The first AMI
Summit tackled the big issues facing the international association world and wider
society: sustainability and inclusion.
As part of The
Meetings Show pre-show conference, the first in-person edition of the AMI Summit saw
association professionals gather at ExCeL on Wednesday, June 28th to discuss how to drive sustainability
and ensure all organisations and their meetings are accessible and inclusive.
Anna Abdelnoor, founder of event sustainability
body isla, lead the first session, ‘Beyond planting trees how can associations make
a real difference?’ with panellists, Dermot Ryan of K.I.T Group, Milda Salciute
of GDS-Movement and Chloe Menhinick of the International Currency Association.
Panellists
discussed how international meetings generate a huge
amount of carbon emissions but highlighted the role they play in economic uplift.
“You can defend the industry that you’re in, but you have to be taking action
at the same time, otherwise how do we justify it?" Menhinick said.
Abdelnoor
added that any sustainable changes an association implements must be meaningful
and not just a box ticking exercise.
The
conversation led to how you can make those meaningful changes with all
panellists agreeing it starts with measuring what you’re doing.
“We’re all
doing something already, even if we don’t realise it,” said Ryan. “Even
tracking gender balance in your speakers at your conference is data that you
can use and learn from.”
Ultimately,
the panel agreed that organisations need to be self-critical and challenge
their processes in order to make real change.
The ‘Access
All Areas’ session, moderatored by AMI editor, James Lancaster, found panellists Tracy Bury of World Physiotherapy, Rob Eveleigh
of Brightelm and Marjolein Oorsprong of PRACE, discussed strategies to
ensure members and delegates feel welcome and heard.
Everything
from physical access to events to ensuring there are alcohol-free options available
was discussed as part of the session. Oorsprong said that to her, diversity and
inclusion meant fixing the system that created the non-level playing field and
actively seeking to level it.
Levelling the playing field begins with finding out what your delegates’ and members’ needs
are, and this can be done in a registration survey, she said.
“We’re
already asking questions on the registration form, so why not just add a few
more to make sure those delegates are catered for and can access the event and
its content?”
Bury added
that one of the World Physiotherapy Congresses ran over the same dates as the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan, meaning that she and the team needed to ensure
observing Muslim delegates had a dedicated space at the congress to break the fast.
It’s these considerations,
Bury explained, that make your delegates feel seen, heard and valued.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
