Leading with Inclusion in Hospitality + Events
Revive & Innovate Webinar
All profits from this event will go towards CMP Scholarships for members of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals.
Sustainable, long-term diversity & inclusion action plans are needed in the travel, hospitality, and events industry. Together, we need to implement intentional plans that will mitigate inequality and increase diversity of thought.
In order to do our part, we need to break the silence, listen, and address the need for change in our industry, and beyond. As we focus on the urgent need to actively increase diversity and inclusion in meetings and events, we look to experts Melissa Majors, Christopher Davies, and Jason Dunn to guide the conversation in a safe and supportive space.
Here are some D&I related topics we were able to discuss:
What actions do organizations need to take in order to increase diversity and inclusion? Does your organization look homogeneous?
What diverse perspectives are you exposed to on a daily basis?
How are you engaging with underserved communities to attract a diverse range of talent in the meetings and events industry?
What actions are you taking to keep your unconscious biases in check?
How to partner with DMOs to expand D+I efforts.
Organizational allyship - How to get people and organizations authentically engaged.
Data driven solutions for sustainable D+I efforts
Learn More About the Panel:
Melissa Majors | CEO - Melissa Majors Consulting
Melissa Majors, CEO of Melissa Majors Consulting, is an innovator and optimizer of education, inclusion, & leadership strategies. She has dedicated her career to maximizing the business impact associated with these areas of focus.
This crowd-pleasing speaker has mastered the art of delivering brain-friendly talks that engage her audiences and spark not just inspiration, but action as well.
Melissa has been featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, Smart Meetings, The Meeting Professional, NorthStar Meetings Group's Eventful Podcast, The Event DR, and on the keynote stage at events such as Meeting Professional's International's WEC, The Northwest Event Show, Catalyst Events, HD Vest's CONNECT, and many more.
Melissa delivers talks on a variety of subjects associated with leadership, learning, and "blameless" inclusion. She differentiates her content by blending research, neuroscience, purposeful stories, and fun into her talks.
Jason Dunn | Chairman - National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals
Jason Dunn has been a change maker in Cincinnati and within the national hospitality industry for almost two decades, with a drive to redefine how the industry thinks about multicultural and diversity meetings and their impact on the destinations. Since joining the CVB in 2004, Jason has led efforts to deliver significant new convention business and forged inroads with the national multicultural & diverse meetings market. During his tenure, the number of multicultural /diverse meetings in Cincinnati has represented more than one-third of all CVB new business from 2008-18, with a direct visitor spend of $200 million. Jason brings deep perspective and a successful track record in connecting communities of all backgrounds to Cincinnati.
As the first supplier to be elected chairman of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), Dunn has found intersections between his role as GVP in Cincinnati and Chairman of NCBMP. Under Dunn’s leadership, the partnership with MPI will provide an equitable exchange- introducing professional development access through educational opportunities. The partnership will focus on unifying the MICE industry in a comprehensive way, by leading with data and mutual access to untapped resources.
Dunn has served as chair of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, where he helped the organization improve access to jobs, broaden benefits to employees and increase accountability and enhance planning. Through his leadership, a ballot initiative was put in place in 2020 which will invest one billion dollars to improve the regional transit and infrastructure. He is the chair of Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest African American chamber in the Midwest; recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Directors Award by the Cincinnati Business Courier; chair of the Cincinnati Police Foundation, Graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 39 and the Urban League’s African American Leadership Development Program Class 20.
Among his industry leadership roles, Jason has served as the co-chair of the 107th NAACP National Convention Blue Ribbon Committee and was named a "40 under 40" young industry leader by Mass Transit Magazine and Connect and Rejuvenate magazines. He also co-created the annual Cincinnati Moon Festival event in collaboration with the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association.
Dunn is married to Tiffany and enjoys spending time with their children Mya and Jason II.
Christopher Davies | Founder & Engagement Strategist - Pondhr
Christopher Davies is Founder and Engagement Strategist with Pondhr. Pondhr develops unique strategies to showcase our organization’s humanness, to better relate to and engage with our customers, communities and employees. Christopher is passionate about people and is committed to delivering a greater return from our relationships (ROR).
Virtual Entertainment Provided by:
DJ AmRo (Amani Roberts) | Chief Musical Curator - The Amani Experience