How to Create Intentionally Inclusive Events

Intentional inclusivity happens year-round, not just during certain calendar months.

In a time when the term “inclusion” can spark debate, event professionals might feel pressure to retreat from bold, community-minded messaging. But inclusive event marketing isn’t about politics. It’s about people. It’s about saying that everyone’s welcome and your event is accessible to all, regardless of background, abilities, or identity, and then actually showing how you mean it.

If your commitment to inclusion is limited to a few mainstage speakers or a token social post, it’s not enough. Today’s attendees — particularly younger professionals — are looking for organizational and event brands that walk the talk 365 days a year. That means focusing on:

Consistency — Inclusive language and visuals shouldn’t just be dropped in at the last minute. They need to be thoughtfully integrated into your strategy from day one. The first step is understanding who your audience truly is. Go beyond the obvious demographics and dig into behavioral data, qualitative feedback, and cultural nuances. Create personas that reflect different lived experiences. And then make sure those voices are represented not just at the event, but in the emails you send, the speakers you choose, the partners you work with, and the way your brand shows up online.

Representation — This isn’t something you check off a list. It’s a throughline that shapes every touchpoint. That might mean publishing attendee spotlights that reflect a range of identities and perspectives. It could look like hosting focus groups with historically underrepresented participants to identify real barriers to attendance — and then doing something about them.

Importantly, it also starts from within. The teams that design and market events should reflect the diversity we hope to see in our audiences. That includes the agencies and vendors we bring to the table. Because authenticity isn’t manufactured — it’s modeled.

The most resonant brands — and the most successful events — are those that embrace inclusion as a core value, not as an element in a campaign. Because when people feel seen, valued, and welcomed, they don’t just show up. They come back.

The Theme-Month Trap

Many event marketers engage in performative gestures around specific months — a splash of social content in February for Black History Month, a rainbow logo in June, a profile of a female leader during Women’s History Month. These moments might be well-intended, but when they’re not backed by sustained, year-round actions that then manifest themselves at our events, audiences see through the inconsistency. One-off gestures don’t build trust; they highlight the gap between your words and your actions.

Events are powerful spaces for connection, learning, and community-building. But only if people feel like they belong there. Not just during Pride Month or Women’s History Month. Every month.

Ariana O’Rourke is a communications manager at mdg, a Freeman Company, a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in B2B events.

For inspiration on crafting authentic, inclusive marketing messages, read the HubSpot blog post “7 Brands That Got Inclusive Marketing Right,” at bit.ly/hubspot-inclusive.