming to neurodivergent people.

BY Casey Gale November 20, 2023

‘Let’s Have These Conversations’ About Civil Rights

An annual summer event produced by the Big Ten Conference for student athletes brings the United States’ civil rights history to life. 

BY Barbara Palmer November 17, 2023

More CVBs Earning Autism Travel Accreditation

Visit Salt Lake and Destination Toledo are two of the growing number of CVBs that have recently earned autism travel accreditation, after learning about how Mesa, Arizona, is breaking new ground for inclusive travel.

BY Casey Gale October 25, 2023

A Fundraiser With Soul — and New Soles

How Association Forum made its awards gala a less stuffy affair.

BY Michelle Russell October 12, 2023

Making Flexible Work Pay Off for Women

Harvard University’s Claudia Goldin, the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for economics, links the gender pay gap in the workplace to time pressures on women with children. How does that play out in the business events industry — and what can our industry do to help narrow the pay gap in other sectors?

BY Barbara Palmer October 11, 2023

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ‘Actively Practiced at Every Level’

In an EduCon 2023 session, DEI consultant Zoe Moore shared how event professionals can integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of their organizations’ operations by implementing a supplier diversity program.

BY Casey Gale August 28, 2023

How to Operationalize Your Commitment to DEI with a Supplier Diversity Program

DEI expert & ELI Instructor Zoe Moore will provide a comprehensive overview of supplier diversity programs and the strategies you must put in place, ideally at the RFP stage, to set goals, execute them and measure success.

BY Zoe Moore June 29, 2023

Unleashing the Power of Female Leadership: Key Strengths and Attributes to Take Your Seat at the Table

In this session you’ll get a sneak peak of the initial findings of the research – with the full report coming this fall.

BY Karen Calder Shameka Jennings Molly Witges Peter J. O’Neil, FASAE, CAE June 29, 2023

Why Event Organizers Need to Be Aware of Transgender Attendees’ Event Journey

In a PCMA EduCon panel moderated by Glenn Stress, vice president of global B2B events and programs for Marriott International, a gender-diverse panel discussed barriers that members of the LGBTQ+ community face when traveling to events.

BY Casey Gale June 26, 2023

Making Your Meeting More Accessible

Two wheelchair accessibility tours at EduCon gave event organizers a first-hand experience navigating an event on two wheels rather than two feet.

BY Michelle Russell June 26, 2023

Elevating Women in Business Events

A June 26 PCMA EduCon session will explore the challenges unique to women in their careers and how they can chart a path to leadership. Plus, participants will get a sneak peek of proprietary research on this topic.

June 25, 2023

The Long-Awaited Opening of a New Museum Coincides with Juneteenth

Two decades in the making, the International African American Museum and gathering space in Charleston, South Carolina, will trace the untold stories of enslaved Africans brought to the U.S.

BY Jennifer N. Dienst June 19, 2023

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