The era of cultural awareness as a “nice-to-have” is over now that cultural competency has become a revenue driver for meetings and events.

In a global meetings economy — where attendees, vendors, speakers and stakeholders cross borders (and belief systems) with ease — cultural competency is no longer a soft skill. It’s a business driver.

That’s the message behind the 2026 Multicultural Roadshow launched by Seva Global, which is bringing hands-on cultural training to hospitality and event professionals in cities including Chicago and Washington, D.C., this spring. But the implications go far beyond a single workshop.

Founder and CEO Seema Jain built her career inside Marriott International after discovering something that should make every planner sit up: Cultural competency increases revenue.

“When you’re culturally confident,” Jain says, “everything organically happens. The guest experience improves. Sales increase. Employee engagement goes up.”

Here are five practical areas she says meeting and event planners can’t afford to ignore.

1) Registration is your first cultural test. Cultural competency starts long before the opening keynote, she says. In fact, it starts with the registration.

Do your registration materials assume everyone speaks just one language or shares one naming convention or idea of personal space? Even something as basic as line formation isn’t universal. In some cultures, queues are orderly and linear. In others, approaching the counter is more fluid and communal, Jain says.

She suggests making small operational decisions — lane markers, multilingual signage, clear instructions — that can reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings before they escalate.

When your attendees base isn’t monocultural, be sure to design registration with a global lens, even for U.S.-based events, Jain stresses.

2) Punctuality isn’t universal. In Germany, 10 minutes early is on time. In other cultures, arriving 10–15 minutes after the stated start is socially acceptable. “When your audience includes both, what does ‘9 a.m. sharp’ really mean?” she asks.

Instead of labeling late arrivals as disrespectful, smart planners build agendas with flexibility — allowing networking buffers before critical content or repeating key housekeeping details once the room has settled.

Being culturally competent doesn’t mean you have to abandon structure. It means understanding who is in the room and planning accordingly.

3) Your F&B strategy can’t be an afterthought. Food is where cultural competency becomes visible — and where many events quietly fail. Dietary needs are at an all-time high: vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, nut-free, celiac and more. “And here’s the uncomfortable truth: Salad is not a vegetarian entrée,” Jain says. “Where’s the protein?”

If you offer steak and chicken with a side salad as the “veg option,” you’ve just sent a message — intentional or not — about whose needs matter.

Culturally competent F&B planning means:

• Ensuring plant-based meals contain protein.

• Clearly labeling allergens and preparation methods.

• Training banquet staff to answer questions accurately.

• Understanding religious food protocols (for example, the separation of meat and dairy in kosher service).

Seva Global Founder and CEO Seema Jain

“If one attendee leaves hungry, the menu failed,” says Jain.

4) Survey data can be culturally biased. Here’s one Jain says most planners never consider: Satisfaction scores aren’t culturally neutral.

In many Asian cultures, giving an “8” reflects strong satisfaction. A “10” is reserved for perfection — and if you give a score for perfection, where’s the impetus for improving?

Meanwhile, U.S. respondents often default to 9s and 10s.

If you’re benchmarking global events using a single cultural lens, you may be misreading your own data. Before panicking over a string of 7s and 8s from one region, ask, “Who is answering?”

5) Intent matters — especially in inclusive language. The LGBTQ+ community, one of the core focuses of the Multicultural Roadshow, can be a difficult one to navigate. Jain emphasizes one critical leadership principle to keep in mind: You will make mistakes.

“The difference between offense and growth often lies in response. Apologize once, sincerely. Then move forward,” she says.

Planners should absolutely use inclusive language and gender-neutral phrasing where appropriate. But they should also recognize that in some cultures — and in parts of the U.S. — expressions like “sir” and “ma’am” that may appear to be exclusionary are intended to be expressions of respect, not exclusion.

The key question becomes: what was the intent? Creating inclusive spaces doesn’t require perfection. It does require empathy.

Cultural Competency Is a Leadership Strategy

The larger issue is mindset, not logistics, she says. Today’s planners work with global teams, international suppliers and attendees shaped by vastly different social norms. Cultural competency helps you:

• Anticipate needs rather than react to complaints.

• Reduce staff anxiety about “getting it wrong” and emphasize the “apologize and move on” strategy.

• Increase repeat business within multicultural markets.

• Build events that feel genuinely welcoming — not performatively inclusive.

In Jain’s experience, the ROI is measurable. Business grows when hotels and planners intentionally adapt to cultural needs.

In an industry built on experience, personalization is currency. And personalization requires understanding. Planners who move the needle — even just 1% — toward greater cultural awareness won’t just create better meetings. They’ll create better business.

Jain has one upcoming cultural competency training left in this cycle: Washington, D.C., on April 16, where the focus will be on working with Muslim and Indian communities. For more information, visit www.seva-global.com.