Victoria Mariano is the program director of the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District and the co-owner of Electric Haze, a Worcester hookah bar and live music lounge.
Updated: September 16, 2024
Know How
Fostering inclusivity at public events
By Victoria Mariano
To me there is nothing more beautiful than a room of extremely diverse characters having a great time together and learning from each other.
I feel great pride in not just practicing, but actively encouraging inclusivity.
Electric Haze has many examples, but one that stands out to me is Airspray, a monthly, welcoming night of music and dancing that lasted seven years. It was known as a safe and fun place for the LGBTQ community, consistently at capacity and drawing all types of people.
I remember sitting next to someone as they told me they used to experience homophobia at events until they came to Airspray. Now they felt welcome, having found new close friends who are LGBTQ.
Inclusivity at events can change minds through positive experience and learning, having a huge ripple effect to help create a safer world for everybody.
A business that is welcoming and safe is way more likely to be successful than one who is not.
I see inclusivity as two parts, physical and emotional.
Physical is about actively inviting others, having an open, accessible, and non-judgemental safe space for everyone. Emotional is being conscious of how to create and host an emotionally inclusive event. When you can create an event both physically and emotionally inclusive, there is an emotional warmth you and your guests can feel, which is hard to forget.
Here are some tips on inclusivity:
• Make events accessible for all types of physicalities. Use a circular or open format so no one is left out, with activities broad enough to allow all to enjoy, and encourage people to talk to each other.
• Put thought into invites. Use invitations not geared or designed in a style that excludes people. Verbal invitations are key, even in this age of social media. The more you talk about your event with people and encourage them to be there, the more they will do the same to others. Ask a diverse array of people and organizations to help invite people in their circles.
• Think of financial accessibility. Have something free for everyone so there isn't a price tag associated with everything at the event, even if it's just water. Have an option for others to sponsor another person's ticket if they can't afford it.
• Make people comfortable. Make sure all people working the event make eye contact and warmly greet everyone coming in the door and leaving. Whenever possible, have a conversation and listen, with actual interest and curiosity. Make it known and obvious who is there to help if someone has an issue.
These are just a few that have stuck out to me over the years, but there's a lot of ways to promote inclusivity. Once someone has successfully felt invited and included, then it's more than likely they will become a regular at your events.
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