Khris Baizen is the kind of person you want on your team. Beyond the normal requirements of his job—serving as senior director of production sales at Encore—Baizen has found his voice promoting positive change, both in his organization and for the event industry at large.
Baizen has a passion for building inclusive workplace cultures. He currently volunteers as the 2023-2024 vice chair for Meeting Professionals International’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Global Advisory Committee; he previously served on the MPI Southern California Chapter Board, working closely on initiatives aimed at fostering inclusivity in the events industry; and he has established and leads several employee resource groups at Encore. These include the ERG to support growth and empowerment of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian professionals, as well as in-house groups advocating for those with mental-health and accessibility issues.
“One of our more impactful initiatives involved curating a list of distinguished Asian and Pacific Islander speakers, whom we actively promoted for corporate engagements—not only during APINH Heritage Month but throughout the year—to ensure their voices and perspectives are continually amplified,” Baizen says.
Challenges with Implementing Change
He emphasizes that making change requires a strong foundation of education and empathy. “At Encore, we’ve championed inclusive event design by engaging multiple internal and industry partners with neurodiversity and accessibility best practices, ensuring all stakeholders understand the ‘why’ before implementing the ‘how.’ This builds trust and promotes sustainable change.”
Getting buy-in for more inclusive meetings, he says, can often mean addressing unspoken fears, especially around cost or perceived complexity. “I’ve facilitated discussions with industry peers and colleagues on how to show the ROE—return on experience—emphasizing that investing in inclusive, thoughtfully designed events leads to higher engagement and long-term happy attendees.
“Change is iterative,” says Baizen. “As I’ve seen with our work in production and at MPI, it’s about testing new approaches, gathering feedback, and refining the process. I’ve embraced a mindset where change is not a one-time occurrence but a continuous cycle of improvement.”
Advice for Making Change
• “Surround yourself with allies and mentors. At times, leading change can feel isolating, especially when you're pushing boundaries. Building relationships, both within your organization and industry-wide, creates a support system that will help you overcome obstacles and amplify your message.”
• “Combining hard metrics with personal stories makes a compelling case for change. At Encore, presenting aggregate data on inclusivity and diversity within our employee resource groups, alongside stories of positive client experiences, has been key to the start of the shift in our internal culture.”
