Northstar Meetings Group

Fostering a Culture of Belonging at Your Events

At Northstar's Small & Boutique Meetings, diversity strategist Curtis Hill showed how making all meeting participants feel welcome makes for a better event.

by Sarah J.F. Braley

May 6, 2024

Curtis Hill speaks on creating a culture of belonging at Northstar's Small & Boutique Meetings – Spring. / Photo Credit: Matt Klinger, MadPixPro

Embodying one of Northstar Meetings Group's core philosophies — a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce — diversity strategist Curtis Hill delivered real life stories during Small & Boutique Meetings – Spring to demonstrate how accepting all participants for who they are makes for a better event. The hosted-buyer meeting for those placing events for 100 or fewer attendees was held April 21-23 at the Margaritaville Lake Resort on Lake Conroe in Texas.

Charging the room with his energy, Hill spoke of new ways to look at DEI and accessibility, getting away from highlighting how people are different and, instead, embracing those differences with an eye to leveling the playing field between all those involved.

"What if we could start a movement here today, centered around belonging, that we can take back to our cities, our states," he asked the crowd of about 130 hosted buyers and suppliers. "Our events and our meetings, that will start a culture of belonging that will take over the entire meetings space. Think about your next event: What is a resource or opportunity that you could use that would make your event more inclusive?"

Hill's four tips for bringing that culture of belonging to your meetings are as follows:

Start and end with gratitude. Be appreciative of everyone's contributions, large or small.
Embrace everyone's differences. This is the secret weapon to success.
Provide opportunities and resources for people to grow and become more efficient and productive.
Be intentional when sculpting your meetings to curate opportunities for good connections.

Buyers and suppliers were fully engaged during appointments at Northstar's Small & Boutique Meetings – Spring. Photo Credit: Matt Klinger, MadPixPro

The event was the first of three hosted-buyer gatherings scheduled for 2024 that are designed specifically for small- and boutique-sized meetings. The summer edition is coming up fast, being held June 9-11 at the Hotel Distil, an Autograph Collection property by Marriott in Louisville, Ky. Small & Boutique Meetings – Fall will take place Oct. 27-29 at the Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Head to Northstar's events page to register for these or the many other hosted-buyer meetings Northstar is hosting this year.