Event Planning Guide

Planning TMxG events does not need to be overwhelming. This guide is designed to fit within the ~2 hours per month leadership commitment, using short, focused work sessions.

For detailed internal flows (including finance steps, speaker sourcing, and example checklists), see the TMxG Leaders Resource Hub in Google Drive.

Event types

Community engagement events (monthly)

• Purpose: Connection and belonging.
• Examples: Social or listening calls, coffee chats, async Slack discussions.
• Typical planning time: ≤30 minutes, usually no budget.

Quarterly initiatives

• Purpose: Substantial programming aligned to one of the three pillars.
• Examples: Speaker session, panel, workshop, cultural observance event, storytelling session.
• Planning time: Spread across several 15–25 minute sessions over a few weeks.

Allyship programming

• Purpose: Educate and equip allies to support your community.
• Can be combined with your quarterly initiative.

When to use the “full” planning process

Use the fuller process below when:

• You’re inviting external speakers or using budget.
• You expect broad, cross‑company attendance.
• The event is your quarterly initiative or annual allyship event.

For small monthly activities (for example, existing social call, simple async thread), you can skip most steps and just schedule + announce.

Recommended timeline (quarterly‑type events)

4 weeks before – concept and speakers (≈25 minutes)

• Define topic, audience, and alignment to a pillar.
• Check for relevant cultural observance tie‑ins.
• Identify potential speakers:
  • Ask your DIB partner about existing partnerships.
  • Consider internal speakers and your Executive Sponsor.
• Decide if you’ll need budget and start the budget request if yes.

3 weeks before – logistics and promotion (≈25 minutes)

• Confirm speaker and date/time (accounting for time zones).
• Create a GitLab team calendar invite (make it visible to all team members).
• Add a clear title, description, and Zoom link.
• Announce in:
  • Your TMxG Slack channel.
  • #diversity_inclusion_and_belonging (and others if relevant).
• Inform your Executive Sponsor and invite them to attend or give opening remarks.

2 weeks before – reminders and speaker prep (≈15 minutes)

• Post a reminder in Slack.
• Send speakers a short brief:
  • Who will attend.
  • Format and timing.
  • Q&A expectations.
  • Accessibility expectations (for example, captions, recording, pace).

1 week before – final reminder (≈5 minutes)

• Final reminder in Slack and/or Loop, with:
  • Event purpose.
  • Key takeaways.
  • Any async participation options.

Day of – run the event

• Join 5–10 minutes early to test tech.
• Open with a brief welcome, overview, and access notes (for example, “We are recording; captions are on.”).
• Keep an eye on chat and time.
• Close by thanking speakers and sharing any follow‑up resources.

After – follow‑up and tracking (≈15 minutes)

• Post a short recap in Slack (and Loop if used), including:
  • Key takeaways or quotes.
  • Links to slides/recording (if appropriate).
  • How to get involved next.
• Update the shared activity tracker:
  • Title, date, format, pillar, attendance, and budget used (if any).
• Thank external speakers (and process payment where relevant).

Choosing an event format

Some common formats:

• Speaker session – best for expertise sharing or allyship education.
• Panel – best for multiple perspectives and cross‑TMxG topics.
• Fireside chat – informal conversation between interviewer and guest.
• Listening session – facilitated discussion with prompts; often used for allyship and feedback.
• Storytelling session – members share lived experiences; powerful for allyship.
• Async campaign – series of posts (for example, “Did you know…?” facts) over a cultural month.

When in doubt, start simple (for example, a 45–60 minute speaker session or fireside chat) and reuse formats that already work.

Accessibility and neuroinclusion

All TMxG events should be designed to be as accessible and neuroinclusive as reasonably possible. At minimum, aim to:

• Enable captions in Zoom.
• Share agenda and access info ahead of time (for example, “We’ll have 30 min talk + 15 min Q&A”).
• Offer ways to participate without speaking live (chat, anonymous Q&A, async thread).
• Consider time‑zone coverage and, where possible, share a recording or async summary.

Use your DIB partner as a thought‑partner on making specific events more accessible.

For deeper guidance on designing accessible, neuroinclusive experiences, see NeuroInclusion in Practice and related DIB training resources.

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