Event Trends To Incorporate In Planning

My top inclusion tip? Offer flexibility. It sounds simple, but it's a very powerful best practice. Here's why. I'm blind with 5% of my vision remaining, and I've advocated for high color contrast for years as an accessibility best practice. An example of high color contrast is a black background with white text on top or a white background with black text on top. I learned about high color contrast in the field, and it's an accessibility standard. Then I found out about Irlen Syndrome from comments on my social media. I learned that high color contrast (especially a white background with black text on top) doesn't work for those with Irlen Syndrome. This blew my mind. I also heard from my community that some people preferred a color combination that I advised against: a pale pink background with white text. This all served as a reminder that no one best practice works for everyone. Implementing flexible options is the best way to improve inclusion and accessibility. This applies to anything we do as individuals or organizations. Communicating information? Try to share it in multiple ways, such as written, verbal, and visually in a diagram. Designing a social event? Create different zones with lower lighting and brighter lighting, areas without speakers, different types of seating, and a range of activities. Leading a virtual training? Allow participants to participate in multiple ways such as using the raise hand button, typing in the chat, unmuting (at specified facilitator-led moments), and more. What are your thoughts on this? Does this resonate? #Inclusion #Accessibility #Disability

🧏🏽 How To Design For (And With) Deaf People (https://lnkd.in/gUmw-fQU), with practical UX guidelines to keep in mind for 466 million people who experience hearing loss ↓ Sign languages are not just gestures or pantomime. They are 4D spatial languages with their own grammar and syntax, separate from spoken languages, and they don't have a written form. They rely heavily on facial expression to convey meaning and emphasis. And: they are also not universal — every country has its own sign language and dialects. 1. Don’t make the phone required or the only method of contact. 2. Provide text alternatives for all audible alerts or notices. 3. Add haptic feedback on mobile (e.g. vibration patterns). 4. Ensure good lighting to help people see facial expressions. 5. Circular seating usually works bet so everyone can see each other’s face. 6. Include descriptions of non-spoken sounds (e.g., rain, laughter). 7. Add a transcript and closed captions for audio and video. 8. Clearly identify each speaker in all audio and video content. 9. Design multiple ways to communicate in every instance (online + in-person) 10. Invite video participants to keep camera on to facilitate lip-reading. 11. Always test products with the actual community, instead of assumptions. Deafness spans a broad continuum, from minor to profound hearing loss. Around 90–95% of deaf people come from hearing families, and deafness often isn’t merely a condition that people are born with. It frequently occurs due to exposure to loud noises, and it also emerges with age, disease and accidents. Don’t assume that every deaf person can lip read. You can see only about 30% of words on someone’s mouth. That’s why many deaf people need additional visual cues, like text or cued speech. Full article: https://lnkd.in/gUmw-fQU --- I keep repeating myself like a broken record, but better accessibility always benefits everyone. Solving a problem for one specific exclusion usually benefits many. When we improve experiences for some groups of people, there are always ways of how it improves experiences for entirely different groups as well. As Marie Van Driessche noted, to design a great experience for accessibility, we must design with people, rather than for them. And that means always including people with lived experience of exclusion into the design process — as they are the true experts. Huge thanks to Marie Van Driessche, Svetlana Kouznetsova, Meryl Evans, CPACC, Dr. Stephanie Cawthon, Beatriz G., Johanna Steiner, Brenden Gilbert, Caitlin Quinn, Olivier Nourry and many others for sharing what they've learned, so I could learn from you! Thank you so much! 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Please do leave pointers in the comments to useful resources or wonderful people who study, research and write on the topic! Happy designing, everyone — and thank you so much for reading! 🎉🥳

