The conversations started during the 2015 Annual NAMIC Conference are continuing to inspire action!
The theme, “Diversity OTT: Outreach. Talent. Tenacity,” puts a spotlight on how far the communications industry has come and provided the roadmap forward regarding the fulfillment of NAMIC’s mission to educate, advocate and empower for multi-ethnic diversity.
Over 500 attendees were drawn to New York City for the day and a half event. The convening featured a variety of seminar topics, including: Breaking News, Story at 11:00; I Do! Now What?; The Millennial Marketplace; Understanding Office Politics and How it Can Affect Your Career; Sista, Señorita, Babe and more.
Important themes that were pulled through:
- Authenticity is key: During the L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Program Luncheon, legendary TV Creator & Author, Norman Lear put it best when he mentioned that exposing, “the ridiculousness of human behavior,” is one of the best methods to address matters of diversity and adversity. The same was echoed during the fireside chat with Academy Award – Nominated Filmmaker Spike Lee and TV Writer, Chef and Author Eddie Huang. In Tuesday’s General Session the Commissioner of NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Cynthia Lopez advocated for people of all backgrounds to utilize resources that are currently available to them. It’s clear: when communicators confront subject matter, which may make individuals uncomfortable, they are one step closer to moving the needle on change.
- Attracting and retaining diverse talent is everyone’s responsibility: From the Joint Town Hall on Diversity to the closing EMMA Luncheon, it came up during almost every conversation: the goal of achieving and maintaining diversity in communications belongs to us all. We can’t just sit back and watch — it’s going to take leadership from supporting teams up to the c-suite to create the change which is being sought – the time is now.
- Diversity is about people, not numbers: From conversations on big data to multicultural content across platforms, we were reminded that at the heart of our efforts are real people with real stories. As storytellers and leaders in this space, we certainly have a responsibility to emphasize the statistics and data which can be the foundation. However, stats are just a part of a larger picture. The conference also unfolded live on social media through, Facebook, Instagram and twitter. The hashtags, #DiversityOTT & #NAMICConference were mentioned over 300 times, expanding beyond the event.
The 2015 Annual NAMIC Conference is over, but the important conversations tied to diversity in the industry remain. We encourage you to continue using the hashtag (#DiversityOTT) to make sure the stories and content that moved you don’t drop to the bottom of your Newsfeed.
Be sure to take a look at these photos (http://namic.smugmug.com) videos (https://namic.com/media), and our social media sites and share them with us via Facebook, twitter & Instagram @NAMICNational, and connect with us on LinkedIn (gid=946157).
Again, we are grateful to all who attended and made it possible for the conference to come to life. Save the date for the 30th Annual NAMIC Conference to be held September 20 – 21, 2016!
Dupe Ajayi currently is the Lead Consultant for The Ajayi Effect. Be sure to read her blog at (https://theajayieffect.wordpress.com) and follow her on twitter @theajayieffect.
