• Connecting Speakers with Audiences™

diversity

Event planners: consider your topic and purpose when choosing speakers

Event planners: consider your topic and purpose when choosing speakers 1707 2560 I Need A Speaker

A Twitter user recently posted a message stating “yall my friend’s company held a diversity panel for AAPI Heritage Month and 2 out of the 6 panelists were wHITE MEN. they explicitly said they were on the panel bc theyre married to AAPI women and they bring pErSpEcTiVe, I CANT—”.

Too often, events don’t have the right speakers. They may have good speakers, but not relevant ones.

The takeaway here is to give serious thought to who is best suited for the event. If your event is about diversity, do you have diverse speakers? If your event is about disability, do you have speakers with a disability? If your event is about Black business owners, do you have speakers who are Black business owners?

It’s estimated that 65% of all conference speakers are white men. We don’t mind that white men are on the stage. We just want to make some space for more diverse speakers.

Event planners, we can help! Create your free account on I Need A Speaker and browse our global directory to match the right speaker(s) with your audience(s).

Speakers, join our searchable global directory today for $349 per year so event planners can easily locate you.

 

Photo credit: Pexels

“We are a community of storytellers”

“We are a community of storytellers” 2560 1676 I Need A Speaker

The Golden Globe Awards inspire a lot of buzz. What won best picture? Who was she wearing? While it’s fun to chat about those things, my favorite part of the event was Jane Fonda’s speech.

As this year’s recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in film, Fonda referred to the industry as “a community of storytellers” and delivered a passionate plea for diversity.

Wait. Storytellers and diversity? I had no idea that I Need A Speaker has so much in common with the glitterati!

Like Fonda, I also believe that ” … stories have a way — they can change our hearts and our minds, they can help us see each other in a new light, to have empathy.”

Later in her acceptance speech, Fonda noted: “Stories, they really can change people. But there’s a story we’ve been afraid to see and hear about ourselves … a story about which voices we respect and elevate.”

It’s inspiring and refreshing to hear other people support our values. I Need A Speaker was built to share stories in the interest of mutual understanding. It was built to help people discover the human similarities in all of us. And it was built to proudly amplify new voices.

We’re listening.

 

 

Photo credit: Pexels

Do your 2021 goals include diversity and inclusion efforts?

Do your 2021 goals include diversity and inclusion efforts? 2560 2416 I Need A Speaker

In response to recent events, many organizations are developing and implementing diversity and inclusion efforts. Leaders are eager to educate employees, and companies are seeking direction regarding equitable policies and practices.

Some speakers listed in the I Need A Speaker directory are subject matter experts on diversity and inclusion. They can help pave the way to mutual understanding and best practices. Book them today to help plan for tomorrow.

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