From the Desk of Mary
Event Manager - Entrepreneur - Adventurer
February is the perfect chance to honor and celebrate the joy, achievements, and strength of the black community. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, there are so many ways to make a difference! Use some of these tips for your next event or just when you feel like it.
Cater Lunch
Buy lunch for your team or cater an event using a black-owned restaurant. This is a great way to thank your employees for working hard while supporting a local business. If your team is remote, consider sending each person a gift certificate to a local eatery.
If you don’t know where to start, look up restaurants at eatblackowned.com. If your team or event is based in the greater Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, or Philadelphia areas, check out Black and Mobile, the first food delivery service that exclusively delivers for black-owned restaurants.
Swag It Up
Consider holiday or event-specific swag bags for your staff and/or event attendees. Build the bags or boxes to include items from several different black-owned businesses to share your support across the community. You can create gift bags on Etsy, shop pre-curated boxes on Amazon, or visit local businesses to build your own.
Amplify Black Voices
There are SO many ways to highlight black voices this month. These are just a few:
Ask each member of your team to suggest their favorite song by a black artist and compile them to create a Black History Month playlist.
Use your company’s social media channels to follow and share the work of black leaders in your industry (of course making sure you are giving credit to anyone whose work you share).
Host a brown bag lunch event and invite a local black speaker or historian to speak at your event or workplace.
Some leaders want to amplify the voices of their own black employees, and choose to recognize them on social media and beyond. While the intention behind this may be good, make sure you’re listening to what your team prefers. This kind of emphasis only in February can lead employees to feel tokenized. Instead, use Black History month as a time for your entire team to participate in collective learning instead of singling anyone out for their race.
Support Nonprofits
Volunteering together is not only a great team building activity, but an excellent add-on to your next corporate conference. Bring the group together for causes that matter to your audience while supporting a black-led nonprofit and giving back. Win-win-win!
Celebrate
Black History Month is a great opportunity to bring learning and fun into your event or workplace. Host Black History Trivia (either as an after-hours event or during a team meeting), host a book club or discussion group featuring authors of color, attend local Black History Month events, or have a movie night featuring a film with a black producer and/or cast. The list goes on! Celebrating this important month is a great way to add depth and diversity to your next event.
Occasions, Inc, is proud to be a black-owned business, partnering with an array of black-owned vendors, caterers, and entrepreneurs. With over two decades of event planning experience, we specialize in delivering exceptional experience and unparalleled service to our clients. Contact us today to find out how we can take all the stress out of planning your next event!