Launched in 2018 to advance LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion within the workplace and to help businesses address LGBTQ+ bias and create real-time solutions and better practice, This Is Us was the brainchild of Meena Chander, founder and CEO of Events Together. The second annual diversity conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton in Milton Keynes on Monday 7th October.Chander was inspired to set up the conference having seen the struggles of friends, colleagues and role models in the LGBTQ+ community first hand. She is deeply passionate about driving essential change for LGBTQ+ employees and eradicating the stereotypes and injustices they experience during their working lives.

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Not enough businesses promote diversity and inclusion

A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group of 2,000 British workers found that only 39 per cent of LGBT+ employees believe that their organisation is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. As such, the conference provides leaders from organisations of all sizes with the opportunity to come together and spearhead tangible change.Chander comments, “Issues surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals within the workplace can have severe, ongoing effects. As leaders, we must address these issues and work together to create permanent solutions.”Businesses have a responsibility to build safe and inclusive cultures for everyone at work. While several studies have proven that a more diverse and inclusive workforce leads to increased productivity and greater success, being regarded as an LGBTQ+ inclusive employer can help attract and keep the best talent.“By creating more opportunities for dialogue and working as allies, we can help to build and offer more support, trust and create environments where individuals can thrive. It’s vital that workplaces are trusting environments, not only without prejudice and discrimination, but also with the tools to understand the issues that affect LGBTQ+ individuals,” adds Chander.

This Is Us programme of events

This Is Us will educate, inform and help businesses to implement long-term strategies and policies to help drive their business forward. Incorporating talks, panels and workshops, hosted by some of the UK’s leading industry experts, the conference will showcase best practice, offer training materials and address and facilitate important conversations around LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity.This year’s event programme also presents an exciting line-up of speakers, each offering inspirational and valuable insight into a range of pertinent diversity and inclusion topics, including technology, authenticity, resilience, intersectionality, allyship, and the importance of networks and alliances. Speakers include: Emily Coates, community co-director of GLEAM – the internal LGBTQ+ employee resource group at Microsoft; Monumental Marketing founder, Jamie Love; Sanisha Wynter, voice and campaigns officer at Girlguiding; Christopher Sharp, co-founder of Racing Pride; and Gamiel Yafai, MD of Diversity Marketplace. Award-winning trans model, Jacqui Gavin will chair the conference.Registration is now open for This Is Us 2019. Tickets can be purchased for £65.00 + VAT. To book a place and for more information visit: www.events-together.co.uk/thisisus. Competition to follow.If you would like to showcase what your business is doing around LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity, or would like to partner or sponsor with This Is Us, please contact Meena Chander on meena@events-together.co.uk

See last year’s coverage: Authenticity and wellbeing: how can you work towards an inclusive workplace?

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