How to Plan an Annual ERG Conference

Most ERGs run on small, steady moments.

• A monthly lunch-and-learn.
• A heritage month panel.
• A Slack channel that buzzes on good weeks and goes quiet on busy ones.
• A mentoring circle that a few dedicated members keep alive.

A day where members feel the full size of their community. Where allies show up and learn something real. Where leaders hear directly from the people the ERG represents. Where new members discover the group, longtime members feel recharged, and the whole organization sees what the ERG actually contributes.

That is what an annual ERG conference can do.

An annual ERG conference is a day-long event, hosted or sponsored by one or more ERGs, featuring multiple speakers, workshops, panels, and networking. It brings members and allies together for an experience that is part learning, part celebration, and part strategy reset.

It is also a serious investment. At roughly $100–500 per person, an annual conference sits well above a typical ERG event. That means it needs a clear purpose, a thoughtful plan, and a way to prove it was worth it.

This guide walks ERG leaders through all of it: formats, goals, budgets, speakers, agendas, timelines, communications, accessibility, and measurement.

For ERG leaders building a broader year of programming, Confetti’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion collection and DEI calendar are helpful places to map the conference alongside heritage months and recurring events.

What Is an Annual ERG Conference?

An annual ERG conference is a dedicated, full-day gathering built around an ERG’s community, mission, and growth. It usually includes:

• A keynote speaker
• Two or three breakout workshops
• At least one panel discussion
• Structured networking
• A celebration or recognition moment
• A closing that connects the day to the year ahead

The audience is broader than a typical ERG meeting. It includes core members, casual members, allies, executive sponsors, and sometimes employees who have never attended an ERG event before.

Host vs. sponsor

There are two main ways an ERG can bring a conference to life.

• Host your own conference. Your ERG (or a coalition of ERGs) designs and runs the day. You choose the theme, invite the speakers, and build the agenda. This gives you the most control and the most visibility, but also the most work.
• Sponsor or join an external conference. Your ERG funds tickets, travel, or a delegation to an established industry or community conference. This takes less planning and connects members to a wider network, but it is harder to tailor to your company’s culture.

Many ERGs blend the two: sponsor a small delegation to an external conference, then host an internal “conference recap and action day” where attendees share what they learned.

Choosing a format

• In-person. Highest energy and the strongest networking. Best when most members are near one or two offices, or when the budget can cover travel.
• Virtual. Most inclusive for distributed and global teams. Lower cost per person, easier to record, and easier for allies to drop in. It needs strong facilitation to avoid screen fatigue.
• Hybrid. In-person hubs in key offices plus a virtual stream for everyone else. Powerful when done well, but only if remote attendees are designed in from the start, not added as viewers. Confetti’s Hybrid Experiences collection is useful for activities that work across both rooms and screens.

Single-ERG or multi-ERG?

A single-ERG conference goes deeper on one community. A multi-ERG conference (sometimes called an inclusion summit) shares costs, attracts more allies, and highlights intersectionality. If your budget is tight, partnering with one or two other ERGs is often the fastest way to afford a stronger lineup.

Annual ERG conferences you can attend

Not every ERG needs to host. Several established conferences run every year, and sending a delegation can be a faster, lower-lift way to give leaders and members a conference experience. Here are some worth knowing about.

Dates move and some events above have already happened this year, so treat this as a starting list and confirm details on each organizer’s site before budgeting.

A note on cost: external conferences often run well above $500 per person once registration, travel, and hotel are added. For example, standard 2026 registration for the Out & Equal Workplace Summit was listed at $2,349 before travel (source). Many ERGs sponsor a small delegation rather than a whole group, then use part of their budget on an internal event so everyone benefits.

Beyond ERG-specific events, many communities have large annual professional conferences of their own, often run by professional associations for women in tech, Black, Latino, Asian American, LGBTQ+, veteran, and disability communities. Ask your members which events they already follow; that list is usually the best place to start.

