We are excited to have patrons join us once again in-person for Head For The Hills – Georgetown Craft Beer Festival. The following information provides an overview for the 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan for the Georgetown Craft Beer Festival. We want to ensure we are being as accommodating and inclusive for as many individuals as possible and make our Festival experience equitable for all patrons.

It is our mission to ensure the Festival is a supportive, safe, and nurturing place that creates a positive environment where every individual in the Festival community is fully seen, heard, respected, and valued for their unique story. Our interactions with each other strive for openness, empathy, thoughtful listening, effective communication, kindness, accountability, and mutual inspiration as we seek to make each other better citizens.

As event organizers, we strive to gain a better understanding of DEI practices and have created this document to guide ourselves, volunteers, vendors and patrons with practical steps we can take/have taken to fulfill DEI objectives.

Below you will find descriptions of the preliminary actions we are taking to set the course for the future:

1. Pre-event research:

1. In our pre-event planning stages, we are ensuring, when possible, to avoid religious and cultural days of observance and CBS blackout dates when selecting event dates
2. We are continuously investigating ways that we can make our Festival more inclusive and implementing those findings when possible
3. We are looking at other Festival’s DEI resources to ensure we are up to par with our counterparts when it comes to inclusion practices

2. Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity guidance:

1. In an effort to increase the cultural competency of our volunteers, vendors, and staff, DEI guidance and best practices will be communicated with these individuals and groups prior to the Festival
2. Those who do not wish to follow these practices will no longer be associated with the Festival and will be asked to remove themselves from their volunteer role – this is to ensure that our Festival environment is a safe space for all patrons

3. Inclusive Languages and Visuals in event Promotions:

1. We are working towards creating event promotional pieces with languages and visuals that are inclusive and represent the diversity of those who may attend the Festival
2. We are actively looking for volunteer individuals who will translate our Festival materials into different languages for use in future promotions to ensure our marketing is inclusive
3. We will ensure none of our promotional marketing has language or visuals that may be viewed as disrespectful or harmful to any religion or cultural group

4. Pronouns and Gender Inclusivity:

1. We are looking into our ticket purchasing forms to ensure they include the option to enter gender pronouns and that there are more selections available for patrons to choose from other than “Female or Male”
2. We are currently in contact with our ticket distribution provider to make these changes and ensure that we are being as inclusive as We will update our patrons once these changes have been implemented

5. Signage:

1. We are including on-site signage at the event referring to the inclusivity and acceptance of all those in attendance of the Festival, no matter their ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
2. Any patron who does not follow these guidelines will be asked to leave the Festival immediately

6. Safe Spaces:

1. We are working towards creating and implementing designated safe spaces for those who need them at the event (ex. lactation area, prayer area, quiet area, ) and hope to have these spaces at future Festivals
2. Patrons attending the 2022 Festival are asked to contact a volunteer or staff member to see where they can access a private area at the Festival if required

7. Washrooms:

1. We have ensured that the Festival has gender neutral restrooms (all of our portable washrooms are available to any gender and are not gender specific)

8. Food Options and Preparation:

1. When applicable we ask our food vendors to offer Kosher, Halal, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options in food truck line-up
2. Our patrons are asked to inform the vendors if they have any dietary concerns or requirements to see if they can accommodate the request

9. Registration at Event:

1. We will make sure check-in tables, signs and materials are easily accessible and readable to attendees with any disabilities and we will have volunteers on-site giving direction and assistance when needed
2. We will post signage at registration table if any portion of the event is being recorded or photographed

10. Survey and Feedback

1. We will be sending out a survey to our Festival patrons post-event to get feedback on our DEI initiatives and what we can do to improve the inclusivity of the Festival and will send these annually after every Festival

11. Partnerships:

1. It is our goal to partner with more diverse community businesses, vendors and individuals moving forward in an effort to be more inclusive and to more effectively reach underrepresented communities

12. Planning Committee:

1. It is our goal to encourage more diverse representation of individuals on our planning committees through these DEI initiatives and grow and develop these initiatives with their assistance
2. Having a diverse team will be more in tune with cultural sensitivities to account for and ways to improve the inclusivity of the event
3. We want to ensure an adequate balance is represented on our planning committees, in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, religion, age, and other characteristics

General Safety Information:

For the safety and comfort of our guests, the following behaviors could lead to the intervention of our security staff:

Offensive, discriminatory, and/or abusive behavior in any form, including:

• Language
• Gestures
• Clothing
• Writing, signs, banners,
• Violence of any kind
• Consumption/possession of illegal substances
• Interfering with the normal unfolding of the event
• Provide a minor with alcohol and/or cannabis
• Being a minor in possession of alcohol and/or
• Being in possession of any prohibited items
• Any other conduct that may be deemed inappropriate by security or likely to harm the safety of persons or property

We all have a responsibility to report any act that goes against the values we stand for. Do not hesitate to immediately report any security or incivility problem to a member of our staff or volunteers.

We recognize that Georgetown Craft Beer Festival has room to make our event more inclusive, diverse and equitable and we are committed to improving our DEI initiatives every year. It is our goal to ensure that the Festival experience is equitable to all those who want to attend. Please feel free to reach out to us at info@headforthehills.ca for any recommendations on how we can improve the Festival’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the future.

Have more questions? Please email us at info@headforthehills.ca

Land Acknowledgement:

 We acknowledge that the Georgetown Craft Beer Festival – Head for the Hills event is located on/in the traditional territory of Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Attiwonderonk, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation peoples and Wendake-Nionwentsio. This territory is covered by Treaty 19 of 1818.

Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work, live and play on this land.