79%
clients left a competitor for us
100%
EU Safe Harbor Compliant
Enhancing safety for events and organizations
Key
Highlights
Highlights
A proactive approach to risk management requires commitment, training,
and data
QR codes leading to anonymous reporting encourage responses
Real-time alerts activate clear protocols when issues are reported
The Story
The challenge
Tackling professional misconduct in the event space
In the post-pandemic era, industry conferences and professional development events have become essential for connection, collaboration, learning, and growth. However, even a single negative incident can overshadow the positive experience and derail an event’s success.
While organizations typically focus on improving employee experience and culture within the internal workplace, events and conferences bring together professionals from different organizations, geographies, and industries, each with diverse standards and expectations. This diversity can lead to challenges in maintaining a cohesive and safe environment.
Unfortunately, professional misconduct—such as harassment, discrimination, microaggressions, and bullying—remains a significant concern for attendees.
This issue became personal for Venus Piñeyro De Hoyos when she experienced harassment at a professional event. Despite her extensive knowledge, the incident involving a leader from the hosting organization left her feeling ashamed and confused. “My knowledge didn’t change how I felt,” she shared, “but I didn’t want to cause any harm to an organization I supported.”
After sharing this experience with only two peers, Venus was shocked to discover that one had also suffered harassment at the same event. The second person shared that they knew someone harassed at the same event.
“Having been in business intelligence and analytics, my data bell started going off. Can it be a coincidence that half of the people I've spoken with have experienced this?”
After twenty years in corporate America leading global teams and later working as a culture and change management consultant coaching teams on inclusion and conflict management, Venus realized she could use her expertise to impact this area significantly.
As one person, though, she’d need to find ways to scale up.
The solution
While the impact of professional misconduct at events is significant, the lack of reporting mechanisms means there is little data to showcase the problem.
Venus notes, “Up to 99% of incidents go unreported because there’s no mechanism to report them, or if there is, it is not anonymous.” To address this, she envisioned SafeSpace Plus™ as a comprehensive tech solution that supports the necessary training and consulting for success.
Venus and her team required anonymous reporting capabilities, efficient response collection methods, and instant alerts to notify leaders of reported incidents. They also needed comprehensive reporting tools to review and analyze results with clients to improve future events.
“We were about to develop our own solution,” Venus recalls. “But Sogolytics met all our needs, from GDPR compliance to data security, allowing us to focus on our expertise.”
Sogolytics provided anonymous forms, QR codes, alerts, real-time reporting, and customization options. The support from the Sogo team made the decision even easier.
SafeSpace Plus™ leverages these robust technical capabilities to enhance event safety, enabling their strategic implementation and expertise to maximize the impact on event success.
However, reporting is only half the story. Even when organizers are willing to address issues, they often need more training and protocols. Venus observed, “Event organizers are so busy running the event that they don’t know what to do when an issue arises. They don’t have a protocol and cannot often handle it."
Combining her professional expertise with the Sogolytics platform, Venus created a powerful omnichannel solution to combat professional misconduct and ensure safer, more productive events.
The result
Since launching, SafeSpace Plus™ has partnered with organizers to improve the culture and safety of over a dozen European and US events, impacting thousands of participants.
Prevention is key to the program’s success, involving advanced training for organizers, participant commitment to co-create a safe space, and visible zero-tolerance policy reminders. Reporting QR codes ensure issues can be reported anytime. Venus stated, “When it comes to misconduct, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Venus reported, “SafeSpace Plus™ clients who previously had numerous issues now have zero, which is mind-blowing.”
If an incident occurs, the system works: anonymous reports trigger alerts to trained leaders. Developed with SafeSpace Plus™, standard operating procedures help organizers prevent and address misconduct, creating safe environments for professional growth.
Venus emphasized, “Many ask, ‘Does this still happen?’ There’s much work to do, and we’re the only team addressing this globally.”
Creating safe event spaces is essential for risk mitigation, legal safety, and reputation management. Organizations simply cannot afford to create unsafe environments for their participants.
Venus and the SafeSpace Plus™ team aim to expand their impact, evolve with the Sogolytics platform, and collect data to make a compelling case to leaders, organizers, and attendees. Professional misconduct, from the workplace to event spaces, must be addressed.
Many SafeSpace Plus™ clients who previously had numerous issues now have zero, which is mind-blowing. The remarkable transformation demonstrates how a small investment in prevention can yield significant dividends.
About SafeSpace Plus™
SafeSpace Plus™ is an omnichannel solution that empowers leaders and organizers to create safe environments that foster productive collaboration and significantly reduce organizational risk. By prioritizing safety and inclusivity, SafeSpace Plus™ transforms workplaces and events into thriving, secure spaces where everyone can perform at their best.
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