The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, the largest diversity and inclusion conference in the country, will run March 29-31 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The theme of the 28th annual event is “Making ALL the Difference. Bold Conversations. New Directions.”
Presented by the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, the forum will bring together more than 1,700 participants from 35 states, eight countries and more than 300 companies.
The forum is designed for professionals who manage a diverse workforce, are responsible for diversity within organizations of all sizes, or work with multicultural clientele.
Keynote speakers are Bill George, a senior fellow at Harvard Business School and former Medtronic CEO, and Anand Giridharadas, New York Times columnist and author.
The forum includes general sessions with keynote speakers and eight in-depth seminars on March 29, 50 concurrent sessions led by experts in diversity on March 30 and 31; and numerous receptions and networking opportunities.
In addition to seminars and sessions, the forum includes:
- The Great Forum Gathering, the conference’s premier networking event, on March 29.
- One free hour of onsite diversity and inclusion coaching for all registered attendees, on March 29 and 30.
- A Forum Marketplace, the conference hub and networking location, on March 30 and 31.
- An orientation session to help new participants get the most out of the conference.
- A Professional Career Fair, free and open to the public, on March 30. Sponsored by the Mayo Clinic, the fair attracts diverse candidates who have, or are working toward, a four-year or graduate degree.
- A Career Services Center, also free and open to the public, on March 29 and 30. The center is sponsored by Prudential.
Participants can choose to attend all or any of the days. Information and registration forms can be found on the forum’s website here.
Sponsorship opportunities, career-fair booths and exhibitor booths are still available.
The forum began in 1988 as a two-hour video conference. In addition to its professional staff, more than 60 volunteers assist with planning workshops and logistics, and more than 150 volunteers will help staff the conference.
