Last week, M&IW’s Ella Darby traveled across the pond to network, learn, and share the M&IW difference at the 2024 WEConnect International Europe Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Conference at Disneyland Paris. Actually, Ella only had to travel across the channel. As our Head of Global Event Experience, she leads our international team headquartered in the UK. While it may have been a shorter trip for her, it was no less impactful.

While M&IW regularly attends the WBENC National Conference in the US, we only gained our WEConnect International membership earlier this year. This was our first time attending their Europe Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Conference. WEConnect International is the only global nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing opportunities for women-owned businesses by connecting them with buyers in the global marketplace.

“It truly was an honour to be representing a women-owned business and to share our capabilities and experience in the events industry,” said Ella. “To be among influential, impactful, dynamic women was inspiring. I am proud to represent M&IW and to be a member of WEConnect International.”

The Value of Supplier Diversity

“Before the conference, I was proud to work for a women-owned company but had not really taken on board the impact that being part of a diverse organization actually has,” said Ella. “I learned that embracing diverse suppliers, including women-owned suppliers, is at the forefront of many corporate strategies. Large corporations are monitoring not only their spending and retention of diverse suppliers but also tracking the jobs that were created within those diverse supply chains as a direct outcome of their expenditures.”

Supplier diversity helps support women- and minority-owned businesses by promoting economic equity and fostering enterprise and business development in underrepresented communities. This has a positive impact on local economies and contributes to broader social development. Supplier diversity is not just an ethical obligation but also an important business strategy that strengthens supply chain resilience and boosts competitiveness in the market.

“As one of the presenters, AstraZeneca’s Kamila Kozikowski, said, ‘In the modern market, being diverse is an attribute,’” said Ella.

Although Europe is currently lacking the regulatory frameworks and corporate initiatives that have made supplier diversity a stronger priority in the US, the European Supplier Diversity Program (ESDP) is starting to bridge the gap.

“Their main goal is to advocate for and actively help ethnic minority-owned businesses in Europe access more opportunities,” said Ella, “and to ultimately change behaviors to make supplier diversity fundamental to every procurement strategy. I can’t wait to see that become the norm here in Europe because supplier diversity ultimately benefits not only the client company but also society.”

Lessons in Inclusion

In addition to sharing the importance of supplier diversity and providing networking opportunities, the conference also prioritized inclusion. Ella returned from the conference with new ideas and best practices to share with her team.

“A lot of thought went into making the conference fully inclusive,” she said. “I hope to work with all program owners at M&IW to make our events that inclusive, too.”

Examples of inclusions incorporated throughout the event include:

• Speakers describing their appearance and reason for being onstage in addition to providing their name to benefit attendees who are visually impaired.
• When inviting the audience to stand up, adding “if you are able to.”
• Providing live captioning and translations in all sessions.
• Designating a mother’s room, which makes even more sense for a conference supporting women-owned organizations.
• Providing a prayer room and a serenity room for anyone needing to make religious observances or anyone simply feeling overwhelmed and needing space to decompress or take a quiet break.

Next Steps

At M&IW, we are proud to be a women-owned business and to prioritize diversity and inclusion in our daily operations and the events we manage. If you’re looking to expand your supplier diversity program, contact us to learn how we can support your event needs.

Already an M&IW customer? Contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss ways to make your programs more inclusive.

Contributor

Ella Darby, MMP

Head, Global Event Experience

Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc.

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