As you set your personal and professional priorities for 2021, is a diversity and inclusion conference on your agenda? If not, it should be—particularly after 2020’s pandemic and racial reckoning have brought D&I issues to the forefront for many.
Conferences can help you learn from experts, connect with peers, find new inspiration, and get ahead of trends in your industry. And whether you’re a hiring manager, an HR professional, or just someone interested in learning how to create a more inclusive workplace, D&I conferences are tailor-made to help you find the education, connections, and resources you need to succeed.
Maybe the ticket price to attend conferences isn’t such a factor this year—you probably saved a good deal of your 2020 diversity budget! But whether you’re looking at free or high-cost diversity conferences in 2021, you’ll want to make sure any investment of your time and resources is worth it. To help, we’ve gathered a list of 8 highly-regarded D&I conferences in 2021 for you to review.
Take a look, see what piques your interests, and get to registering! We’ll see you there.
2021 Diversity & Inclusion Conferences/Events Not to Miss
Diversity Reboot 2021: The One Hundred Day Kickoff
When: February 1-5, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: Free!
Where to register: Here
We had to include our own Diversity Reboot on our list of the best diversity and inclusion events to attend in 2021 because we know firsthand how the quality of 100+ expert speakers, the enthusiasm of 10,000 participants, and the cutting-edge tech that enables meaningful virtual networking and job fairs combine to create a truly epic five-day experience. This year, the theme 100 Day Kickoff harnesses the energy of the new government’s first 100 days in office to help jump-start personal and professional plans to build more diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Following the February summit, we’ll have a monthly series of smaller virtual summits on topics spanning everything from returnships to LGBTQ+ advocacy, so be sure to stay tuned for updates!
The Future of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2021
When: February 3-4, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: Free
Where to register: Here
This virtual conference put on by HR.com focuses on how social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have pushed DEI at work beyond legal compliance and into a major factor of any company or brand’s culture, employee engagement, and performance. Topics include how to uncover and resolve pay gaps across your team and hire top-level diverse talent.
Workplace Revolution: From Talk to Collective Action
When: March 8-12, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: $820
Where to register: Here
The Forum on Workplace Inclusion’s 33rd annual conference includes 12 session tracks, from DEI Strategy to Social Responsibility, along with 59 workshops and daily networking sessions. This year’s theme focuses on one question: “What will it take to start a workplace revolution that moves us from talk to action?”
Diversity: How Employers Can Match Words With Deeds
When: May 19, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: Early bird registration is $49 and general admission is $149
Where to register: Here
From Day One is hosting monthly conferences in 2021 focused on different ways for companies to foster strong relationships with their customers, communities, and employees. May’s half-day virtual event is focused specifically on how companies can make diversity promises that don’t fall flat and features workshops, panels, and a fireside chat.
Hire with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
When: August 18, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: $195
Where to register: Here
This conference put on by the Human Capital Institute is one of 12 virtual conferences that HCI has planned for 2021. This one focuses on fair and inclusive talent acquisition, including how to attract diverse talent, implement inclusive hiring practices, and addressing bias in employee selection. Other conferences will focus on optimizing talent strategy, engaging employees, and developing your workforce.
Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration 2021
When: September 26-29, 2021
Where: Virtual, broadcast from Chicago, Illinois
Price to register: Was $799 for regular access to the virtual conference in 2020; 2021 pricing hasn’t yet been announced
Where to register: Here, though 2021 registration wasn’t live at the time of writing
Grace Hopper might be the best-known conference for women in tech. Through keynote presentations, networking sessions, job fairs, and community-building activities, vGHC reached over 30,000 women for their 2020 conference and are expecting even more in 2021! While not a conference focused exclusively on diversity and inclusion, many speakers plan to focus their talks on creating environments for women to thrive in the male-dominated tech field.
Inclusion 2021
When: October 25-27, 2021
Where: Virtual and in person in Austin, Texas as of now
Price to register: Hasn’t yet been announced
Where to register: Here, though 2021 registration wasn’t live at the time of writing
The Society for Human Resource Management’s biggest conference of the year saw 1,200 DEI leaders participate last year; SHRM hopes to see even more come to learn, be inspired, and to walk away with a playbook of implementable strategies to create truly inclusive workplace cultures.
AfroTech 2021
When: November 8-13, 2021
Where: Virtual
Price to register: Early bird pricing is $149 for individuals and $249 for corporate attendees; regular pricing hasn’t yet been announced
Where to register: Here
AfroTech is a conference hosted by Blavity, a tech media platform for Black millennials. It focuses on emerging tech trends, connecting Black talent with top tech recruiters, and providing networking and educational opportunities, with an overall goal of building a strong Black tech community. Over 10,000 people participated in 2020. While the conference isn’t focused specifically on DEI, its main audience of Black tech talent is an important one to understand and to engage at work and beyond, and several speakers plan to focus on issues of race and inclusion at work.
