Preconference

Making Iowa State University Meetings and Events More Inclusive, Diverse, and Accessible: A Toolkit for Iowa State University Meeting and Event Planners

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Abstract

A meeting or event is broadly defined as a gathering of two or more people with a common purpose. Iowa State University (ISU) hosts a wide variety of meetings and events each year. These meetings and events regularly involve both university and community attendees as well as a plethora of other stakeholders. A scan of the existing academic literature as well as meeting and event industry websites reveals a dismal lack of resources that provide event and meeting planners with strategies on how to create events that cater to more diverse and inclusive events.

This presentation will discuss how a collaborative team, led by program faculty in the Event Management program: (a) conducted an assessment of current ISU event and meeting planners, campus experts, and industry experts to find ‘best practices’ in planning events (b) mentored students enrolled in EVENT 486 semester that produced an event and (c) created a toolkit to assist ISU event and meeting planners that will be made available to ISU meeting and event planners. This presentation focuses on dimensions of event planning through the lens of race and ethnicity.

This project is supported by the Inclusion Initiatives Grant Program by The Office of Diversity and Inclusion.