Reflections on 2023 

It has been a busy few months for the Attendable team working on the Shaw Trust’s Disability Power 100, AbilityNet’s TechShare Pro, and the RIDI Awards in quick succession.  

Earlier in the year we secured not one but two new hosts, in the form of Nicky Campbell and his daughter Kirsty, for Genius Within’s Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards, Inclusive Africa 2023 drew a global audience and the Tech4Good Awards celebrated a record number of entries. 

And as we wind down another year, it’s always important to pause to reflect on what we’ve learnt from another 12 months of creating and delivering inclusive events for diverse audiences. 

So what are some of our reflections on 2023? 

In-person events are back, but hybrid is here to stay 

We were set up during the COVID pandemic to answer the demand for accessible online events, that didn’t create barriers or leave audiences behind. 

And while in-person events are definitely back, hybrid events, which include off and online elements, are very much here to stay. 

Accessible events recognise all the barriers that exist and work to eliminate them, whether they’re physical, financial, or related to communication. From providing wheelchair accessibility to offering sign language interpreters or ensuring digital accessibility, these events prioritise making participation possible for everyone. 

In all spaces, but particularly the disability sphere, where a lot of our work takes place, delegates enjoy the opportunity for a face-to-face meet up that live events offer, but expect a hybrid offer with remote access or a livestream, so that everyone can take part in the way they want to, whether in person or from home, without the challenge, expense or risk of travel. And we’re here for it. 

Careful planning and budget are key  

Doing an accessible hybrid event well needs careful planning and budget, of course. It’s not just a bolt on and shouldn’t be a decision determined by cost, but by what the audience needs and wants. 

We’re encouraging our clients to consider this and build it in from the start and to not make any assumptions in terms of how their audience might want to take part.  

Delivering for the Neurodiverse community  

For us, inclusivity in events means going beyond mere representation. It’s not enough to have a diverse lineup of speakers or attendees if their voices and experiences aren’t truly acknowledged.  

It’s great that there is more awareness of and provision for the neurodiverse community. But we’ve all got some work to do to make events fully accessible to ND audiences – a quiet room isn’t enough, event organisers must continue to build requirements into the joining instructions, event design and catering – every decision made. 

Increasing demand for captions and BSL 

We have seen greater demand for captions and BSL across the board. So, it’s great to see that message finally getting through. They are a non-negotiable from our point of view. 

Technology has continued to respond accordingly, and there have been some new accessibility features in both Microsoft Teams and Zoom to improve sign language and captions. It will be interesting to see where the tech takes us next.  

More requests for disability inclusion and accessibility consultancy 

As well as continuing to devise and deliver inclusive in-person, online and hybrid events, this year has also seen us provide disability inclusion and accessibility consultancy, with sessions for teams at the BBC earlier this month. We look forward to supporting more organisations in this way, so get in touch if you’re thinking about how you could do things better in 2024. 

Celebrating our award-wins 

It has been a good year for Attendable, with the majority of clients retained and award wins under our belt. 

Along with our colleagues at Kenyan charity inABLE, we were recognised with a Bronze for the Best Overseas Conference or Event (over 1,000 attendees) at the Conference and Events Awards for Inclusive Africa Conference 2022.  

We also won the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the Federation of Small Business Awards. 

Look out for an exciting launch in 2024 

2024 will have an exciting start too, as we officially launch a product that we are very proud of. Our virtual swag bag, Swagable, which has been a few years in the making, will officially launch at Confex in February. We look forward to seeing some of you there and introducing you to the product.  

So, before we say goodbye to 2023 and look ahead to the coming new year, I’d like to thank our clients, partners, suppliers and supporters committed to championing inclusivity in our events and communities. We look forward to seeing what 2024 brings.