A diverse event is a better event. Paul Armstrong from TBD on being inclusive from day 1.
Currently organising a very different TBD Conference to previous years, I wanted to make sure of one thing; the stage stays diverse without tokenism or last- minuteism. I am thrilled that D.I.C.E. has given us a 100% recommended classification for TBD with three months to go. Creating a diverse stage isn't hard, but it does take planning and a bit of consideration. Here's what I do for TBD to make sure the stage represents the audience and also make things easier for myself.
1. Use the lists that are out there, but use them carefully.
Lists like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, or this one (seriously, there are a lot of lists out there folks, what's the excuse for manels?) are extremely helpful but use them with a lens. Who's overexposed, who's emerging and who's not on them. Enquire about the latter...identify and push new voices. Some of the most helpful lists aren't always a website. Look in Whatsapp groups, Slack communities, LinkedIn groups and places like Ada's List. Look for who's saying things and not just hawking the obvious linkbait etc. If you think you can't find a collective you're looking for, you've not looked hard enough. My top tip when it comes to lists is to avoid using other conference lists to create your lineup. Apart from being lazy; you're repeating something, and who's paying for that? Don't be that person! Be the one to push things forward; challenge the status quo, push new and next. If you "need names" to get people to pay, you might want to rethink your strategy.
2. Use the expert staircase differently.
If you want diverse speakers, you need to increase your inputs, experiences, not just your connections. The more experiences you have, the more connections you can make. Simple things like; walking a different way home while focusing on all the posters you see, using a new magazine as the first port of call to find experts. A handy method that I use to find new voices in a field is called the 'expert staircase', and it yields stellar results to find new, exciting people and avoid seeing the usual suspects when used in an alternative fashion. A top tip when employing this method is to ask people who aren't in your field. Doing this will increase analogous thinking, and that's where magic can happen. Imagine what CES might look like if they asked artists, cleaners, chefs, architects and gardeners to book part of the lineup? Go outside your box.
How to apply the expert staircase:
Step A) Set a goal you want to achieve. Identify your top expert you think will know more about what you want to learn. Let's call them 'Expert 1'.
Step B) Chat with Expert 1 about anything you like, but the key is to ask them one question; who is their expert in the field? You've got options...:
"Who do you turn to for information and trends in this area?"
"Who is at the top of this field in your opinion?"
"Who would you go to if you had a question about this?"
Step C) You've now identified 'Expert 2' and are on the second step of your staircase! Contact 'Expert 2' and repeat the steps until you have enough information or keep getting the same names. Stop when you achieve your goal, or you start hearing the same names over and over. You've reached the top of the staircase! Where you choose to focus is up to you, although I often recommend looking at the middle/upper-middle for the sweet spot.
Completing a rigorous expert staircase takes time, but you have everything you need right now. Zoom, LinkedIn, Twitter DMs, Instagram, Google Forms. Ask for the direct contact details or pre-write the introduction for your contacts to forward. Be bold. The world needs it. Not everything has to be an hour-long Zoom call, or so I'm told.
3. Turn the pages.
Possibly the most important thing I do to ensure that TBD is diverse is read more and read different things. I curate a Flipboard to make sure I am getting a wide variety of sources and voices about topics I am interested in or am researching. I also make use of Twitter Lists and Slack communities. Slofile and Standuply are both useful databases for the latter. Another habit to improve is looking at newer media outlets like The Hustle, Vox, The Information, all of whom often use different sources and experts by default. Make sure you're also reading pieces from local Indian and Chinese press outlets (do your research for which are state-owned and influenced). Some of the best research and money I have ever spent has been in independent magazine stores. If you want to invest in yourself in 2021, get a subscription to Stack Magazines now, and you'll get exposed to a new magazine every month. Alternatively, take a trip to Artwords for inspiration.
We're three months or so out at the time of writing this, and I want to throw the gauntlet down to conference organisers everywhere. It shouldn't and won't in the future, but right now, you need to be the change you want to see in the world—rage against the theatre-style. Focus on why you're putting on the conference - the information to be imparted and the connections to be made. Don't support venues who aren't willing to help you make the event you want to make and urge you to follow 'Configuration B'. From the way we seat attendees to the bespoke scent we create, so people encode and recall what they see and hear; the details are essential, but none of it matters if people don't feel represented or seen.
2021 will force yet more change on the MICE industry and I, for one, am here for it. The issues with the conference industry are many; pay-to-play stages, recycled content, inflexible venues that do things because of 'itseasy-itis" not because it benefits the information exchange; the list goes on. If the conference industry wants to bounce back swiftly after COVID-19, organisers need to treat diversity as more than tokenism and start focusing on new, fresh voices at different venues that are rewarded for flexibility and not standardising everything to within an inch of its life.
Be bold - the future depends on it.
Paul Armstrong is Founder of Here/Forth, the emerging technology advisory that helps business leaders understand and use rapidly changing and emerging technologies to create resilience for today (HERE) and tomorrow (/FORTH). TBD Conference is based on the framework from Paul's first book 'Disruptive Technologies' and will be back January 28-29, 2021.