On March 19, in the wake of 2019’s powerful celebration of International Women’s Day, over 40 event creators were invited to Eventbrite’s London HQ for a panel discussion and networking session, focussed on the theme of diversity and framed within the context of this global day of celebration and awareness.

This year’s IWD saw a record number of female-focussed events created on the Eventbrite platform – spanning every category, from music and club nights to supper clubs and wellness. It is clear that event creators see March 8 as an opportunity to create positive change, bringing female talent pools to the fore that have typically been underrepresented and underserved.

Joining Sam Richards (Interim Country Director for Eventbrite UK and Ireland) on the panel were Nicole Crentsil (Black Girl Fest), Mercedes Benson (SocialFixt), Sanchia Legister (Yogahood) and Emily Read (Pro-Wrestling EVE).

Following on from last year’s event, The Power of Live Events to Create a Movement,  Eventbrite brought its IWD event creators together for another evening of discussion and inspiration, entitled “The Role of International Women’s Day in Building Diversity”.

After some mingling, drinks and canapes, the panellists were asked to share their thoughts on the subject, discussing how IWD can go further, what diversity really means, and the importance of building inclusive spaces.

Here are a few select quotes from the evening’s discussion:

On Diversity

“It’s about creating a space where people feel appreciated” – Nicole Crentsil

“My push for diversity was through anger” – Emily Read

“Living in London can seem diverse, but then you get into certain spaces and there is a lack of diversity” – Sanchia Legister

“IWD gives a voice to a greater variety and diversity of women – for women to see women who don’t fit stereotypes” – Emily Read

On Being DIY

“You just have to find ways to make it happen” – Nicole Crentsil

“DIY event producers know how to reach the minority in a way the corporate world can’t” – Nicole Crentsil

“I wanted to make a space for people to come and leave their inhibitions” – Sanchia Legister

“We can have arse kicking girls” – Emily Read

“Social Fixt was created to fix the diversity gap” – Mercedes Benson

“Social Fixt are always celebrating women indirectly because of our client base” – Mercedes Benson

On Positive Change

“We need to bring people to the fore. I want to see new conversations, new voices, new people doing incredible things” – Nicole Crentsil

“The change I would like to see is people understanding that there isn’t a level playing field” – Emily Reed

“I would also like to see wellness not looking so white” – Sanchia Legister

“There are role models but we just don’t see them” – Mercedes Benson

On International Women’s Day

“A good opportunity for creators to think about their offering and how women are represented in that” – Sanchia Legister

“There is a lot of pressure to compete on awareness days but really it’s not about that. Events must be all year round” – Nicole Crentsil

“It’s a day to celebrate, a day to make noise” – Mercedes Benson

“IWD can be overwhelming, but it can also be exciting and encouraging” – Mercedes Benson

International Women’s Day is just one example of celebrated movements around the world. Bringing people together through live experiences is becoming more and more powerful as people are getting braver and more vocal about the issues that really matter to them, and the diversity they want to celebrate.

Interested in running your own event to highlight a movement? Check out our Event Creator’s Guide to Purpose-Driven Events.