How to make an external conference count

• Send a small, intentional delegation of two to five people, mixing ERG leaders and newer members
• Look for access programs: some organizers set aside free or discounted seats for nonprofit and volunteer ERG leaders, such as GEN’s Access Fellowship
• Use virtual passes to include people who cannot travel
• Give each attendee a focus, such as measurement, sponsorship, or member engagement, so the group covers more ground
• Require a share-back: within two weeks, host a 60-minute internal recap where attendees teach the top ideas to the wider ERG
• Turn insights into one or two experiments your ERG will try in the next quarter

This hybrid approach often delivers the best of both: outside perspective for a few, and practical learning for everyone.

Why It’s Worth the Investment

At $100–500 per person, you will almost certainly need to make a case to an executive sponsor, HR partner, or DEI budget owner. Here is what an annual conference delivers that smaller events rarely do.

• 1. It makes the ERG visible to the whole company. A monthly event reaches regulars. A conference reaches the organization. It signals that the ERG is a serious part of the culture, not a side project.
• 2. It turns allies into participants. Many allies want to support an ERG but are unsure how. A conference gives them a clear invitation, structured learning, and a low-pressure way to show up.
• 3. It builds skills, not just awareness. Workshops on sponsorship, negotiation, inclusive leadership, career navigation, or communication give members practical tools they can use the next week.
• 4. It creates cross-company connection. Networking at a conference crosses departments, levels, and locations. A member might meet a future mentor, sponsor, or collaborator they would never encounter otherwise.
• 5. It gives leadership direct access to employee voices. Panels and listening sessions put executives in the room with members. That access is often what moves an ERG’s priorities from “nice idea” to “funded initiative.”
• 6. It re-energizes the ERG’s own leaders. ERG work is usually volunteer work on top of a full-time job. A well-run conference reminds leaders why they do it and helps recruit the next wave of volunteers.

How to frame the ask

When you pitch the conference, tie it to business outcomes your sponsor already cares about:

• Retention and belonging “We want to increase the share of members who say they see a future here.”
• Leadership pipeline “We will run workshops on sponsorship and promotion readiness.”
• Recruiting “Conference content and photos will support employer brand and recruiting.”
• Employee listening “Leaders will hear directly from members and leave with three priorities.”

Then show exactly what the per-person cost buys (see the budget section below). Specifics are far more persuasive than “it will be impactful.”

How to Plan Your ERG Conference, Step by Step

Step 1: Define two or three goals

A conference that tries to do everything ends up doing nothing memorable.

Pick two or three outcomes and design every session around them.

Examples:

• Grow membership and ally participation by 25%
• Equip members with one concrete career skill
• Give leadership three member-sourced priorities for next year
• Celebrate the ERG’s milestones and recognize volunteers
• Strengthen connection across offices or regions

Write your goals at the top of every planning doc. When a speaker, session, or activity does not serve them, cut it.

Step 2: Build a small planning committee

You need more than one person, but fewer than a dozen. A strong committee of five to eight might include:

• Conference lead owns the plan, timeline, and final decisions
• Programming lead speakers, workshops, and panels
• Logistics lead venue, tech, catering, accessibility
• Communications lead invitations, reminders, promotion, recap
• Budget lead tracks spend and works with finance
• Executive sponsor unlocks budget, opens doors, and kicks off the day
• Ally liaison makes sure the content invites allies in meaningfully

Because ERG roles are usually volunteer roles, be realistic about capacity. Ask managers to recognize the time committee members put in.

Step 3: Choose a theme

A theme gives the day a story. It also makes speaker outreach, promotion, and swag much easier.

Theme ideas:

• Rise Together leadership, sponsorship, and career growth
• Rooted and Rising heritage, identity, and the future
• Seen, Heard, Valued belonging, voice, and recognition
• Building the Bench developing the next generation of leaders
• Stronger Together a multi-ERG summit on intersectionality and allyship
• From Conversation to Action turning awareness into change

The best themes are short, hopeful, and specific enough to shape the agenda.

Step 4: Book a keynote that sets the tone

The keynote anchors the day. Look for someone whose story connects to your theme and whose message translates into action.

Strong keynote options include:

• An external speaker with lived experience relevant to your community
• A leader from inside the company with an honest career story
• A former athlete, artist, or entrepreneur focused on resilience and growth
• An author or researcher whose work aligns with the ERG’s mission

Book keynotes 8–12 weeks ahead, and ask for a short pre-call to align on audience, tone, and key takeaways. Confetti’s Learning and Development and Cultural Impact Classes collections include professionally hosted sessions that can serve as a keynote or a featured workshop.