Want better participation? Tell people what to expect in advance. This is a simple and powerful accessibility practice. (and Free!) Some people need more time and information to prepare for meetings, events, or new situations. For example: Autistic people may have a hard time with uncertainty, and knowing what to expect ahead of time is important. Others with ADHD may need more time to organize their thoughts or plan their schedule. Knowing what to expect can help us prepare and reduce anxiety. This is not just for neurodivergent people. Clear information in advance helps most people focus and participate at their best.... including those who may be new to the company, the culture, or who simply prefer details ahead of time. Example: The Museum of Flight in Seattle practices this by sharing a "Social Narrative" on their website. It is a PDF guide that uses photos and short descriptions to show visitors what they will see, hear, and experience before they arrive. (available in English, Spanish and Chinese) Social Narratives are an accessibility tool developed to support Autistic visitors, but also benefit many others. Examples of how you can apply this at work: - Send a meeting agenda before the meeting - Tell people in advance if you want them to present - Share photos of a venue or check-in location before an event - Give new employees a written overview of their first day, including where to park, where to enter the building, who will meet them, and who to call if they get stuck. 💬 What examples would you add? When people know what to expect, they can show up more prepared to participate at their best. This is your Minds of All Kinds tip of the week. For more cognitive accessibility tips, read my chapter in "Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech" edited by Lainey Feingold, Reginé Gilbert, MBA and Chancey Fleet. #Accessibility #CognitiveAccessibility #NeuroInclusion [Image description: A square black and white graphic. Headline: "Tell people what to expect in advance." Below the headline is an illustration of a map with a location pin and a dotted route. Three bullet points: "Send an agenda," "Share photos of the venue," and "Tell people if they will be asked to speak." Below the bullets in bold italic text: "What examples would you add?" The Minds of All Kinds TIPS logo]

Just because I can’t eat, doesn’t mean I dont want to be included. The festive period is around the corner, and it can be one of the most difficult times living with a feeding tube, as even more so than it usual, talk and gatherings of food heighten. So how do we promote inclusion for everyone around the table? 1. Access to facilities and private spaces: always provide access to a private space for somebody to disconnect or connect their tubes, which is clean and private and bathrooms with sanitatary bins. 2. Respectful curiosity and judgement free: never judge, stare, ask intrusive questions to anybody who may not be eating, eating something different, or has different food habits. Any questions should be asked respectfully and with the intent of inclusion not embarrassment. 3. Ask before laying a place at the table: some people like to have a place laid for them even if they are not eating, others do not. Some people will bring their own implements and food so always ask in advance what makes that person feel most comfortable. 4. Shift focus away from food and drink: ensure that games, conversations and activities are not just focused around the food and drink to be inclusive of fun for everyone. Where food is a central part of something, think of providing alternatives such as a table activities. 5. Ask about food and drink in advance: ask someone’s preferences about what they need well in advance to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable for declining or not being able to join in. Remember most people with feeding tubes can still eat but usually specific or small amounts. 6. Welcome those bringing their own food: feeding tube users often have safe foods which don’t upset their stomachs, or a strict diet they must adhere to, so always welcome people brining their own food with them. 7. Respect allergies and triggers: always ask someone’s dietary requirements in advance, and take strict care with cross-contamination. Also be conscious of certain foods which might be triggering. 8. Reserve space at the end of the table/exit: if set places try and place someone with a tube at the end of the table or near facilities so they feel more able to get and down from the table. 9. Don’t forget our invite to events: just because we might not participate in the same way, doesn’t mean we don’t want to be included! #Disability #Disabled #FeedingTube #Food #Christmas Image description: The image is a black square graphic, across the top in white and bold writing it reads ‘How to: feeding tubes, inclusion at the table’. In the top right hand corner is a picture of Celia and Jamie, Jamie has a cream cake in his hand in front of Celia, she is leaning down with wide eyes to smell it. Underneath are nine yellow, pink and blue coloured boxes with heading text and little descriptive symbols using the headings from the points of this written text above. In the bottom right hand corner is the Disabled By Society logo in pink and white.

