The AVIXA Diversity Council is breaking out their best fashions and celebrating the efforts of a handful of AV integration firms who have adopted successful diversity-based programs with a gala at the Fashion Institute of Technology on Oct. 24. [related]
The gala will be in Reeves Great Hall, 218 W. 28th Street, in New York from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and will feature longtime Earth, Wind & Fire percussionist and vocalist B. David Whitworth. [Editor’s note: We hear he was tied up on Sept. 21.]
AVIXA Diversity Council chairwoman Charmaine Torruella, global managed services account manager at Verrex, will kick off the gala with an update on the council’s progress since its launch at InfoComm 2018, what lies ahead and the next steps for the council.
The event will also feature stories from five AV companies “taking the initiative to cultivate diversity in their organization,” according to the AVIXA Diversity Council announcement. The panelists “speak to why and how the AV industry should incorporate more diversity.”
Celebrating AV Diversity–and Encouraging More
Whitworth will cap the evening with what AVIXA Diversity Council members hope will serve as inspiration for the firms that are still struggling on incorporating and adopting policies and practices that encourage a more welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds.
While the AV industry has certainly done a better job of welcoming and inviting diversity in its workforce, there’s still a predominance of middle-aged and older white men in leadership and positions of power. And this effort is not restricted to the U.S. or North America. The European arm of the AVIXA Diversity Council held an event focused on diversity and inclusivity last week in England.
“This event is about making connections and coming together as an AV community to further the council’s mission of creating a diverse and inclusive future workforce that better represents the society in which we live,” according to the AVIXA Diversity Council announcement.
The AVIXA Diversity Council Gala is free but attendees are encouraged to register. Click here for more information or to register.