Step 5: Design workshops people will use

Workshops are where members leave with something tangible. Aim for two or three tracks so people can choose.

Workshop ideas by track:

• Career growth finding a sponsor, negotiating, building a personal brand, preparing for promotion
• Leadership inclusive leadership, giving feedback, leading through change
• Communication speaking up in meetings, presenting with confidence, navigating difficult conversations
• Wellbeing burnout prevention, boundaries, stress management
• Allyship practical allyship behaviors, interrupting bias, being an effective sponsor
• Culture and heritage cooking, art, music, storytelling, or history connected to your community

Keep workshops to 45–60 minutes and make them interactive. A session with a worksheet, a practice exercise, or a commitment at the end beats a slide deck every time. Confetti’s Virtual Communication Skills Workshop and Virtual Company Values Workshop are examples of facilitated sessions that fit naturally into a conference track.

Step 6: Build a panel with real range

Panels work best when the people on stage disagree a little, share specifics, and speak honestly.

Tips for a strong panel:

• Three or four panelists, not six
• Mix levels: an executive, a mid-career manager, and an early-career member
• Include at least one ally
• Share questions in advance so panelists can prepare stories, not speeches
• Use a skilled moderator who keeps answers short and specific
• Save 15 minutes for audience questions, including anonymous ones

Panel topic ideas:

• “What I wish I knew earlier in my career”
• “Sponsorship: how it actually works here”
• “Allyship in practice, not just in theory”
• “Leading while being the only one in the room”
• “What leadership heard from us last year, and what changed”

That last topic is powerful. It shows members that the conference leads to real follow-through.

Step 7: Make networking intentional

“Networking time” on an agenda often turns into people standing with the coworkers they already know. Give it structure.

Ideas:

• Speed networking rounds with rotating prompts
• Topic tables (career change, parenting, new managers, first year at the company)
• Mentor matching sessions
• A “give and get” board where people post what they can offer and what they need
• Small-group lunches assigned across departments
• A virtual coffee roulette pairing for remote attendees

For lighter, hosted connection moments, Confetti’s Get to Know Your Team collection and Virtual Networking Water Cooler can help break the ice, especially for hybrid audiences.

Step 8: Design for allies on purpose

Allies are not just extra attendees. They are a key audience.

Help them participate well by:

• Inviting them explicitly in every communication
• Including at least one session designed for allies
• Setting norms at the opening about listening, learning, and respecting shared spaces
• Giving them a concrete action to take after the conference

If some sessions are reserved for members only, say so clearly and kindly. That clarity protects both safe space and ally trust.

Step 9: Add celebration and recognition

A conference is also a chance to honor the people who make the ERG work.

Consider:

• Volunteer of the year recognition
• Milestone celebrations (membership growth, events hosted, programs launched)
• Peer shoutouts collected before the event
• A cultural performance, tasting, or creative activity
• A closing toast or celebratory reception

Recognition is easy to scale with a platform like Stadium, which lets you send rewards and gifts to attendees and volunteers wherever they are.

Sample Day-Long Agenda

Here is a plug-and-play agenda for a 9:00 AM–4:30 PM conference. Adjust times for your time zones, and shorten sessions for a virtual format.

Agenda tips

• Protect the breaks. A full day without real breaks drains even the most engaged attendees. Ten to fifteen minutes between big blocks keeps energy up.
• Put the action lab late in the day. By the afternoon, people have heard stories and built skills. That is the best moment to ask, “What should we do next?”
• End with commitments, not just applause. Ask each attendee to write one action they will take in the next 30 days.
• For virtual conferences, compress to 4–5 hours, split across two half-days if needed, and use chat, polls, and breakout rooms to keep participation active. Confetti’s Virtual Team Building collection can help add interactive moments between sessions.

What $100, $250, and $500 Per Person Can Look Like

Every company’s costs are different, so treat these as illustrative ranges, not quotes. The point is to show your sponsor what each level of investment unlocks.

