CHICAGO — June is Pride Month, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and its history. Trade Show Executive’s (TSE) Young Professionals Corner checked in with Maeve Kiley, Senior Conference Coordinator of IOFM at Diversified, to discuss how the organizer is recognizing the holiday and how this type of community engagement can benefit a company’s culture and work.
ANDREW: How is Diversified observing Pride Month this year?
MAEVE: At Diversified, we’re celebrating Pride in a variety of meaningful ways. This includes hosting Lunch’n’Learn sessions, decorating and transforming our employee lounge, and — new this year — partnering with the local Equality Community Center to support volunteer opportunities.
As the Pride Committee planned this year’s initiatives, we aimed to strike a balance between fun, on-site activities that brighten the workplace (like festive decor and a photobooth in the communal employee lounge) and opportunities to give back to the community.
Supporting LGBTQ+-focused projects in Portland [Maine], where our headquarters is located, was a key part of our commitment to community engagement this year.
ANDREW: What else would you like to share about Diversified’s Pride celebrations?
MAEVE: In addition to volunteer opportunities, this year, we are excited to introduce a new way of recognizing Pride Month with a Lunch’n’Learn event.
In a time when many Pride celebrations and commitments are being scaled back across the country, we believe it’s more important than ever to honor Pride by sharing its history alongside the celebration.
Our Lunch’n’Learn, titled “Stepping Out: The Portland, Maine Queer History Trail,” is presented with the University of Southern Maine’s Sociology and Women & Gender Studies programs … [who have] been compiling important documents, letters, photographs and other artifacts representing the past four decades of activism, culture and commerce in the southern Maine region.
This work has been transformed into a walking tour and digital library that explores key Portland landmarks and their significance to queer history.
Through this event, we hope to deepen our employees’ connection to the city and bring visibility to the queer stories behind many familiar locations.
ANDREW: How can recognizing Pride Month benefit an organization and its company culture?
MAEVE: Celebrating Pride Month — and supporting initiatives that matter to employees — demonstrates genuine awareness and care for the people who power an organization’s innovation, growth and culture.
In my two-and-a-half years at Diversified, I’ve seen a growing interest in cultural recognition and, with it, a noticeable boost in morale and connection among employees.
One of Diversified’s core mission pillars is to “foster work environments that are welcoming to and inclusive of everyone.” When employees feel safe, seen and supported by their organizations, they’re more likely to take creative risks, engage fully and bring their authentic selves to work.
That sense of inclusion isn’t just felt day to day in the office, but it radiates outward through our events, our client relationships and the partnerships we build.
ANDREW: What advice would you give to an events professional who wants to celebrate Pride Month but isn’t sure where to start?
MAEVE: A great way to begin incorporating Pride Month initiatives is by looking at what’s already happening in your local community and finding meaningful ways to support those efforts.
For example, the Portland Pride Parade has been running since 1987 and welcomes participation from all local organizations.
Diversified has proudly marched in the parade, rain or shine, since 2018, and that experience has helped spark the growth of our broader Pride Month celebrations. We started modestly, with just parade participation and resource sharing, and as engagement increased, we’ve been able to expand our efforts each year.
For teams with remote employees — as is the case for many at Diversified — we’ve found Everywhere Is Queer to be a valuable resource. It’s a public, continually updated map that connects individuals with queer-owned businesses and inclusive spaces across the country.
Whether you’re looking to connect, shop or learn, it’s a great tool for finding welcoming LGBTQ+ spaces right in your own community.
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ANDREW: Are any of Diversified’s June events recognizing Pride Month? If so, how?
MAEVE: Switchback, the education and business gathering for the outdoor industry community, will host its first standalone event [called Switchback Spring] June 16–18, 2025, in Nashville.
A key focus for the Switchback team is creating partnerships with outdoor organizations to support in shaping educational content and guiding meaningful initiatives at the event. Partner organizations represent a range of areas like conservation, leadership, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
These partnerships ensure diverse voices are included and heard before, during and after the event.
For this debut edition, Switchback is proud to partner with organizations such as 1% for the Planet, Outdoor Diversity Alliance, and LGBTQ Outdoors.
In addition to exhibiting on the show floor, LGBTQ Outdoors will support the event through its mission of promoting queer inclusion in the outdoor industry — advocating for representation and community while fostering a shared love of the outdoors.
ANDREW: How can recognizing Pride Month benefit a business event?
MAEVE: Just as employees are diverse, so are the attendees that visit our events, the venues and catering teams we work with and the individuals that read our publications.
The public is increasingly paying attention to how businesses show up — and they use that information to decide which organizations to support and which to pass on or even boycott.
When attendees feel genuinely welcomed and valued, they’re more likely to share their positive experience, engage further with the organization and return to future events. This applies to all marginalized groups, not just the LGBTQ+ community.
ANDREW: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
MAEVE: Stonewall, widely recognized as the first Pride, was a riot. Portland’s first Pride was also born out of resistance — a response to a hate crime.
Today, as many large corporations scale back their DEI and Pride initiatives, I’m more grateful than ever to be part of an organization that remains steadfast in its commitment to equality and diversity.
As much as Pride is a celebration — a time to honor and uplift the voices, stories, and experiences of those who identify as queer — let’s not forget how Pride began and the ongoing work needed to confront bias, intolerance and discrimination.
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