NAB Show will host its third annual NAB Diversity Symposium, open to all attendees, from April 16-17, in Las Vegas. Designed to help broadcast organizations develop corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies and embrace diversity in media and the workplace, this year’s symposium will focus on inclusion.

“The NAB has pledged to ensure that broadcast and media companies can reach their employment requirements and build a workforce that mirrors our surrounding communities,” said Michelle Duke, NAB’s chief diversity officer. “During this symposium, we provide our members with the tools, knowledge, and resources to help them discover top-notch talent and enable employees to propel their careers forward. Overall, these sessions further NAB’s critical mission of opening opportunities, fostering inclusive workplaces, and assisting the broadcast industry in meeting future challenges head-on.”

The symposium will kick off with a session titled “Creating an Inclusive Environment That Will Attract and Retain Diverse Talent.” Speakers will include Teri Arvesu Gonzalez, senior vice president for social impact and sustainability at TelevisaUnivision; and Courtney Williams, chief diversity officer at Nexstar. Moderated by Danyelle Wright, vice president of employment and labor law and chief diversity officer at the E.W. Scripps Company, the session will discuss policies, procedures, practices, and other change management tools that will lead to a welcoming and engaging workplace for all employees.

Next, a session titled “Building Better Media Businesses With D&I” will bring together senior leaders from the media industry to discuss how diversity and inclusion is a core enabler of growth and value creation. Moderator Gay Bell, chief executive at Platform Communications, will be joined by Lisa Aussieker, senior vice president of marketing at Qwilt, and Samira Panah, director of global media & entertainment at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The second day of the symposium will begin with a session titled “Diverse Workforce Planning and the Future of Leadership in Broadcast.” Speakers Adam Fowler, economist and founding partner at CVL Economics, and Nancy Rae Stone, deputy director of the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program, will join moderator Ri-Karlo Handy, CEO and founder of The Handy Foundation and Sunwise Media. During this session, broadcasters will learn several approaches to plan and develop a diverse workforce pipeline at different levels in their organization.

Afternoon sessions start with “Understanding the Value of Military Veteran Inclusion in Media and the Workplace,” a session programmed in partnership with Disabled American Veterans (DAV), featuring guest speakers Col. Greg Gadson, an army veteran and actor in films such as Battleship and the CBS series The Inspectors, and Centra “Ce-Ce” Mazyck, an army veteran and Paralympian. These speakers will join moderator Kevin Johnson, director of veteran recruiting at Hearst Television, to share their experiences in broadcast media and entertainment and discuss how military veterans and those with disabilities can help serve broadcast stations and media companies and consumers.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion titled “Why Creating an Inclusive Environment for Persons with Disabilities Is Critical to the Success of Your Business Strategy.” Moderator Storm Smith, creative director and brand storyteller, will be joined by four panelists: Ann Bobeck, vice president of FCC Legal and Business at Fox Corporation; Keely Cat-Wells, disability rights activist and founder of C Talent; Andraéa LaVant, president and chief inclusion officer at LaVant Consulting; and Joe Strechay, TV producer and film director at Strechay Consulting. This session, programmed in partnership with JFD Communications and the Broadcast Education Association, will discuss the importance of inclusivity in content distribution and provide practical guidance and details on where to go for further information on authentically hiring for inclusion.

Click here to stay up-to-date with the latest show news and visit our NAB Show 2023 hub.