Below we talk about some “easy wins”; they are all simple measures that have had a positive impact on our conferences. All but one are free to implement (and the remaining one is very cheap)!

If your event is inclusive by design, it will encourage a more diverse audience. See our further reading list for more suggestions.

Before the Conference...

• Provide Facilities Info

We provided details on where to find toilets (including gender-neutral ones) and booked a spare room as a quiet space that people could use if they needed. We provided all these details beforehand via email and in a conference booklet so attendees didn’t have to ask!

• Dress Code

On our website and via email, we provided recommendations for what to wear. On social media we shared pictures of what we were wearing as organisers, meaning attendees could see an actual face before they arrive which made things more welcoming too.

• Caring Costs

Make sure to include caring costs when you apply for funding for an event, and that this is then advertised when you promote your event! As an idea of the amount, for PiFORUM24 we requested a few hundred pounds for an approximately 60-person, 2-day event.

Ask your peers/colleagues what they wish they had known before attending their first conference, so that you can ease potential worries for first time attendees.

During the Conference...

• Optional Pronoun Stickers

We bought pronoun stickers (they are very cheap) that attendees could add to their name badge upon arrival should they wish to. This allowed people to choose on the day, it made registration more welcoming and friendly and people can update their choice throughout the conference (as they may not feel comfortable to do so initially).

• Preferred Names

We asked all attendees if they had a preferred name and how to pronounce their name so that chairs would introduce speakers correctly.

• Question Time

We asked all speakers to hang back at the end of their session so that attendees could ask them questions individually instead of in front of a crowd. This measure also encourages more meaningful interactions for speakers.

• Social Activity

We also have a (sober) social activity at the same venue as the conference to allow for more people to attend and network which accommodates for those with caring or other responsibilities and limits worries about travelling home late in an unfamiliar area.

• Doing Prizes Differently

We awarded lots of prizes at PiFORUM that rewarded collaborative and inquisitive behaviours. For example, we gave out a prize to someone for asking the most interesting questions, another for networking the most with multiple groups, another for enthusiastic participation in the workshops and another for particularly clear figures in a presentation.

Checklist

Use the template below to document congressive practices you can implement when you next organise an event.