9 Fun Themes for Diversity Events

Promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace has risen to the top of the agenda for many corporations around the world. Diverse companies create a greater sense of inclusion, acceptance, and well-being for employees and a happier workplace for all.

Aside from providing employees with diversity and inclusion training, a better way of highlighting and celebrating your company’s multicultural workforce is by hosting a diversity-themed event or activity. If you’re looking for themes for diversity events, here are nine different ideas.

1. Food

What better way to explore different cultures than by highlighting (and tasting) different types of cuisines from all around the world? Host an international-themed week and offer a few different global foods each day.

Another fun exercise is to offer employees the chance to sign up for a group cooking class focused on a specific type of cuisine, where they’ll learn how to prepare authentic dishes from different countries or cultures, such as Italian, Japanese, or Creole.

Take it a step further and offer a “lunch and learn,” where you can treat employees to lunch from a specific area while they listen to a lecture or informal talk by a speaker on the region’s food, traditions, and history.

2. Films

Movies are a wonderful way to showcase different cultures and world views to a wide audience. Celebrate global perspectives on the big screen by hosting an informal film festival, where employees can choose from a list of multicultural films to screen. Or ask employees to share a favorite film of theirs that represents their culture or heritage and encourage co-workers to watch these movies, too.

3. Books

As is the case with movies, books are also a great way to open up people’s minds to different cultures and backgrounds. Start an office book club and choose a different novel or non-fiction book with a diverse narrative every month. Organize a gathering where participants can discuss what they’ve read, and encourage them to ask questions, share their views on the universal themes, and discuss any surprising lessons they learned from the book.

4. Sports

What’s more fun than the Olympics? Bring the joy of the game to your co-workers by organizing a company-wide sports tournament. Divide teams up and have them each represent a different country. This activity will help foster teamwork and greater awareness of other cultures, while also promoting exercise within your workforce.

Another option is to host a friendly game of a regional type of sport, such as cricket, netball, or pétanque. Not only will your company’s employees have fun playing the game, they’ll also learn about a completely new sport—and culture—while they’re at it.

5. Music and Dance

Music has always been an easy way to bridge cultural divides. Regardless if you understand the lyrics or not, everyone can enjoy a good tune. Encourage your employees to share some of their favorite music and songs from their culture as one of your diversity and inclusion event themes.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also offer a series of classes that focus on different types of cultural dances, such as salsa or tango. This activity is a great way to expose your company’s employees to diverse traditions, while also helping them get in a workout.

If you’d rather treat your workforce to a show, you can also arrange for everyone to go to a music or dance performance with a multicultural or diverse focus.

6. Fashion

Promote inclusion and acceptance by encouraging your staff to wear an accessory or item of clothing from their culture during your diversity event. Employees can choose to sport jewelry, sports team jerseys, regional colors, or other traditional forms of dress to the event. Make sure to establish clear dress code rules beforehand in order to clarify what is considered appropriate clothing for your corporate event.

7. Art

Art is a fun and interesting theme for diversity events and gatherings. For centuries, art has been one of the most effective ways for people to share aspects of their culture and history, and it’s an invitation to explore the diverse backgrounds of others. Schedule a company visit to an exhibition featuring works by a regional artist, or visit a museum dedicated to a specific culture and embark on a guided tour of the artworks on display.

8. Language

Learning another language is a great opportunity to truly immerse yourself in another culture. Offer your employees the chance to sign up for a class, either online or in-person, that will teach them the basics of a foreign language. You can also hold a quick language session as one of your diversity and inclusion event themes, where every employee will learn how to say hello in at least one different language.

9. Travel

To help your workforce to fully experience another culture, the best way to do so is by traveling to a different country. After all, there’s no better way to understand a different culture than by spending a few days learning their customs, eating their food, speaking (or at least, attempting to speak) their language, and visiting their historical landmarks.

Plan a company retreat at a fun destination, preferably where the language, food, and landscape will be quite different from your own. Schedule a mix of corporate events and immersion activities that will allow your employees to fully soak in the culture of the destination. And of course, don’t forget to relax and enjoy the trip.

An excellent way to engage in many of these themes for diversity events is to plan a corporate retreat with Celebrity Cruises. On board, we have a dedicated team that will help you execute your diversity event seamlessly.

Screen an international film at our chic rooftop terrace, where employees can watch a foreign film under the stars. Schedule a book club gathering at our quiet library, where comfortable lounge chairs and a peaceful environment will allow everyone to engage in a lively conversation. Head to a live performance at our Theatre, where employees can enjoy a Broadway-level dance or music show.

On board, you’ll find a mix of globally inspired restaurants, from the Italian enoteca-style Tuscan Grille to the Japanese-focused Sushi on Five. You’ll even find diverse, multicultural menus at our Main Restaurant and Oceanview Cafe.

With over 300 destinations on our itineraries, you’ll have a wealth of places to choose for your next event. Sail off to Alaska, where you’ll learn all about Native Alaskan culture and history while discovering the beauty of icebergs, glaciers, and the Last Frontier’s rugged beauty. Cruise through the Mediterranean and explore historic European cities like Rome, Barcelona, and Athens. Lounge under the sun in the Caribbean, visit old forts and castles, and enjoy the spicy and tropical flavors of its cuisine.

Find out more about our corporate events on our website, www.celebritycorporatekit.com. Browse through our itineraries, learn about our stunning accommodations and world-class restaurants, and start planning your next unforgettable corporate event today.