Tech Show London, the most important technology event for businesses in the UK and its five co-located shows, will recognise the importance of workforce diversity and inclusion on 8-9 March at ExCeL London.
Many studies have confirmed that successful financial performance and innovation are correlated with businesses that have a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Only 8.5% of senior tech leaders in the UK are people of colour, 16% of IT professionals are female, 9% of IT specialists report having a disability, 68% of leaders report a lack of diversity, women in technology in the UK are offered 4% less salary on average, and 30% of LGBTQ+ young people in the UK would not consider a career in science or technology due to the fear of discrimination.
That is a lot of statistics to digest, but this is the unfortunate reality, and it is just the tip of the iceberg.
“There is more work to be done to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion within all industries, but CloserStill Media and Tech Show London are committed to shining the spotlight on incredible leaders and inspiring people from all backgrounds. We are excited for the intensity of this spotlight to keep growing in the years ahead,” said Alice MacGregor, the Head of Marketing & Content for CloserStill Media’s Technology Portfolio in Europe.
Celebrating diversity and inclusion at Tech Show London
Out of the 20 sessions at the Tech Show London Mainstage, 18 sessions will either be led or feature inspiring women, including:
- IBM UK’s first female CEO, Nicola Hodson
- Starling Bank’s CEO, Anne Boden
- Award-winning science presenter, Dr. Hannah Fry
- NASA’s Dr. Christyl Johnson
- Dropbox’s DevOps Engineer and Inclusion Advocate, Jennifer Opal
Young technology talent will also have a chance to shine on the Mainstage, with presentations by current and former students of Ada. National College for Digital Skills. Ola Simisaiye, Junior Paid Social Associate at Merkle will present what she has learned four months into her technology career. Katrina Paras, a Sixth Form Student, will share her first steps in seeking a career in technology.
“These presentations are a unique opportunity for business leaders to help nurture the next generation of technology professionals who will continue their legacy,” added Alice MacGregor.
All of Tech Show London’s five co-located events (Cloud Expo Europe, DevOps Live, Cloud & Cyber Security Expo, Big Data & AI World, and Data Centre World) will also feature conversations on Skills, Talent, and Culture. Critical conversations will tackle topics like skills gaps and shortages, the value of diversity and inclusion, neurodiversity in data, and upskilling to better one’s self.
Among these conversations will be a panel on The Importance of Intersectionality featuring Lucy Neal, Head of Marketing and Thought Leadership at Women in DevOps; Jaipal Sachdev, Production Planning Division Lead at 3M; Jessica Cregg, Developer Advocate at LaunchDarkly; Francesca Pollard, Co-Founder of Women in DevOps; Georgina Shute, Delivery Lead at Equal Experts; and Jade O’Neil, Delivery Manager at Intechnica.
While this session will take place under the banner of DevOps Live, this topic is of great relevance to all attendees across the technology stack.
“It is proven through so many studies and surveys that being better at inclusion and intersectionality makes you more innovative. A study by Harvard Business Review showed that organisations with diverse teams are 45% more likely to grow in their market and 70% likely to capture a new market. I’ve seen the benefits – it can lead to more effective and comprehensive problem-solving,” said Jaipal Sachdev.
Intersectionality highlights the ways in which social inequality and discrimination can be compounded for people who hold multiple marginalised identities.
I think we can make some really awesome things together by embracing differences. In order to improve team efficiency and speed up productivity, we need to understand how different people operate,” said Georgina Shute.
