Destination DC's Elliott Ferguson II on the Role of DMOs on DEI

In the run-up to his keynote address at Event Service Professionals Association’s 2023 annual conference, meetings industry leader and DEI champion Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of Destination DC, explains why DMOs and event service professionals are key partners in ensuring meetings and events are living up to their promises of delivering diversity, equity and inclusion at their events, in experiences but also in including minority vendors in the economic benefits.

From offering offsite events and experiences that include local culture that may have been previously overlooked to tapping LGBTQ+ and BIPOC vendors to provide key event services, DMOs and event service professionals are the frontline resources that can ensure inclusion in a meaningful, and equitable, way.