We care about diversity at conferences and events because we want them to be better for everyone.
Sign the diversity charter to show that you care too.
All too often we see conference and event lineups full of the same or similar people, we don’t want that anymore. We want diversity.
Diversity refers to a wide range of visible and non-visible characteristics; it’s about valuing variety, welcoming a range of backgrounds and opinions and embracing the benefits that differences bring. We believe that a diverse set of people on stage and in audiences will improve events and will ultimately change the industries they represent for the better.
We know that it takes more effort to increase diversity at events and we will show our commitment to making that happen by signing this charter.
This charter is for event organisers, speakers, individuals, employers, sponsors and venues. By signing this charter, you are committing to highlighting where there is a lack of diversity at events and doing what you can to make things better.
Event organisers
You can make better events for your participants by working harder to create a more inclusive environment. By signing this charter, you are committing to seeking ways to create better events by increasing the diversity of the people on stage as well as in the audience. You can use these ideas to help you. Once you sign the charter, you’ll get a logo to add your website to show your commitment to diversity.
Event speakers, individuals, employers, sponsors and venues
Influence diversity at conferences by being mindful of who is speaking and what the conference is doing to promote diversity. By signing this charter, you are committing to encouraging event organisers to consider making events diverse, highlighting when they aren’t and helping where you can. (We encourage giving people the benefit of the doubt and working with them rather than calling them out publically)
Speakers
Choose not to speak at events that will not commit to creating diverse events.
Individuals
Choose not to attend and/or fund events that will not commit to creating diverse events.
Employers
Choose to not send employees to as audience members, speakers or panel members to events that will not commit to creating diverse events.
Sponsors
Choose not to fund events that will not commit to creating diverse events. You make sure you have a diverse range of people representing your organisation at events you sponsor.
Venues
Work with event organisers to ensure you are meeting diverse needs. Choose to not host events that will not commit to creating diverse events.
The most recent signatories
Sophie Arscot
Start Together Studio
Loimar Vianna
Furkan Karayel
Diversein.com
Gemma Al-Kaisy
Hargreaves Lansdown
Mahesh Krshnan
Steve Pereira and the DevOps Days Toronto Organizing Team
DevOps Ltd.
DevOps Days Toronto is committed to including diverse and underrepresented voices at our annual conference. We do our absolute best to reach out to communities, representatives and members of underrepresented demographics to include them and invite them to join us.
Each year we personally invite underrepresented voices to speak and submit talks to our CFP, as well as providing support and guidance to new voices in the form of CFP workshops and coaching.
Our organizing team and volunteers is carefully chosen to be diverse and inclusive, to ensure we have ideas and participation from a broad spectrum of experiences and backgrounds. We appoint a diversity, outreach and inclusion representative each year to hold us accountable to the highest standards.
We ensure our selected program reflects the diversity and representation we wish to see in our participants. We have a clear and strict code of conduct specifically acknowledged by all involved in the conference, whether they are organizing, speaking, attending or sponsoring.
In order to make as many participants feel welcome and comfortable we offer our speakers:
- Travel and accommodation support for out-of-town speakers
- Childcare or financial assistance that would help with the time obligation
- Free tickets for partners
- Speaker coaching available to assist with material, delivery or practice
- All meals, receptions and activities included at no cost
- Comfy, well equipped and quiet private speaker lounge
- Accessibility accommodations
We choose accessible and well equipped venues and work to ensure everyone who wishes to attend or speak can easily do so. We offer free tickets to underrepresented individuals to ensure everyone who wishes to attend can do so.
A portion of our proceeds is donated back to local Toronto diversity initiatives to support their efforts. We connect with diversity, equity and inclusive groups as community sponsors to share their work and presence with our audience.
We remain open to ideas and iteration on all of our efforts to continuously improve!
Sarah T. P. Andiel
DebateConsult
We provide Debate Trainings to raise awareness for diversity
… see who else has signed the charter so far
I am interested in understanding and promoting Diversity within the music industry, live events, and recording/music production industry that I work in.