Creating inclusive events with Shameka Allen-Lane

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Shameka Allen-Lane (she/her) is the Principal Event Scientist of Catalyst Event Coaching, which offers coaching, training, and event management services to nonprofits and small businesses. Shameka modeled her business after her love of two things—chemistry and event management. She has cleverly infused a scientific theme throughout her offerings, including a framework for event management training inspired by the periodic table. She’s also an Adjunct Professor teaching hospitality and event management courses at Albany Technical College and Washington State University. Shameka holds two professional certifications; Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Digital Event Strategist (DES), a Masters in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Chemistry with a Mathematics Minor from Albany State University

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

Discussed this episode:

• Shameka’s relationship with feminism
• How events have historically fallen short of being inclusive
• Evolving interest in DEI in the event-planning space
• Political decisions and their effects on events
• The benefits of hosting inclusive events
• Examples of accommodations to consider
• Managing disappointment when you can’t accommodate everyone
• Common barriers to planning inclusive events
• How to gather information about your attendees and their needs
• Shemka’s five-part framework for planning an inclusive event
• The importance of communication during the planning process
• Getting everyone involved in the event on the same page about values
• How events can miss the mark when it comes to inclusion
• Special accessibility and inclusion considerations for online events
• How to fight for inclusion as an event attendee
• Shemka’s vision for the events industry

Resources mentioned:

• Men paying for dinner is feminist by Kiera Breaugh on TikTok dinner
• “The Birth Order Book” by Dr. Kevin Leman
• Women on the Rise International

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com