A new way of thinking in the business events industry

A key link between DEI and sustainability is a shared commitment to challenging the status quo. Although technology can help us solve some problems, technology alone is not enough. We need to think and act in new ways.

All I read was praise for the newly expanded main terminal at Portland International Airport (PDX). Designed to evoke the feeling of walking through a Pacific Northwest forest, the redesigned terminal features a spectacular 9-acre timber roof, 72 mature trees and dozens of skylights that let natural light filter in through the tree branches.

Sharif Karamat, CAE,
President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA

What’s happening behind the scenes during construction of the $2 billion expansion project designed by ZGF Architects is equally inspiring.

Finding so much wood from sustainably managed forests took ZGF more than six years, which included establishing direct connections with forests owned and managed by families, local indigenous tribes and non-profit organizations including The Nature Conservancy .

This year, Portland-based ZGF was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” for the second consecutive year. Not coincidentally, ZGF has been named a 2022 Firm of the Year by the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects in recognition of ZGF’s long-standing active support. I think the power of the ZGF story is that it illustrates so well the connection between financial success, creativity and innovation, and a clear commitment to environmental sustainability and DEI.

In McKinsey & Company’s latest report on the business case for DEI, the financial benefits of diversity are clear: Organizations that rank in the top quartile for gender and racial diversity are 39% likely to have better financial performance than those in the bottom quartile of companies (see “ How will the DEI backlash affect the events industry? ”). The consultancy also found that across all industries, board and executive team diversity is associated with higher social and environmental impact scores.

How does this organizational diversity impact the community? According to McKinsey research, the more diverse a leadership team is, the greater the likelihood of a public commitment to DEI in decision-making strategies.

When organizations see inclusion as core to their purpose, they are more likely to stay the course when the going gets tough, which can lead to breakthroughs. When ZGF put together a team to source sustainably managed wood for PDX’s terminal expansion, many said it was impossible. The construction company is currently working with new clients and will use the procurement network developed for PDX on a number of other projects.

This is a lesson for the business events industry. One of the most important connections between DEI and sustainability is a shared commitment to taking action to change the status quo. Technology will help solve some of our most pressing problems, including reducing carbon emissions, but it will only help us solve part of the problem. In order to make the bold changes we need, we must learn how to think and act in new ways. The story behind the PDX terminal expansion shows just how groundbreaking and beautiful it is.

The next phase of artificial intelligence

In the last year, the conversation about generative AI has shifted from whether it is a valuable tool for meeting professionals to how to determine the best AI tools for a specific task and how to use them to have the greatest impact. Last June, two teams faced off, one using Spark and the other using other large language model assistants, to see which team could deliver the best results when faced with the same challenge. You can read the results of the competition at convene Story “Artificial Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence”.

on the web

Learn more about PCMA’s Ascent program, including resources – in addition to convene Content – ​​For topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion, see pcma.org/ascent.