The Australian LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Awards from the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) recognise and celebrate ‘organisations demonstrating foundational and progressive efforts toward making all workplaces inclusive for all’.
The Star Entertainment Group won Employer of the Year, tied with law firm DLA Piper. Qantas and The Star were acknowledged as gold tier employers while ICC Sydney was elevated to a silver tier employer.
Employees at The Star also won two of the individual awards – group chief customer and product officer George Hughes won the executive leadership award, while gaming operations manager Craig Dumas tied for the network leader of the year award with Luke Nixon from Brisbane City Council.
ICC Sydney is celebrating its silver level recognition as a first for convention centres in Australia.
“From the outset, we have strived to ensure ICC Sydney is a place where every team member and visitor to arrive through our doors is respected, treated with courtesy and warmly welcomed,” said ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy.
“It is gratifying to see our inclusive culture recognised in Pride and Diversity’s Australian Workplace Equality Index.
“ICC Sydney achieving the Silver Tier benchmark is a first for Australian convention centres – and reaffirms our team’s dedication to continuing to meet the highest national standards with regards to workplace diversity, equity and inclusion,” he said.
The centre has an internal LGBTQIA+ employee resource for diversity group called The Same Same Collective and a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.
According to ICC Sydney’s director of human resources, Luke Fleming, the submission process for the awards was rigorous.
“ICC Sydney’s Same Same Collective’s work is to be commended in helping us to reach the the next level of inclusive practices,” said Fleming.
“The application was comprehensive and included engaging our active LGBTQIA+ employee network to identify strategies to further raise the bar for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
“From increasing visibility and support for transgender and gender diverse team members, to creating awareness and education opportunities focused both internally and externally to support our clients in delivering events – our team thoroughly audited our practices to remove any barriers to diversity and inclusion.”
