A new scholarship initiative has launched that aims to make the events industry more accessible to black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) talent.
The REACH Events Scholarship will be available to students from BAME backgrounds on Manchester Metropolitan University’s BA (Hons) Events Management degree programme in September 2022.
The scholarship was launched by an event industry taskforce including The Hub, Diversity Ally and Event First Steps and will provide £5,000 a year to support with living expenses. REACH is an acronym of Race Ethnicity And Cultural Heritage.
Robert Kenward, founder of The Hub and one of the driving forces behind the scholarship, said: “Only 3.5 per cent* of our industry is from a black or minority ethnic background, while 6 per cent* is from an Asian background, and although I have been a recruiter and eventprof for over 21 years, I can count on two hands the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic event people I have worked with and on one hand at a senior level.”
He added that the initiative was created because action needs to be taken to ensure a lasting and tangible impact on our industry. “We are calling for companies to get on board and pledge £5,000 a year for three years. We need to have the funds in place by March 2022 so that Manchester Met can award students looking to start their courses in September 2022,” Kenward added.
Event companies including DRPG, The Hub, TRO and Smyle have already pledged to donate to the initiative.
Gabby Austen-Browne, co-founder of Diversity Ally and part of the REACH taskforce, said: “The REACH scholarship initiative will help make the events industry more accessible to black, Asian, and minority ethnic talent who might not normally have access to enter our sector, directly addressing the issue of the event industry talent pipeline. I'm so excited and very proud to be part of this initiative!”
Priya Narain, co-founder and director of Event First Steps explained that the taskforce’s core focus has always been about the next generation of event professionals entering the industry and ensuring that our pillars of access and route to the industry as well as the diversity of the industry are always at the forefront.
“The REACH scholarship is the perfect opportunity to practice what we preach and help create a more diverse industry from the grassroots level,” Narain said.
In time, the REACH Events Scholarship Initiative aims to rollout in more universities, but for now, will remain only accessible to students at Manchester Met.
Jonathan Sibley, senior lecturer in Events Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “We are excited to be the first university to be in the position to establish the new REACH Events Scholarship. The provision of this opportunity adds to existing scholarships, within the University, that seek to improve diversity within the creative industries; further emphasising our commitment to enhancing diversity within the events industry as well as seeking to deliver a high-quality education experience that effectively prepares future event professionals.”
Companies that are interested in making a positive and long-term impact to D&I in the industry can contact Gabby Austen-Browne [email protected] or Robert Kenward [email protected] for more information.
*Figures from Fast Forward 15/Leeds Beckett University
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
