INICIVOX will be bringing its award-winning virtual seminar series, “Identifying the Elephant in the Room,” to the natural products industry from March 16-April 20. The six-part series will feature professionals from various sectors of the industry, coming from all sides of the “elephant,” who can share experiences – both positive and negative – while giving other professionals in the industry the courage to learn, ask questions, and seek out ways to use their voices, and influence, to positively change and improve sexist behavior and inequalities.
“The intention of the series is to create an awareness and elevate the discussion on how to address, and respond to, attitudes or behaviors on traditional stereotypes of gender roles that discriminate, devalue or restrict opportunities for professionals working in the natural products space,” said Amy Summers, series director and founder and president of INICIVOX and Pitch Publicity. “Being silent on these issues has not helped. It’s important that we provide a space to reflect what we are seeing and hearing, internally and externally, through a lens of truth while challenging ourselves and our organizations to do better.”
“Identifying the Elephant in the Room,” tackles controversial topics that lack clear communication strategies and need space to elevate the conversation on the subject matter. The first “Identifying the Elephant in the Room” series took place in the fall of 2020 and was focused on addressing critical communications strategies in the face of racism for professionals entering communications fields. The focus of the second series is to examine how sexism is addressed within the natural products industry, and how to positively shift behaviors through our words and actions.
Participating partners in the series include influential industry organizations: Naturally Network and Naturally Proud Network; along with media partner, Late Night Health Radio, whose host, Mark Alyn, will be interviewing seminar participants in “After the Elephant” for instant feedback and discussion through his podcast, “Late Night Health.” Pitch Publicity and INICIVOX will be funding and promoting the sexism seminar series as co-sponsors.
An optional, in-person speed networking event to apply learnings from the sexism seminar series will take place at SupplySide East on April 19 (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET) at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, where Summers along with mentors from the series will showcase best practices for making a good first impression, moving beyond surface talk, recognizing exit cues, avoiding conversation stoppers, and making genuine connections.
“Identifying the Elephant in the Room: Critical Communications Strategies in the Face of Sexism,” is a live virtual series that will take place at: https://inicivox.vfairs.com. All sessions will be recorded and available for playback to registered attendees. Professionals who attend the entire series can receive a certificate of completion from INICIVOX on sexism discussions. Participants who attend the live sessions will have the option to submit questions anonymously via the chat function for instant feedback from mentors on the panels. The seminar series will be segmented by various channels within the natural products industry, which will serve as themes for each of the panels, all of which will be held from 1-2 p.m. ET on Thursdays. Register before March 15 and receive the entire series for $75. Members of series partners receive an additional $25 off the registration fee by entering in a discount code provided by the partner.
