Celebrating Pride with David Twyman
David Twyman is the Events Creative Director for FCM Meetings & Events. He’s also a proud gay man and advocate for the LGBTQI+ community. David believes that working in a company where his personality is celebrated as much as his work performance gives him the freedom to be creative.
How did you end up in the events industry and working for FCM Meetings & Events?
I actually studied set design and costume design at NIDA, so I’ve always had that passion and creativity. But it can be hard to find paying work in theatre, so I feel really lucky to have transitioned my skillset to a different path. I’ve found ways within the event industry to create shows and develop entertainment, ways to express that creativity through a workplace. I’ve been working with FCM M&E for five years and I could easily see myself staying for another five, because I’ve been given opportunities to grow, to express myself. It’s a really cool space to play in.
Have you ever suffered discrimination in the workplace because of your sexuality?
Thinking about some of my work experience over the years, my sexuality became a real focus. I was often the butt of jokes, but they weren’t really serious enough to report. So I couldn’t do anything except laugh it off. The time of the gay marriage vote was especially traumatic for me because I felt like I was going through a process of being ‘approved’ – by the company, by my colleagues, by the whole country. I did hear from some of these colleagues many years later and they apologised, because they realised how cruel they had been. But it took years for them to come around.
Would you describe FCM as an inclusive workplace? Why is that important?
We hired a group of new people recently and within two days, a young queer lad said how refreshing it was to work in a place where he felt completely allowed to be himself. That really stayed with me. There are no questions here about your sexuality, no jokes, no one treats you any differently. I’m valued for what I bring to the company, the way I make people feel, the engagements that I have and the successes I bring. It’s wonderful to feel so supported. I’m really comfortable and happy in the workplace. I have job satisfaction, I’m able to try things and flex my muscles, perfect my craft, and then execute it with clients.
How do you think the travel and events industries compare to other industries in terms of inclusivity?
The events industry has always been inclusive. There’s a lot of people, like me, who come from creative and theatre backgrounds. So it’s a lot more open and accepting than other industries, and there’s a lot more visibility. Travel is much the same and I think you can trace it back to the history of gay men as flight attendants. That was a safe space for them and a lot of it has followed on from that. So, for people from the LGBTQI+ community, there’s the freedom here to express yourself and life your live, while still working where your skills are.
