Inclusion and diversity, key to business performance according to IBTM World

One of them will be the executive director of equity, diversity and inclusion consultancy SLS 360, Samantha Stimpson B.Ed MA, who will give a practical workshop, entitled “Creating Diverse Cultures: Why, How, When…”. The idea is to equip delegates with the knowledge, tools and strategies they will need to create such cultures within their organisations. It will demonstrate how such cultures can drive innovation and boost productivity.

Richard John, C.O.O. of Realise Me Ltd, a specialist event services agency, will be presenting the session “Diversifying the Workplace: Harnessing the potential of people with learning difficulties”. He will be joined by representatives from Hilton Birmingham Metropole and The Power of Events, as well as Samantha Stimpson.

Inclusion and diversity will also form part of the main stage on the first day of the fair with Maria Teixedor being interviewed about her book ‘Beyond the Pitch’. Maria, a member of FC Barcelona’s Board of Directors, and the first woman to hold the position of Board Secretary, will reveal how she successfully navigated the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry and share practical steps to achieve gender equality.

Ellie Middleton, an autistic and ADHD speaker, writer and creator, has built an online audience of nearly 400,000 people and has worked with global brands such as Disney, Google, Samsung and LinkedIn to change the narrative around neurodivergence. At IBTM she will speak on “The Future of Events: Neuroinclusion as a channel for cultivating belonging”, and discuss with representatives from Google and FIRST about embracing neurodiversity when designing experiences to show how events can have a big impact on all brain types.