Where the money usually goes

• Speakers and facilitators often the biggest line item, and the one with the most impact
• Food and drink catering in person, or snack and meal deliveries for remote attendees
• Venue and tech rooms, AV, streaming, captioning, and hybrid setup
• Swag and materials welcome kits, notebooks, apparel, printed or digital workbooks
• Recognition awards, gifts, and rewards for volunteers and attendees
• Accessibility interpreters, captioning, accessible venues, dietary accommodations

Ways to stretch your budget

• Partner with other ERGs to share speaker and venue costs
• Mix internal and external speakers: one paid keynote plus strong internal panels
• Go virtual or hybrid to reduce venue and travel costs
• Choose swag people will actually keep instead of many low-value items
• Record sessions so the investment keeps paying off as on-demand learning
• Check for wellness or learning budgets that can fund relevant workshops; some health plans include wellness dollars that may apply to wellbeing sessions

For food and gifting across locations, Snackmagic lets attendees choose their own snacks, which is especially helpful for remote participants and varied dietary needs. For welcome kits and conference merch, Swagmagic can ship branded items to attendees wherever they work.

Planning Timeline: 16 Weeks Out to Follow-Up

A day-long conference needs runway. Here is a realistic timeline for an internal conference.

Day-of checklist

• Agenda printed or pinned in chat
• Name tags with pronoun options
• Quiet room or reset space
• Captioning and AV tested
• Food labeled for allergens and dietary needs
• Swag and welcome kits ready (and shipped to remote attendees)
• Recognition awards prepared
• Commitment cards or digital form ready
• Photographer or volunteer assigned
• Survey link scheduled

Communications Templates

Save-the-date

Registration invite

Manager note

Post-event thank-you

Make It Accessible and Inclusive

An ERG conference should model the belonging it champions.

• Ask about needs at registration: accessibility, dietary, pronouns, and time zone
• Caption everything: live captions for virtual sessions and interpreters where needed
• Choose accessible venues: step-free access, seating options, clear signage, quiet rooms
• Respect time zones: schedule key sessions in overlapping hours and record the rest
• Label food clearly: allergens, vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, and other needs
• Offer multiple ways to participate: chat, polls, anonymous Q&A, and small groups, not just the microphone
• Set community norms: confidentiality, respectful listening, and clarity on which sessions are members-only
• Avoid alcohol-centered moments: offer appealing non-alcoholic options at any reception
• Mind religious and cultural observances when choosing the date

How to Measure Impact

If you want next year’s budget, you need this year’s results.

Track a mix of numbers and stories.

A simple three-minute survey sent within 48 hours captures most of this. A 90-day follow-up shows whether the conference created real change.

Keep the Momentum Going

The biggest risk of an annual conference is that it becomes a great day that disappears by Monday.

Build the follow-through in advance.

• Turn priorities into owned projects with names and dates
• Release recordings as a learning series over the following months
• Host monthly follow-ups on the conference theme, such as a sponsorship circle or skill share
• Keep the networking alive with mentor pairs, coffee roulette, or topic channels
• Share a 90-day progress update with all attendees
• Invite attendees to plan next year so the conference becomes community-owned

Confetti’s Rhythms and Rituals collection and Toolkits Library offer lightweight formats ERG leaders can use for these smaller follow-up moments throughout the year.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake 1: Trying to cover everything. Too many goals produce a scattered day. Pick two or three.
• Mistake 2: Back-to-back talks with no interaction. People remember what they practice and discuss, not what they sat through.
• Mistake 3: Treating allies as an afterthought. Invite them clearly and give them something concrete to do.
• Mistake 4: Designing hybrid around the room. Remote attendees need equal ways to participate, network, and receive swag and food.
• Mistake 5: Burning out the volunteer committee. Spread the work, set realistic scope, and get manager recognition for the time invested.
• Mistake 6: No follow-through on what leadership heard. If members share priorities and nothing changes, trust drops. Report back.
• Mistake 7: Skipping measurement. Without data and stories, it is hard to justify next year’s budget.

How Confetti Can Help

Planning a full-day conference on top of your regular job is a lot. You do not have to build every session from scratch.

If you are mapping the conference into a broader year, the DEI calendar and employee engagement calendar can help you time it alongside heritage months and other key moments.