BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – The Greater Binghamton Chamber hosted a conference focused on creating inclusive workplaces to increase productivity and development of employees.

The chamber held its 3rd annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference at the Double Tree Hotel in Binghamton yesterday.

The conference addressed the variety of perspectives from employees in today’s developing workforce, and how to cater to them to both attract and retain talent.

The event is meant to shine a light on DEI initiatives locally, and around the state, and to prepare employers and organizations to roll out DEI programs in their respective workplaces.

Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce’s Special Projects Manager, Morgan White says, “And really getting to understand the experiences that maybe we didn’t know about. And ways that we can adjust, whether its our personal mindsets, whether its a policy or procedure within our workplaces, just simple things that we can do to make our workforces more included and really open up.”

The keynote speaker Lisa Harris, the V-P of Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. She touched on topics such as bias in the workplace and untapped productivity.

This year’s theme was titled “A Moment in Our Shoes.”

Attendees were put into groups called living experiences, where they shared examples of small changes that could better their workplace.