The Power of Inclusion was a two-day summit held at Auckland’s Aotea Centre. Hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission, Women in Film and Television International and The Walt Disney Studios, the event consisted of over 60 international and local speakers sharing their stories and opinions on inclusivity and representation in the film industry.

The summit presented a diverse range of perspectives, with the likes of Geena Davis, Steven Canals, Niki Caro, Magda Szubanski and Yara Shahidi all sharing their experiences. Each speaker was given a personalised speaker schedule with their stage times, travel and accommodation information. With such high-profile speakers, everything had to be seamless. Whether that meant arranging a personal chauffeur for the day, organising taxis to and from media engagements or arranging hair and makeup appointments, the speakers were treated with the upmost professionalism.

We also arranged a VIP evening at the Hilton the night before conference as a chance for speakers to get to know one another before the event. The following night, there was an evening reception at Aotea Centre for all attendees and speakers to share their thoughts on day one.

For this event, every single element had been thoroughly thought through to ensure complete inclusivity: customised gender-neutral toilet signs, onsite childcare facilities, and sign language interpreters were some of the many logistical components we managed. These details all helped create an atmosphere in keeping with the conference theme of Inclusion.

While there was no exhibition space at the event, we did secure a place in Aotea Square for Disney’s Dream Big, Princess photo exhibition, featuring images and stories from young girls across the globe. The exhibition gained attention from the public as well as conference attendees.  

The Summit was a great success, with over 700 like-minded people gathering together to share their views and help create a more inclusive film industry.