On 28 January 2025, I hosted a panel discussion at Molineux Meets, one of my favourite networking events in Wolverhampton, at Wolves F.C. stadium.
I’ve been on panels in the past, I’ve hosted my own events and workshops, and I’ve done hundreds of hours of interviews throughout my career.
But this job was a step up.
The theme was Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). A topic especially pertinent as the event was the day after Holocaust Memorial Day, and a topic which can get heated online.
The speakers were Claire Duesbury, EDI Lead at Levy UK (the company which manages Molineux’s hospitality, as well as in stadiums and venues across the country), Melissa Forde Head Performance Chef for Wolves 1st team, and Gurpri Baines, Wolves’ EDI Manager.
Prepping for the panel
In the run up to the event I spoke with friends in business to find out what they thought about EDI. Some were too nervous about the fallout if they left people out or saying the wrong things. Others just saw it as buzzwords and there were more pressing concerns.
I also had a couple of video calls with Claire, Gurpri and Melissa, to find out more about them, their roles and experiences.
From these conversations, I drafted my questions.
- The first questions would set the context and landscape to make sure everyone was on the same page.
- The middle questions would dial into and showcase the speakers’ stories, expertise and experiences to bring the subject to life in a real and relatable way. (Including the fact that Melissa is the only female Performance Head Chef in the Premier League.)
- The final questions would focus on the audience, drawing out practical tips and next steps they can take at home.
And, as the host, I would bookend the discussion with the welcome and close, keeping a close eye on the time so it lasted 30 minutes.
Why Equality, Diversity and Inclusion matter
Gurpri, Claire and Melissa were absolutely brilliant. I made so many notes, including:
- There are 9 protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 which include age, religion and belief, disability, and race. It will be 2154 before we get gender parity.
- When you make EDI a focus, it’s not just a you’re giving your people a voice and helping them to be their authentic selves. They’re going to contribute more, bring different ideas to the table and be more productive.
- By looking at your data, you can tap into new markets and build new customer bases, which obviously can have a positive impact on your bottom line.
- You don’t have to try to do everything. Pick one thing and start. And if you do make a mistake, apologise, learn and move on.
Food and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Melissa outlined some of the benefits of offering an inclusive menu to the football team:
- By offering a diverse, performance-focused and delicious range of food, the Wolves players feel welcome and looked after.
- Their post-match meals are intentionally tasty and includes a treat which is on the right-side-of-healthy, they are less tempted to get unhealthier options after matches.
- Vitor Pereira phoned his wife after his first meal as Head Coach and told her “I’ll be OK, the food is fantastic.”
Real life stories resonate with audiences
Speaking to Molineux Meets attendees afterwards and the following day at another event, Melissa’s stories especially made an impact.
- Wolves staff members were proud that Wolves was the first team to have a female Head Performance Chef. (Many didn’t know this before.)
- Working mothers felt seen because she too had been reluctant to admit in her interview that she had two young children.
- A number of people had not gone or almost not gone for a job because they didn’t feel like they had a chance of getting it.
The panel had sparked conversations about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and people were sharing their own stories and experiences with each other.
That’s how relationships are built and that’s why I love events 🤩.
The following Wednesday, Maria emailed us to say that she hadn’t ever received so many positive comments or feedback after the event.
It’s not something that I’d planned, but now I can add “panel host” to my CV. I’d love to do more.
Find out more about Molineux Meets
Molineux Meets is an excellent free quarterly networking event at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton.
Contact Maria Scullion at maria.scullion@limevenueportfolio.com for more information.
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