Diversity, equality & inclusion: The benefits of bringing your whole self to work

02 Mar 2023

As a leading global business events destination and a world class brand, proudly managed by ASM Global, ICC Sydney’s great organisational strength and ability to deliver extraordinary event experiences is grounded in our diverse and inclusive workplace that encourages every member of our team to bring their whole self to work. Recognising and valuing the different knowledge, skills, backgrounds and perspectives that people bring to their role, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background or other factors is critical to the success of our organisation.

ICC Sydney’s diversity strategy is built in alignment with the ASM Global ACTS framework and first pillar – Invest in People. These key five areas are: LGBTQI+, Parents and Carers, First Nations, Able @ Work, Generation Success and New Australians. As an employer of choice, we strive for visibility across all five key areas in our workforce and equally, our partners, supplier base and internal processes. This includes, for instance, marking days of importance, expanding our network of First Nations suppliers, showcasing and celebrating our diverse team, and partnering with organisations and events that champion inclusivity, equity and diversity.

One such event we are extremely proud to be partnering with is Sydney WorldPride. From 17 February – 5 March 2023, the world’s biggest celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride has taken over Sydney’s city with a collection of arts, sport, theatre, concerts, parties and First Nations programming. At the heart of these city-wide festivities is the Human Rights Conference, taking place at ICC Sydney this week from 1 – 3 March 2023. This three-day conference will explore LGBTQIA+ human rights, combining inspiring keynotes, panels and roundtables with interactive workshops, performances and networking events.

ICC Sydney was selected as the host venue for the Human Rights Conference in recognition of our approach and commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion principles and our dedication to celebrate its intersectionality. As an organisation, we recognise the benefits of a diversified workforce and pride ourselves on our practices as we continue to look towards these differences to strengthen our extraordinary team.

Diversity

In support of our mission to embrace diversity and be free of discrimination, we’ve re-established our partnership with Pride in Diversity, Australia’s first and only national employer support program for all aspects of LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion. Our LGBTQI+ stream is benchmarked against the AWEI (Australian Workplace Equity Index) and internally supported by our internal employee group, the Same Same Collective.

Our approach to reconciliation and seeking opportunities to support and engage with Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is central to ICC Sydney’s mission. Over the last financial year, we added 11 new First Nations business to our supplier list and spent over A$408,000 with them while aspiring to be an employer of choice for First Nations people. We are also committed to providing opportunities for people with a physical or intellectual disability or, are from a migrant or refugee background, proactively seeking to employ individuals from all walks of life.

Equality

We are committed to gender diversity and are proud to report that 42% of women currently represent our workforce with 44% at director level and 34.5% making up the company’s senior leadership team. We believe that a typical workforce not only reflects equal gender opportunities but spans across five generations. ICC Sydney is committed to accommodating individuals in all stages of their life and we provide our team members with initiatives like ‘transition to retirement’ and ‘Keeping in touch’ opportunities, financial planning sessions or flexible work practices. Our Parents and Carers program supports parents and primary carers transitioning back into the workforce following a period of parental leave and provides ongoing internal support networks for working parents beyond their return.

Inclusion

We are proud to recognise and celebrate days of importance including World Mental Health Day, R U OK Day, National Reconciliation Week, Pride Month, Wear it Purple Day and IDAHOBIT amongst several others. By acknowledging and celebrating the different lived experiences of our community and team members, we aim to foster a culture and environment that is not only free from discrimination – but vibrant, harmonious and productive. In preparation for Sydney WorldPride and the Human Rights Conference, our team completed inclusion training based on Pride in Diversity (Acon) best practices and conducted several workshops to ensure they had the appropriate tools, understanding and confidence to work and communicate effectively with the attendees, their colleagues and broader community.

We recognise that making a difference is important in the work lives of our people and strive daily to promote a fair and inclusive environment in the workplace and the events we deliver. We are proud to share on our initiatives driving this change as we continue to a workplace that creates meaningful and fulfilling careers, not simply jobs.

Luke Fleming
Director of Human Resources

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