Everyone wants to feel represented.

When attendees look at a conference stage, they want to see someone they can relate to – someone who’s experience reflects their own or whose perspective broadens their understanding of the industry.

For us conference producers, this expectation comes with a significant responsibility. We are tasked not only with sourcing the best and brightest industry leaders, but also with ensuring that the speaker lineup reflects diversity across gender, age, background, and experience.

Over the years, many industries have made meaningful progress in moving away from historically male-dominated panels. Yet this “manel” still appears frequently in conversations about conferences, representation, and diversity.

While criticism of manels is understandable, the reality behind how they occur is more complex than it appears.

Industry Demographics Matter

Representation on stage often reflects the demographics of the industry itself.

In sectors like construction, logistics, or engineering, men disproportionately hold senior leadership roles. When conferences aim to feature senior decision makers with deep expertise, the available speaker pool can be quite limited in terms of gender balance.

On the other hand, industries like retail, education, or healthcare tend to have higher female representation, making balanced panels easier to achieve.

Producers always aim for diversity – but we are ultimately working with the talent available within a particular industry.

Experience vs Representation

Traditionally, conference agendas have focused on securing the most experienced and credible voices to deliver insights that attendees value.

Today, producers are taking a more intentional approach. Our goal is no longer just expertise – its expertise with diverse perspectives. Modern conference programming increasingly considers:

• Gender balance
• Cultural and geographical diversity
• Age and career stage
• Different professional background
• The speaker’s charisma

However, this balancing act must still ensure that the speakers we select have the relevant knowledge, authority, and credibility that audiences expect and need.

The Reality of Event Execution

Another factor that is unfortunately rarely discussed and considered in public conversations about manels is the unpredictability of live events.

What appears on paper during the planning phase does not always translate perfectly on the day of the conference. Speakers may:

• Drop out unexpectedly
• Change companies (some fairly last minute)
• Face travel issues
• Cancel last minute
• Experience personal mitigating circumstances beyond anyone’s control

Finding replacement speakers within hours or days, especially at a senior level when most would need official clearance to speak in the first place is extremely challenging. Sometimes the only available replacement may unintentionally shift the gender balance of a panel.

There are also situations when sponsors nominate their own speakers, which can complicate diversity efforts.

When a “Manel” Isn’t the Whole Story

Unfortunately, context often gets overlooked. For example, a conference can feature:

• One all-male panel
• One all-female panel
• Several mixed panels

Yet only the manel can attract criticism, even though the overall speaker lineup can still be balanced.

This highlights a critical point: diversity should be assessed across the entire programme, not just a single session.

A Shared Responsibility

Achieving meaningful speaker diversity in conferences isn’t solely the responsibility of producers.

It requires participation from:

• Companies willing to put forward diverse leaders
• Sponsors who prioritise representation
• Professionals who are willing to step onto the stage and share their expertise

Conference producers are increasingly proactive in building inclusive programmes, but ultimately the representation on stage reflects representation within the industry itself.

The goal is, and should be, continuous progress towards more inclusive and representative conversations.