According to a study of 30,000 women by Hahn and Archer from 2019, almost half of women report some type of sexual harassment or unwanted advances at conferences and events. At one conference alone, 11% of female attendees and 3% of male attendees reported being on the receiving end of behavior they perceived as harassment.
Conferences, meetings and events can be triggers for harassment because they involve mingling, socializing and, often, drinking, which can embolden some to act in a manner they may not do if they were not “away” at a conference.
I went to dinner with a dozen women at a recent hotel investment conference. Our conversation turned to the events of the day and the group was talking about the inappropriate advances and comments they had encountered. Many examples and lots of disapprobation of various men at the conference were shared. Long hidden due to embarrassment or fear of reprisal, sexual harassment is a common issue and is unnecessarily damaging for the future of the industry. Women didn’t talk about it and they felt shamed when it happened to them. Not anymore. It’s in the open and it is affecting men as well as women.
This is a tough topic because there are shifting boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behavior depending on the circumstance, individuals involved, setting, dress, time of day, alcohol imbibed, other people present and other factors. There are also clearly unacceptable behaviors.
Conferences are a unique setting because they are outside the general business chain of command. At a recent reception, a young woman was telling an older female executive about an incident of harassment and asking for advice about how to respond. The older woman told her — flatly — not to do anything. I was shocked that a senior women would not advise her to stand up for herself. Upon reflection, however, if she complained, what could her boss do? People who cannot solve a problem tend to blame the person bringing the situation to their attention.
As an industry, we need to address the rare situation with bad actors and we also need to address this issue out into the open. We want conferences to be enjoyable and beneficial for everyone. No one should miss professional opportunities because they are forced to walk away from events where someone is harassing them or behaving inappropriately.
I went to lunch with a broker and we were talking about inappropriate behavior at events. He told me that he has a long-time partner who says and does inappropriate things. It makes him uncomfortable but he doesn’t say anything about it. After all, “everyone knows about XXX and no one takes him seriously.” I immediately knew who he was talking about. This man’s behavior used to be a joke but it’s escalated. At this point, women have to take him seriously and his partners should as well.
Castell Project encourages women to participate in conferences, meetings and events. It is important for these events to be harassment-free because they are part of how diverse rising leaders develop their place at the table, brand, network, presence and inspire others.
It is being addressed in other industries and the hospitality industry can no longer ignore it. The stakes are high, so it has to be addressed now. It’s critical for diversity in leadership and also for workforce development.
A recommendation resulting from the work of Hahn and Archer is a code of conduct for events, conferences and meetings. This would build on the American Hotel and Lodging Association "Five-Star Promise," which is the hotel industry’s commitment to enhancing employee safety by creating an environment free from harassment at conferences, meetings and events. For this reason, Castell Project and a committee of conference and event leaders worked together to develop a model code of conduct. It addresses egregious situations and encourages a social response where that is sufficient. We expect to see this rolled out as part of conference registrations over the next year. Similar initiatives are being implemented across the meetings and events industry.
Model Code of Conduct for Conference Registration
The purpose of this agreement is to provide a conference at which all participants feel safe, welcome, respected and engaged. As a participant at this event, you to agree to behave in accordance with professional standards and ethics, including a conference Code of Conduct, your employer’s policies governing workplace behavior and applicable laws.
Harassment will not be tolerated at this event in any form, including, but not limited to, harassment based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability — mental or physical — race, age, religion, cultural beliefs or any other status. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the use of abusive, offensive, or degrading language, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, sexual imagery and unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors. Harassment does not need to be sexual in nature and can include offensive remarks. We expect that interactions between attendees be professional, avoiding unwelcome touching and refraining from comments that could make another uncomfortable.
Any report of harassment to event organizers about this event, whether in person or virtual, will be addressed immediately. If you are asked to stop any harassing behavior, you agree to comply immediately. If you engage in harassing or offensive behavior, conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate including notifying authorities, expulsion from the conference with no refund and exclusion from future events.
The conference encourages attendees, staff, and others to speak out against harassment in real time as their comfort level allows.
Peggy Berg chairs the Castell Project, a non-profit advancing women in leadership in the hospitality industry.
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