
#GalsNGear founder Amy DeLouise explains how media technology trade shows can take intentional steps to fully reflect the full diversity of people who are part of our fast-changing industry
By Contributor
Published: April 8, 2024 Updated: April 9, 2024
#GalsNGear founder Amy DeLouise explains how media technology trade shows can take intentional steps to fully reflect the full diversity of people who are part of our fast-changing industry
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> #GalsNGear founder Amy DeLouise explains how media technology trade shows can take intentional steps to fully reflect the full diversity of people who are part of our fast-changing industry
https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/people/opinion-why-trade-shows-can-and-must-evolve title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Take a look around any trade show floor in the media, entertainment or tech industry and you'll notice something. Or rather, the lack of something. Women. Especially women of colour. While there are more women in sales and marketing now than in decades past, trade shows in our industry are still something of a white bro-fest as a leading technologist I know once dubbed them. Manels -all male panels-are still common, despite plenty of women with expertise in a range of technical tools, workflows and case studies.
Why worry? If we are to be sustainable as a constantly evolving industry, we need our trade shows to reflect the people who design and use the tools we are selling, and consume the content we make. Take software demos. It's still common for a woman to be at the welcome desk, but for a guy to be running the demo.
Booths selling cameras may still feature a seductively clothed female model draping herself over a chair, reading a book, while guys line up to look at her through different lenses. Why should a silent, sexualised woman be the subject of the lens and not hosting the demo? And yet there are literally thousands of women camera operators. (At #GALSNGEAR, we have often brought DP's and other tech-saavy women to host demos at trade show booths. And thankfully, many of our allies and partners are already doing just that!)
Where are the women? One company owner told me we have trouble finding lady engineers . (Could that be because women don't want to work for a company that calls them lady engineers ?) In fairness, women do get fewer engineering degrees than men. However, women with these skills are not gravitating to our media & entertainment field. According to Pew Research, in 2021, women made up 50 per cent of those employed in STEM jobs in the US. That number is 25 per cent in the UK. Pew's assessment showed women with STEM degrees are opting into healthcare, rather than computer science or engineering jobs. Women in healthcare are more likely to be promoted, with peers and mentors who are also women. They can see a path to leadership; they belong. We could make that happen in M&E.
Why does It matter? According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary. Investing in retention is a smart business move. Companies can do this by nominating younger and more diverse members of their team to participate in trade show events alongside veterans. Make your case that this is not a marketing budget line item. It is a Human Resources and employee retention investment.
Released at the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world's largest gathering of women technologists, the Capital One Women in Tech 2019 survey revealed a number of top factors cited by women who reached leadership positions in tech. Retention was driven by having a sense of purpose at work , which is why trade shows can make a difference. Because these gatherings foster a shared sense of purpose.
Educational sessions help us to be visible, be recognised, and see how our own work plays a role in the larger industry. And of course, we have a drink with old friends and meet new ones, building key networks for ourselves and our companies. Attendees feel a greater sense of belonging. They see the big picture. They're more likely to stick to a career path in our industry. And we need them at every level of the career pipeline.
What's on our trade show checklist?
Trade shows that haven't already should explicitly ban scantily clothed models and sexualized content on the booth. Most have already done so.
Attending companies can coach less experienced attendees how to navigate the experience. Introduce them around. Help them build their networks. Through #GALSNGEAR, we will be bringing a dozen career professionals and students to NAB Show. Most have never attended. More than half are women of colour. At the show, our Women's Leadership Summit showcases women in media talking about technology and building your leadership brand. We have also brought diverse voices to speak on technical topics to Infocomm, SXSW, and IBC. This is just a small step towards supporting that sense of belonging so vital to our industry's sustainability.
Conference organisers should not accept all-male panels in their programming, period. Adding a woman moderator isn't the solution. If you've been invited to speak on a panel, before accepting, ask for the gender and racial breakdown of your session, and suggest qualified participants who don't look like you. And yes, this could mean reaching out beyond your usual I know a guy networks. #GALSNGEAR and many other women's organisations are here to help. Since 2016, we have placed more than 350 expert speakers who also happen to be women.
We have a way to go before the trade show floor reflects the full diversity of people who we serve and who will be a part of our fast-changing industry. But by taking intentional steps as individuals a
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
20/07/2026
The former Northwestern broadcast-operations leader is helping train the next generation of live-sports-production talent across the Big Ten
The sports-product...