Making your events more accessible for blind & visually impaired people really isn’t as hard as you think. Here are my top tips. 1. Provide precise venue information. Include things like clear drop off and pick up point information, what the key features of the building are, a rough description of where the toilets are, describe where the reception desk is, and let us know in advance if you’ll need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan completed. Bonus points for using a service like Euan's Guide or AccessAble to provide specialist access information. 2. Provide as much event information as possible. Share all key details in advance, ideally by email in an accessible format. Include timings, speaker names, attendee names, a brief agenda, and any known accessibility considerations. It helps us plan travel, support, and energy levels and it also helps us know who’s attending so when we’re surprised with a “Hey Robbie!” we can narrow it down to who it might be. 3. Food information is key. It sounds simple, but make sure menus are firstly available, then accessible - even for buffets. Relying on a fellow attendee to tell me something “looks chickeney” gives me the absolute fear. Include dietary details in an electronic format we can read with a screen reader, and avoid handwritten or printed-only menus. Tell us how food will be served so we can prepare (for example, buffet vs plated service). 4. Ask about adjustments - don’t assume you’ll know what someone needs. Just ask the question when people register. Keep it open and inclusive, such as “Do you have any access requirements you’d like us to be aware of?” 5. Provide complimentary +1 places as an adjustment - if someone needs a guide, PA, or support worker to attend with them, they shouldn’t be charged double. It’s an inclusion basic that makes a big difference. 6. Finally, provide training to your staff and event volunteers. Organisations like The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and RNIB can help you here with things like sighted guide training. And most importantly - don’t wait until someone asks before you do this. It won’t help just blind people, it’ll help everyone. Think about this list - is there anything on here that genuine would help you as a sighted person? Build accessibility in from the start and everyone benefits. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

I've noticed a new trend appearing, so I wanted to mention it out loud after discussing it with our volume build clients over the past few months. LED Volumes might have been designed for Virtual Production, but they are increasingly being used for Live Events and Location-Based Experiences, too. We've seen an uptick in enquiries about using our spaces in LA and Melbourne in this way. And it's not really a surprise, if you think about it. As you can see below from the BYD event we did in Melbourne last year, volumes can provide a vibrant, dynamic and engaging backdrop for premium live audience events or pop-up location-based experiences. The wrap-around screens can immerse customers, audiences, attendees or fans in a completely different world, or any other stylized visuals you want, which could be responsive to music or other cues throughout the event. The tracking technologies we have throughout our volumes could also be used to facilitate any number interactive experiences. And the great thing about studios is that they usually have plenty of open spaces and most, like ours, also include adjoining production offices, corporate areas and green rooms, giving a large events team all of the spaces needed to stage something incredible. I've worked on a couple of things like this before and to me, the key to holding an incredible event in a VP space is to lean right into the sense of immersion and perspective it can create. Imagine walking into a key building/location from a major IP franchise - and everything you see outside looks like a live environment from that world, no matter how surreal it might be. Think a settlement from The Last of Us. As an audience, you could freely watch a story unfold or an attack happen through the windows while never feeling like you are in a volume. And then you could also have the ability to interact with the screens using props, or gestures tracked by our mocap systems. These are all brilliant capabilities that would be applicable to most of the largest volumes around the world. But I think there is another reason we've seen an uptick in interest in our LA studios, too. Most volumes are contained spaces that aren't great for large crowds or audience movement. But our Dynamic Volume System in LA changes that by allowing every wallPod, or section of LED wall, to quickly be driven into any configuration that fits any unique plan; you could even change the config and experience on different days to keep things fresh. Being able to create a nice wide, open arc, or an enclosed immersive space with the same volume components - or floating sections that encourage exploration, gives event planners a virtually unlimited canvas with which to get creative. The only thing I'd like to see is more creative events people turn their minds to the possibilities here. Exclusive dance events, striking product reveals, gamified storytelling experiences or fan engagement opportunities; it's all possible in a volume..

