RX is a leading exhibition organizer with approximately 400 events where buyers have the opportunity to meet sellers in over 40 industry sectors. Adam Cartledge, the Director of Global Sales Enablement for RX, explains that his team is responsible for development in sales training, onboarding, and ensuring that teams have the materials needed to succeed in their sales cycles. After joining RX in 2014, Adam had the opportunity to experience what RX’s culture was like around the world when he traveled to different RX offices to train salespeople.
A Welcoming and Inclusive Company Culture
As a gay man, Adam was uncertain how best to navigate certain cultural views about LGBTQIA+ people in some of the places where RX operates. He explains, “Some of the countries where we have operations have laws that are not very welcoming for folks like me, which was on the back of my mind when I started traveling for work.” Luckily, Adam did not have to worry. “Sure enough, as soon as I joined, I realized just how welcoming, safe and how thoroughly part of a family you feel here. Immediately as you start working for the organization, this theme of being ‘part of something’ runs across the business – no matter what country you’re in. There’s always somebody who will make sure you’re okay. Someone to go to dinner with, someone to hang out with after work. Even people willing to give up their personal time to show you around their hometown.”
Creating a Safe and Equal Space
Adam explained that Employee Resource Groups have played a vital role in putting employee voice at the center of diversity and inclusion at RX. During a visit to the US office and being invited to the first ever Pride ERG meeting, Adam saw colleagues sharing stories about their lives and their families dealing with LGBTQIA+ issues and the challenges around social and workplace acceptance. Upon returning to the U.K., Adam was inspired to create his own Employee Resource Group with like-minded colleagues called ‘Outright.’ The committee organized social events and ensured office-wide communication, raising awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues in the UK during Pride month as well as other important concerns affecting minorities in the workplace. Adam’s committee signposted company policies, such as support for parents, that were not well known to all employees, and therefore not taken advantage of.
The company has since named Raymond Rhodes as the Director of Inclusion and Diversity, and he has been instrumental in raising the agenda globally across the company. Many diverse groups are represented at RX now, including global committees for race and ethnicity, gender equality, and enablement for people with disabilities, seen and unseen, physical and non-physical.
Having worked alongside Ray for a number of years, Adam recalls “One day Ray asked me if I would like to be the chairperson for the RX Global Pride Committee. That was a great honor. I’ve been doing that alongside my role as Director of Global Sales Enablement ever since. Our focus this year is to ensure that our customers, as well as our employees, have an inclusive experience at our events,” explained Adam.
“We want to ensure that those spaces we create are safe for all people and that attendees feel valued equally when they come to our events.” It’s the same sensation RX wants to create for its employee brand. They hope that their employees feel that they were hired because of their talent to participate and contribute to the business, regardless of their identity or who they happen to love.
Increased Focus on Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
RX has a stronger brand message around diversity and inclusion today, which Adam has seen evolve during his 8 years with the company. According to Adam, “Our Inclusion and Diversity initiatives have risen to the top of our business agenda, embedded within our culture code, and I must say that our Chief Executive Officer has been a vital ally and advocate from the beginning. Everyone knows it’s one of his core priorities to create an inclusive company that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve. And that I think makes a world of difference if you’ve got somebody at the top of the organization who’s setting the agenda and saying, ‘Hey, look, this is important to me and we are going to make it happen.’”
Part of the mission of the Global Pride Committee is to make RX events inclusive and safe for LGBTQIA+ people. Adam says, “For our customers we are starting to consult with our event directors to help them to create more inclusive spaces at their shows. When I first joined a lot of the events I would go to, specifically in the UK., would have an announcement over the speakers saying, “Welcome ladies and gentlemen.” Or something like that. And now I hear, “Friends, welcome!” so we make the choice to be inclusive, it’s just a small change, but it makes a big difference to people. There’s always work to be done and progress to make, like gender neutral spaces and giving our customers the ability to choose their pronouns during the registration experience and show them on their lanyards, which we are also working on.” The company is committed to making the industry more sustainable and where people who take part are valued and respected. RX is working hard to ensure that the company creates a culture of belonging that is fully inclusive. That starts by recognizing that inclusion and diversity are not just buzzwords, but they are fundamental to the company’s success.
Final Thoughts
If you like what you’ve learned about RX so far, Adam encourages you to join the team saying, “My message to people who might be considering applying for a role in RX is that we’re a high-growth global company, with a range of diverse industries and it’s a really, really interesting place to work with people from all walks of life. It’s a very exciting and welcoming place. People are really helpful and if you see a job opening that appeals to you and, even if you’re not sure if you meet every criteria. Don’t worry and give it a go!”