20/07/2026
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
20/07/2026
Product range now readily available in the UK
Graph Tech Guitar Labs have just announced the launch of a new UK Online Store that makes it quicker and easie...
20/07/2026
Popular headset gains active noise cancellation
The Maxwell headet was Audeze's first foray into the gaming world, and thanks to its Dolby Atmos compati...
20/07/2026
The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, has released t...
20/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/07/2026
Starfish Technologies will use IBC2026 to showcase the flexibility of its transport stream processing software, including the latest versions of TS Splicer (Win...
20/07/2026
Bitfocus, the specialist in media control and monitoring, will show at IBC2026 (Elgato stand 8.D31, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) how its Buttons control la...
20/07/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced new AI capabilities that e...
20/07/2026
Big Blue Marble's Cloud DRM has been nominated in the DRM/Content Protection category of the 2026 Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards.
Only four pro...
20/07/2026
Monday 20 July 2026
Sky brings free global roaming to millions of loyal custome...
20/07/2026
Red Seat Ventures Announces Introduction of Premium Creator and Podcast Communit...
20/07/2026
FIFA World Cup Final sets new RT Player record as the most-streamed single event in the platform's history
Over 1 million viewers watched live on RT 2 as ...
20/07/2026
At this year's SIGGRAPH conference, running through Thursday, July 23, in Lo...
20/07/2026
Erin Davis calls it the SuperDuperPOD. That's two things in one name: phar...
19/07/2026
Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS make for a diverse lineup, and the venue ad...
19/07/2026
The stage is set: three-time champion Argentina will defend its World Cup title ...
19/07/2026
Channel strip plug-in gets upgraded
Acustica Audio's vintage-inspired channel strip plug-in has just been treated to an update that expands its tonal ra...
18/07/2026
Topics include pre-match ceremonies, live performances, the tournament's fir...
18/07/2026
When FIFA and HBS set out to produce the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the numbers alone ...
18/07/2026
Captures nine sought-after Fender amps
IK Multimedia's latest TONEX expansion captures a selection of nine rare Brown Panel' Fender amps that were ...
18/07/2026
Latest batch ships alongside firmware update
Since being unveiled at Superbooth 2025, Frap Tools' debut polysynth has been met with widespread praise, a...
18/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
17/07/2026
Production workers at Brooklyn Bowl's Williamsburg location voted 15-1 to join IATSE Local 4. The bargaining unit covers 24 production workers at the venue,...
17/07/2026
DAZN and ADI Predictstreet have announced an exclusive global strategic partners...
17/07/2026
Zixi and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) have announced a strategic integrati...
17/07/2026
Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a multi-year partnership with E...
17/07/2026
Spectrum Business has announced Spectrum TV Control Pro, a centralized app-based...
17/07/2026
Clark Wire and Cable has announced that Rick Fernandez, Managing Director of Axxion Consulting, will serve as Independent Manufacturers Representative for Centr...
17/07/2026
TikTok, the NBA, and the WNBA have announced a multi-year global content partnership covering highlights distribution, creator access to marquee events, live-ga...
17/07/2026
Company alleges article contained false and misleading claims regarding customer data...
17/07/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
17/07/2026
(L-R) Edward James Olmos, Luis Valdez, Lou Diamond Phillips and Lupe Valdez attend American Pachuco: The Legend Of Luis Valdez Premiere during the 2026 Sundan...
17/07/2026
Full engine access with reduced soundset
Sonuscore have steadily been introducing a selection of reduced-cost and free versions of their flagship products r...
17/07/2026
Two new special-edition models revealed
Over the past week, Arturia have launched special-edition versions of both their premium MIDI controller and stage p...
17/07/2026
Original founder now back at the helm
In a message posted on his personal social media accounts, Dirk Ulrich has announced that both Plugin Alliance and Bra...
17/07/2026
Legendary presenter Anton Enus to sign off from SBS World News after 27 years wi...
17/07/2026
Millions rise before dawn to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals on SBS
17 July, 2026
Media releases
England v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of a...
17/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/07/2026
Foundry Releases SmartRoto for Nuke
Brie Clayton July 17, 2026
0 Comments
Spline-based AI powered plugin accelerates time-consuming rotoscoping, helping...
17/07/2026
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton July 17, 2026
0 Comments
SBIFF jury award winner finished fro...
17/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...