Organizations Taking Another Look at Policies

CUNA had a code of conduct in place for GAC attendees, VP of Strategic Communications Vicki Christner told CU Times. Now, she said, the organization is working to make attendees more aware of that code of conduct and is looking for ways to make it more prominent during the conference registration process.

"Let's say someone who's attending as a CEO and their executive assistant registers them. That means that the CEO might not always come across that code of conduct, so we're looking at ways that we can bring it more to the forefront so that it's not just when someone's signing up for the conference that they come across it," she explained.

CUNA, however, might be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to event organizers having anti-harassment policies or codes of conduct in place for attendees. Several conference organizers told CU Times they didn't have anti-harassment policies or codes of conduct for attendees, though many said they were discussing, researching or writing those policies now.

There's no code of conduct or anti-harassment policy in place for attendees of the popular CU Water Cooler Team Summit, for example. But co-founder Matt Davis said that could change soon.

"We're reaching out to various other events and various other organizations to get prototypes or templates that have worked for them," he said. After that, Davis said, the organization plans to post a draft soon for comment before making it final. Davis said he expects 300 to 350 attendees at the October conference.

Madison, Wisc.-based Filene Research Institute, which hosts the Big Bright Minds conference and other events, is also reassessing how it communicates its expectations about attendee behavior, according to Chief Experience Officer Christie Kimbell.

"With the article we've seen come out after GAC, we've talked internally and are in the process of moving that from a verbal conversation into a written conversation," she said. The organization is surveying other best practices right now, she added.

"There's a lot of work in the academic space, in colleges and universities, that have already confronted this and have already been dealing with it a little bit longer," she noted. "They have some good benchmarks that we're looking at."

Challenges Ahead

Writing and implementing anti-harassment policies and codes of conduct might be easier said than done, however. Organizations must wrestle with questions about how to define improper behavior, for example, as well as how to design effective mechanisms for reporting behavior, how to oversee interactions occurring outside the conference's confines and how to enforce the policies.

Conference organizers may also have to decide what to do about attendees who tweet or post derogatory, sexist or bigoted things online while at a conference, Davis added.

"I think we're probably in a place right now where I think you're better to err on the side of caution until we sort some of these things out," he said.

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based CO-OP Financial Services is also evaluating whether and how to implement a code of conduct at its annual Th!nk conference or other events, according to CEO Todd Clark. "Frankly, I wouldn't hesitate to expel somebody from the conference if they acted in any way, shape or form like the things that were discussed in Rachel's note," he said.

One consideration is that many conference attendees are often still subject to their employers' policies, even when they're offsite, noted CO-OP Chief People Officer Cheryl Middleton Jones.

"Employees are still governed by our handbook, whether they're at their desk or whether they're at a conference," she said. "They're still on the job and representing the company, so they still are accountable for their actions in accordance with our policies."

"I would hold them absolutely subject to that at GAC or any other place they were representing us," Clark added.

Writing the Right Policies

"It's unfortunate that simple manners aren't enough for a large group of adult professionals, but that's clearly not the case. Anti-harassment and code of conduct policies have been around in other industries for years, and ours should be no exception," Rachel Pross told CU Times.

Pross said codes of conduct should make it clear that violations could result in expulsion from the conference, and the same rules must apply to all attendees, including speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers.

Conference organizers should also cast a wide net for ideas about how to write their policies, she said.

"It's often a good idea to get perspective from outside of our own industry, since we run the risk of 'breathing our own exhaust' by only looking inward," she explained. "The tech industry, for example, has had quite a bit of momentum toward codes of conduct and anti-harassment policies for events, since more and more women are emerging as leaders in tech."

But like some others who spoke to CU Times, Pross acknowledged the potential difficulties around enforcing anti-harassment policies and codes of conduct at conferences.

"Addressing bad behavior in adults is uncomfortable for all, so enforcing policies or codes of conduct will be a challenge. I think the key to mitigating this is clear communication ahead of the conference stating what is expected and what won't be tolerated," she explained. "By issuing communication ahead of time, conference organizers can simply say, 'If you find these policies restrictive, please do not attend, exhibit, or speak at our conference.'"

"This also sends a clear message to targets of harassment — speak up, stand up, and don't take it for a second," she added. "Report it without hesitation or fear, and enjoy the rest of the conference. We don't have to tolerate this kind of garbage in order to be polite or to avoid making waves."