DICE is looking for volunteers! Sign up for our 1st meeting on 29th October.
DICE - diversity and inclusion at conferences and events - is looking for volunteers, across every industry (i.e. finance, charity, retail, tech, government) to help educate and guide events organisers to curate the most representative lineups and content possible.
Why is this important?
Because people speaking on stages are supposed to represent an industry in its entirety… its belief systems, and its future. If you don’t see someone who looks, sounds or thinks like you on stage, then why would you feel like you belong?
Since DICE launched pre-lockdown at the beginning of 2020, it has already certified a number of huge events, from the likes of Advertising Week Europe, Mediatel, IAB, Bloom, GovX, Voxburner and Digiday, with many organisations looking to form long-term partnerships with the voluntary body, too.
The DICE Charter is a simple 10-point educational tool and self-regulatory framework based on equality law and national statistics. For each element of the charter that’s met, the event scores 10%. Events organisers can submit their event to DICE and a score over 40% is DICE certified.
We don’t want DICE to exist forever. Our goal is ambitious: to see no more m(w)anels (all male, all white panels) by 2021. And of course there are many organisations and individuals - like Manel Watch - who have been calling this out relentlessly to help solve the problem. But if we really want to see diversity at events, we all need to work together, as a team.
What do we need volunteers to do?
Spread the word! Talk about DICE to your colleagues, peers and wider networks
Flag when events are promoting lineups that are all white and all male, and share the DICE charter with the organisers
Answer any questions that people may have about the DICE charter (training will be provided)
Certify events, as and when required (training will be provided)
Speak on behalf of DICE in social media, and to journalists where relevant (training will be provided)
In return, we would be over the moon for our volunteers to put the DICE logo on their website, shout about their volunteerism on their CVs and LinkedIn profiles, but in return we do ask that volunteers regularly share the work they are doing
Champion. Flag. Answer. Certify. Speak.
How will DICE communicate?
Via a Whatsapp group (so phone number will be required)
Every few months DICE will host a training webinar to educate on the charter and answer any questions
Our first meeting will be from 10am to 11.30am on Thursday 29th October.
There’ll be some presenting, of course, but we’ll also use this opportunity to workshop what volunteers want from DICE, and our 2021 strategy. If you’d like to come just send an email to talktodice@gmail.com and we’ll add you to the list.
We’ve done a lot this year, against all odds, and we can’t wait to extend our community and make every stage inclusive and diverse, and representation of modern Britain. (We are also looking for international volunteers, too!)
Amy Kean
Co-founder, DICE