• May 20, 2025

Editorial: DE&I deserves a stage – let’s make sure it has one

Editorial: DE&I deserves a stage – let’s make sure it has one

Editorial: DE&I deserves a stage – let’s make sure it has one 1024 683 micebook.

It’s a big week at micebook as we reveal the finalists for our fifth annual awards ceremony, which recognise and celebrate the best events, agencies and suppliers across the MICE industry.

And while the excitement continues to build as we count down the final weeks to the main event when we’ll reveal our winners, we can’t help but feel disappointed that a very important award will be missing from the celebrations this year – Best DE&I Initiative.

We received just one entry for the category this year, leaving us with no choice but to withdraw it. It’s disappointing—not only for the agency that took the time to submit their work, but also as a reflection of where the industry stands. This is a category that should be thriving, filled with bold ideas and meaningful initiatives.

In a year where global headlines are dominated by setbacks in diversity, equity and inclusion—particularly in the US where President Trump’s administration has actively rolled back DE&I programmes—it’s never been more important to demonstrate our commitment as an industry.

The lack of entries raises important questions: Are we doing enough to embed DE&I into the heart of our businesses, our event strategies, and our leadership teams? Like sustainability, DE&I is not a one-time initiative or a box-ticking exercise—it’s an ongoing journey that requires conscious effort, transparency, and accountability.

The events industry, by its nature, is about bringing people together. We have the opportunity—and responsibility—to ensure every person feels seen, heard, and valued in the spaces we create. Whether it’s through inclusive speaker lineups, accessible venues, diverse supplier partnerships, or equitable hiring practices, every decision we make has the potential to drive meaningful change.

We know there are some meaningful DE&I efforts happening across the UK industry. Emota’s collaboration with Roche at the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) Congress is a great example—an inspiring case study in raising the bar for accessibility. It may have been our only entry this year, but this project deserves to be shared and recognised.

Recognition matters and sharing these stories is how we inspire others and set new benchmarks. So, for this category to be sidelined this year feels like a missed opportunity to celebrate and elevate that work.

It feels especially poignant given that this year’s awards theme is all about inclusivity—about speaking up, breaking down barriers, and designing events where no one is left behind. The absence of entries in this category reminds us that we still have work to do to turn that vision into reality.

The UK has the potential to be a global leader in DE&I in events. So, we’d love this to serve as a call to action, not just for next year’s awards, but to ensure DE&I is at the heart of all we do.

We hope to see this category return stronger than ever in 2026—with not just one, but many entries, each pushing the industry forward in new and inspiring ways.

 

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