The National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) holds an educational learning event each year for their members, appropriately titled “Communications School.” In June 2023, Management HQ Executive Director Steve Richter traveled with NAGC President Tabitha Clark to New Orleans, Louisiana to select a venue for the 2024 School.
“We knew we needed to find a location within the French Quarter that would allow all our attendees the opportunity to participate. With the older historic architecture of the area, we knew accessibility could potentially be a challenge,” Tabitha said.
Tabitha, along with other members of NAGC and MHQ’s events team had narrowed the list of potential venues down to two prior to their arrival. One hotel that they toured was truly quite historic and beautiful. But there was one hiccup: the grand entrance, although quite ornate and magnificent, had several stairs with no wheelchair access ramp visible.
When they inquired about accessibility, the hotel informed them that their handicapped entrance was through the parking ramp on the backside of the property, quite different from the ornate entrance other attendees would experience.
“We knew asking some of our attendees to enter through a parking ramp while others entered through the main doors didn’t fit with the DEIA values of NAGC,” Steve said.
While the other hotel was just minutes down the road, it was quite modern in its layout and offerings. With many opportunities for accessible rooms and spaces, and minimal stairs, this hotel proved to be a great fit for all the needs of NAGC.
Ultimately, in partnership with MHQ, NAGC chose to prioritize the accessibility needs of their members in selecting their venue to host the signature annual NAGC Communications School.
MHQ is proud to support clients in DEIA-forward action and initiatives.
About MHQ
Management HQ (MHQ) is an accredited, full-service association management company. Our diverse team does our work through a lens of equity. We support boards so boards can focus on mission. MHQ manages the full business of client membership-based organizations, including providing each client an executive director and a full management and operations team. MHQ serves associations and their members in these sectors: Government, Information Sciences / Education, Human Services, and Identity-based Associations. For more about MHQ, visit https://www.management-hq.com/.
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