Today is International Day of People with Disabilities. Of course, people with disabilities live with it every single day. However, we need these awareness days to start or make progress with conversations and actions. Here are things you can do to do that. 1. Listen to the voices of people with disabilities. 2. Be yourself. Always. When I start talking to someone who never met me, I see the subtle familiar change on their faces. They change how they talk to me. Some of them — unintentionally, I'm sure — talk to me like I'm 5 or obtuse. The key is to let me see your face and enunciate. Don't speak louder, please. It's easier to ask someone to speak up than say they're too loud. 3. Provide two modern communication options always. Online and in person. 4. Avoid assumptions and ask. Getting me an ASL interpreter without asking will deprive someone else who needs the interpreter. There's a shortage of interpreters. Let's make sure the right people have access to them. 5. Understand one person does not represent an entire disability category. Not all deaf folks sign. Not all deaf folks lipread. Not all deaf folks talk with their mouths and voices. The list goes on. 6. Involve people with disabilities from start to finish and beyond. Pay them for their time. Turning off the sound does not mimic the experience of a person who depends on captioning every day. Refer to No. 4 as companies and product development often make assumptions. 7. Hire qualified people with disabilities. They bring so much to your organization. Data shows that people with disabilities tend to be the most loyal and best workers who bring in more revenue for companies who hire them. The hiring process needs to change. 8. Make progress with accessibility every day. It can be small steps like adding alternative text (image descriptions) to images. Make captions part of your video creation process. 9. Skip using overlays on your website to fix accessibility. This isn't making progress. It's a step backward. 10. Avoid hiring speakers who know little about accessibility and disabilities. Some people with disabilities aren't qualified to speak on these topics. 11. Ensure XR, virtual reality, and augmented reality are accessible. 🔔 Tap the silent profile bell to catch the next post (Wow! 33k!) 👉 Follow hashtag #MerylMots to find all my content ❤️ Like this? Repost and add your thoughts in the comments 📧 Want to work with me? Drop me a line! #Disability #IDPWD #Hiring #Accessibility Image: White generic person figure with a flourish around its top half and International Day of People with Disabilities

Neurodiversity 101: How to host neuroinclusive meetings/conferences Creating neuroinclusive environments in workplace meetings can significantly improve engagement and productivity, especially for those with neurodivergent traits. Here are some practical tips on how to make your meetings more accessible and comfortable for all participants. Alternative feedback methods Not everyone is comfortable with handwriting feedback due to difficulties such as dysgraphia. Offer alternatives like setting up a camera for verbal feedback or using digital tools like voice-to-text applications. This ensures that everyone has the opportunity to contribute in a way that suits them best. Could you use Post-IT for some....different ways on offer... Polling on phones? Warm up a cold room! Start meetings with some warm-up time to help attendees settle in if they are new to the event/place/meeting. Plan for regular breaks and be flexible with how time is spent to accommodate different needs. This flexibility can help maintain focus and reduce stress for those who might feel overwhelmed by long, uninterrupted sessions. Does every meeting need to be 60 minutes? Who needs to be 'in the room' and who could be attending just as well virtually? Who doesn't need to be there at all! Consider the environment Pay attention to the lighting, temperature, and surrounding noises in your meeting space. Adjustments in these areas can help prevent sensory overload and create a comfortable environment for all attendees. Accessibility of materials Provide transcripts of talks and make recordings available to attendees. For presentations that include a lot of information, avoid asking for immediate decisions. Instead, provide a written version of the details and allow time for consideration. This helps attendees process information at their own pace and contribute more effectively. Thoughtful seating arrangements Keep seats at the end of rows in conferences free so that attendees can easily get up and move without disruption. Also, consider arranging some seating around the edges of the room for those who are uncomfortable with movement behind them. Structured discussions In group discussions, keep the groups small and give everyone time to express their opinions without interruptions or unsolicited questions. This structure helps to ensure that all voices are heard and valued. Encouraging feedback post-event after a conference or training event Recognise that some individuals may feel uncomfortable voicing their ideas or questions during the event. Encourage feedback after the meeting via different channels, allowing for more thoughtful and inclusive participation. What else do you suggest?

