“Surprisingly, my optimism about inclusivity comes from the resistance to it. Currently, diversity, equity and inclusion is under attack and efforts to bring it down are making more companies as well as individuals realize that it is a business imperative.”

These powerful words come from Zoe Moore, one of the meeting industry’s pre-eminent thought leaders on inclusion.

So, when the time came to spotlight inclusion—the theme of the February-March issue of The Meeting Professional—we turned to Moore and several other members of the event community who would surely offer timely insights. And they didn’t disappoint.

Be sure to find out how they responded to the following inclusivity-focused questions within this issue.

“Why are you optimistic about inclusivity efforts in 2024? Any trends that, for lack of a better word, we should keep an eye on?”

“Can you tell us about a tangible way a company or organization can measure inclusivity progress?”

“Five years from now: We’ve made significant progress toward a more inclusive meeting industry. What does that look like?”

We also spoke with Bill Adams of Destination DC about the importance of sponsoring MPI’s Black Meeting Professionals Community, how Black meeting professionals have made progress in the meeting and hospitality industries and how we can keep that progress going.

But our inclusivity theme doesn’t end with this magazine. Khris Baizen (a member of MPI’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee) and Naomi Tucker explore the impact of inclusivity—or the lack thereof—in the lives of meeting and event professionals on MPI’s EVENTalks podcast, hosted by Managing Editor Michael Pinchera. And over on our blog, Melissa Cherry, chief diversity and inclusion officer/SVP for Miles Partnership, discusses the importance of hiring diverse leaders and creating an inclusive culture. (Cherry also moderated an MPI Academy webinar called “Building an Inclusive and Equitable Meetings Industry”—check it now!)

Speaking of MPI Academy education, it’s a great time to consider the Inclusive Event Strategist certificate, and there will plenty of inclusion education at the World Education Congress (WEC), May 20-22 in Louisville, Ky. (including the session “Improv & Inclusion” with Pamela Schuller, one of our keynote speakers).

Want to join our inclusion conversations? Drop us a note at editor@mpi.org.

In closing, some words of wisdom from Jenny Ng, a member of the MPI EDI Committee: “My hope is that the meeting industry will be a beacon of inclusivity and attendees will feel heard, welcomed and celebrated.”