(Originally shared in the November 2, 2018 Innovation Women newsletter) Here’s how the conversation usually goes: Event Manager: “We really want to have a diverse and inclusive event. But last year we had fewer than 20 percent women on stage. What do you think a good number is for this year?” Me: “50 percent and you need to make sure you have women of color too.” Event Manager: “Do you think we’d be OK with 25 percent? It’s really hard to find women in our industry.” Me: “No.” Bizzabo, the events management solution company, released a study on the gender balance onstage at conferences and events. The report covered more than 60,000 event speakers from 2013 to 2018, spanning 23 countries and thousands of the world’s largest professional events. Conclusion: almost 70% of all event speakers are male. Kudos to Bizzabo for this massive undertaking – the data is invaluable. It’s not just perception. It’s the reality. Were we surprised? A little. We actually didn’t expect it to be quite that high as it seems like most of the events we end up talking to seem to max out around 20 to 25 percent female. More work to do, right? Regards, Bobbie and the Innovation Women
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