We believe that creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is key to the success of the Portal conference. To help achieve this, we encourage attendees to:
- Practice active listening and be mindful of others' viewpoints
- Give everyone an opportunity to speak by not interrupting or dominating conversations
- Be mindful of language and terminology, as there may be attendees from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- Use inclusive language and respect attendees' pronouns
- Welcome new attendees by engaging in conversation and including them in activities
In addition, we recommend that attendees practice the "empty chair" principle during groupdiscussions. This involves keeping an empty chair at the table to signify that anyone is welcome to join the conversation.