Imagine turning your Excel spreadsheet into a live calendar, interactive map, and connected dashboard, all in a secure web app Event-driven analytics often hinge on two questions: When do activities happen? and Where are customers located? Excel can capture both dimensions, but presenting them visually and refreshing data from external systems usually requires extra pivots, exports, or BI integrations. In Excel, you can prepare event frequency and clustering insights with formulas: ·    1. Record event dates and participant counts in columns. ·    2. Use =𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛(𝗔𝟮) to extract the month number for grouping. ·    3. Build a pivot table that aggregates event totals by month. ·    4. For customer clustering, store zip codes in separate columns. ·    5. Use =𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁(𝗭𝗶𝗽𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲) at a character interval of either 1, 3, or 5 to group customers into clusters by location. ·    6. Summarize clusters with pivot tables to spot regional concentrations. This process works, but it is manual and requires refreshing pivots or exporting to other tools for mapping or API integration. In Sheetcast, Calendar, Map, and API Pages extend the same dataset into fully interactive and connected views. A 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 automatically places each event on its scheduled day. A Map Page instantly shows clusters as you zoom and pan, no formulas, no extra exports, just your data brought to life. And with an 𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲, you can connect directly to an external system, for example, pulling in live weather forecasts for event dates or syncing your data with your team’s calendars. For example: ·    1. Keep event date and customer location fields structured in Excel. ·    2. Configure a 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 bound to the Event Date column — events appear on the correct day without pivots. ·    3. Add a 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 linked to the zip code fields from the customer dataset. ·    4. Use 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗦(𝗔𝟮:𝗔𝟭𝟬,𝗕𝟮:𝗕𝟭𝟬="𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲") so only active customers display on the map. ·    5. Create an 𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 that lets you connect your Calendar Page with an external system, keeping them both in sync. With this setup, analysts move seamlessly from spreadsheets to interactive calendar and map dashboards, with the added benefit of live external data integration. Excel is still where you build the magic; Sheetcast just makes it easier for everyone to see, explore, and act on it.

At Metaverse911™: Metaverse Experience Center & MECversity, we’re more than just a company—we’re a team of innovators, creators, and tech enthusiasts united by a shared vision: to make immersive technology accessible, transformative, and deeply impactful. Through our Metaverse Experience Center, we bring to life a suite of immersive solutions in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Digital Twin simulations, and more. Here are some key pointers on the growing impact of immersive technology in the exhibition industry: 1. Enhanced Attendee Engagement: Immersive technology like VR and AR allows exhibitors to create interactive experiences that captivate audiences. Visitors can explore products, services, and virtual environments in a hands-on way that’s more engaging than traditional booths. 2. Extended Reach Beyond Physical Space: With virtual exhibitions and metaverse platforms, companies can now reach global audiences without geographical constraints. This increases potential customer reach and allows for a hybrid approach, where both in-person and virtual visitors can attend . 3. Data-Driven Insights: Immersive tech in exhibitions provides valuable data about visitor behavior and engagement. Analytics from virtual platforms can reveal insights into which parts of a booth or experience attracted the most interest, helping brands refine their strategies . 4. Cost Savings and Sustainability: Virtual and augmented reality solutions allow for realistic 3D renderings of products, reducing the need for physical display items. This not only cuts costs but also supports sustainability by minimizing waste and transportation emissions. 5. Customization and Personalization: Immersive solutions allow exhibitors to tailor experiences to specific attendee interests, from product demos to brand storytelling. Personalized VR and AR content can create unique, memorable experiences that resonate more strongly with each visitor . 6. Brand Innovation and Differentiation: With immersive technology, exhibitors can stand out by delivering innovative, forward-thinking experiences that showcase them as leaders in tech and customer engagement. A memorable experience can create lasting impressions that differentiate brands in competitive markets. Our Values: • Innovation: We’re at the forefront of immersive tech, always exploring how AR, VR, and metaverse solutions can solve real-world challenges. • Growth: We encourage personal and professional growth, with opportunities to learn from leaders in the industry and gain hands-on experience with the latest tech. • Collaboration: At Metaverse911, teamwork is everything. We believe that the best ideas come from an open, collaborative environment. • Work-Life Balance: We know that balance is key to doing great work, and we strive to create a flexible environment where our team can excel and recharge. #metaverse #virtualreality #opentowork #sales