Meet Jason Dunn Sr, Co-Chair of EIC's Equity Taskforce

I have the distinct honour, alongside Tina Wehmeir CMP, to co-lead the Events Industry Council Equity Taskforce, which comprises a group of industry leaders who believe in our industry’s ability to empower communities. The Equity Taskforce will create a framework that offers resources to identify measurable priorities with clearly defined strategies that are inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible. 

What are the plans for the Equity Taskforce in 2022?

The first major project for the Equity Taskforce in 2022 will be to release the findings from EIC’s Equity Study, which will provide a clear insight into the current landscape of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the global business events sector, including personal experiences from some of our industry colleagues.

This will be our compass that guides us to an equitable future. The Taskforce will lead conversations and develop and curate metric driven pathways, which will be accessible for all. It is our aim to offer resources that will encourage, ease and lead our industry to a sustained equitable goal of accelerating the elimination of discrimination within the global business events industry. 

What steps can event professionals take to work towards a more inclusive future?

• Make a conscious and intentional effort to diversify your leadership team.
• Add DEI goals on a company-wide scorecard, with equivalent weighting and clear metrics.
• Be committed to implementing uncomfortable strategies that disrupt an unhealthy work culture. For example, you may have employees who are unable to work within a diverse environment and accustomed to stereotypical roles rooted in historical biases. There has to be a commitment to rid the workplace of employees or practices that are not aligned within new policies. Additionally, leadership must be willing to implement recommendations that are suggested by equity and inclusion professionals.
• Consider that employees reflect their leadership; you may want to look in the mirror to ensure you are not the problem.

What would you say are the most pressing challenges the industry faces in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion?

• Accepting that there are inequalities and discriminatory treatment or practices within the offices of our industry. Many times the conversation of diversity brings anxiety to people and as a result, the subject is ignored or swept under the rug. The cause and effect of these actions, or lack thereof, contributes to hostile work environments and lack lustre production.
• Across the industry, many organisations have essentially shifted the titles of black and brown employees to DEI managers or added that responsibility to give the appearance of progress. The reality is, there is a difference between being a DEI practitioner vs a Diversity Sales or Community Engagement Executive. This house of cards strategy will prove to be ineffective and not a sustainable model.
• Our industry must accept the logic of shared power and its relationship to increasing one’s market share. Implementing authentic DEI strategies/metrics retains talent and strengthens the competitiveness of an organisation.

How does this differ from other industries? 

We differ from other industries because we have the talent, resources and influence to shift the consciousness of the globe. We are the resource that the rest of world is looking for.