We know that for members of minority and marginalised communities, there are regularly barriers to accessing other business and personal development events like ours.  We’ve heard from members of our wider community how these barriers have meant they haven’t felt supported to join in or come along. As a team, we’re on a mission to change that.

And although we’re not fully there yet, we have been working hard on doing better and getting things right.

Here’s what we’ve been putting in place to make that happen:
 

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Inclusion:

We have actively met with some of the very best neurodiversity, disability, queer and ethnicity consultants to put in place measures that mean our event is inclusive for all. As such, The BIG festoon has undergone a full inclusion audit to identify areas where we can improve.

This has meant really looking at how we can ensure that our event-specific marketing, day-to-day operations, and wider communications are open, clear and cater to all.

We will ask for chosen pronouns, ask if you have any additional needs, and ask if you have mobility issues that we need to be aware of.
We have also attended inclusion and diversity training and have specific mental health first aiders at our events.
We have non-gendered toilets

We want to make this as clear as possible: we have an absolute zero-tolerance policy for hate or discrimination of any kind. If we are made aware of any such activity, we reserve the right to remove that individual from the vicinity, without a refund.
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Accessibility:

As well as putting in physical measures such as a hearing loop, plain text formats of presentations, providing an accessibility guide, and ensuring wider spaces for guests with mobility issues, we have partnered with the incredible SENStory Group to provide a Sensory Breakout Space. This Breakout Space is a designated low-noise, low-light space to help you regulate any sensory needs and will be available throughout your time at The BIG Festoon.
 

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Diversity:

We know that the speaking arena is still predominantly male, predominantly white and predominantly straight. At The BIG Festoon, we actively seek speakers from marginalised communities to reflect the differing perspectives and lived experiences of all, which gives a richer experience for our delegates.