LONDON—Informa is known for its internal DEI initiatives led by Mike Sealy, Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Among them: its recent IMX Live event, which was open to all 3,900+ Informa Markets colleagues to participate virtually or in-person in London. Highlights included groundbreaking educational sessions, such as one featuring colleagues’ experiences of neurodiversity in the workplace.
But many of Sealy’s DEI goals for 2023 extend beyond the company and into the industries Informa serves. Among its shows, many brands have launched DEI initiatives. Women in Nutraceuticals, for one, focuses on creating opportunities for women in the nutraceuticals industry. Informa Markets Fashion launched the Fashion for Change Incubator Program to support emerging design talent within the Black fashion community.
Sealy is also tackling the issue of the lack of diversity among speakers at business events through the new Diverse Voices on Stage initiative, of which he is extremely proud.
“This program not only challenges traditional beliefs of success but also provides a dedicated space for vibrant and diverse representation,” he said. “By giving voice to diverse perspectives, we’re opening up opportunities for a fresh wave of talents, experiences and backgrounds. It’s like a melting pot of expertise and value, showing that greatness knows no bounds and can come from anyone, anywhere.”
Program representatives are reaching out to networks that promote diversity in the industries that Informa serves with requests for thought leaders. They are also launching a post-show survey after all events, where speakers have the option to provide demographic information. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and we want to make sure that we are not just making an effort to diversify our thought leaders, but tangibly tracking and improving our speaker diversity,” Sealy said.
“We recognize that representation plays a crucial role in fostering inclusivity, and that promoting varied perspectives will create an enriched experience for all attendees. We can’t truly serve our audiences when we don’t represent them. That’s really the goal of the program—we want to ensure that a diverse range of voices and backgrounds are represented on stage, reflecting the diversity of our audience.”
Reach Mike Sealy at mike.sealy@informa.com
