By Stephanie Miller

In one of the first surveys of its kind, design firm HOK and flooring manufacturer Tarkett asked neurodiverse individuals in the U.S., UK, and Canada to share how their work environments could better cater to their jobs and personal needs. Genius Within, an organization dedicated to helping neuro-minorities maximize their potential, provided advisory services as the team built on in-depth research and insights by HOK and the commercial interiors color specification guide developed by Tarkett to help businesses design for inclusion.

Neurodiversity refers to variations in human neurocognitive functioning – the different ways we think, process information, and relate to others. One in seven people worldwide are estimated to have a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and Tourette’s syndrome.

HOK and Tarkett’s survey collected feedback from 202 neurodiverse individuals, with a focus on women and workers older than 30, two groups that have been largely underrepresented in other studies on neurodiversity.

The survey found several challenges these individuals face when it comes to workplaces. A few of those include:

77% of respondents reported being hypersensitive to noise and sound in the workplace
62% of respondents were hypersensitive to visual distractions (movement, color, light) in the office
Women reported greater overall sensory sensitivity challenges in the workplace compared to men, particularly when it came to temperature and light (62% and 59% compared to 46% and 44%, respectively).

Insights from the survey can help workplace designers and product manufacturers create spaces that are more supportive and inclusive for neurodiverse employees. Survey respondents specifically identified the following workplace strategy and design solutions employers could consider:

Offer training and education about neurodiversity to all staff
Offer all employees (neurodiverse and neurotypical) a variety of workplace choices, from open office environments to private, to address various sensory stimulations
Provide spaces that support and encourage physical movement and access to natural light
Create flexible work policies that give people autonomy over their schedule and work environment, including work-from-home opportunities when feasible

Kay Sargent, director of workplace for HOK, commented, “One size, or solution, misfits all. This latest study continues to show that, to allow all employees to thrive, office designs need to remain fluid and adaptable. Employers can improve employee wellness and productivity by offering a wide range of choices, allowing people to continually select the best space for their individual needs and the task at hand.”

While the pandemic has normalized hybrid work and encouraged a wider conversation around employee wellbeing, the HOK/Tarkett survey suggests opportunities still exist for organizations to do more to support their employees.

“Neurodiverse employees bring valuable diversity of thought and competitive advantage to their organizations,” said Leslie Thompson, director of workplace for Tarkett North America. “Optimizing the work environment to support each individual isn’t just the right thing to do for our people; it’s simply good business.”

Stephanie Miller is Director of Public Relations/Senior Principal for HOK.

By Molly Rosenberg

Venue Coalition announced that Julia James has been promoted to Director of Booking. In her expanded role, James will focus on national booking and business development while continuing to service new and existing Venue Coalition clients.

Julia started her career with Venue Coalition in 2019 after graduating from Missouri State University’s Entertainment Management program. Throughout her time with the company, she has developed a strong understanding of the booking process for more than 100 member venues in various major, secondary, and tertiary markets. This knowledge has enabled her to advance within the organization from her initial role as a Booking Assistant, then becoming Booking Coordinator, moving up to Booking Manager, and now taking on the Director of Booking role.

“Julia has done an outstanding job of servicing our venue members and confirming events,” said Andrew Prince, President. “She has grown tremendously over the past three years with Venue Coalition, and we are thrilled to see her continue to grow and excel in this new position.”

“I am excited to continue building new relationships in the industry while booking a wide variety of events on a national level,” James said. “I’m proud of how much our company has grown over the past few years and am extremely grateful for this opportunity to take on a larger role in providing top-tier service to each of our venues.”

Molly Rosenberg is Director of Administration and Special Projects for Venue Coalition, Inc.

By Christine Susa

Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Pasadena) welcomes destination marketing veteran Kristin McGrath as the organization’s new Executive Director.

“We are delighted to welcome Kristin McGrath as the new Executive Director of Visit Pasadena,” said Michael Ross, CEO of the Pasadena Center Operating Company, which oversees the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau, Convention Center and Civic Auditorium. “Kristin has the experience and ability to lead the organization through the tourism recovery and into the future. She’ll be a great asset for the city as we continue to promote Pasadena as a world class destination.”

McGrath steps into the role of Executive Director at a critical time as the tourism industry rebuilds from COVID. In this role, McGrath will function as the chief administrative officer for the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau and be responsible for its management, organizational development, planning, and direction.

“Pasadena is such a beautiful destination,“ McGrath said. “The vibrant downtown coupled with an exceptional convention center set Pasadena apart. I’m thrilled to join the team at this exciting time.”

McGrath brings more than 20 years in the tourism industry, specializing in destination management, sales and marketing. For the past five years, she served as the Vice President of Sales, Services & Sports at Visit Albuquerque. Prior to that, McGrath served as Vice President of Sales & Services at the Richmond Region Tourism and Vice President of Sales & Services at Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. She also held positions at Westin Copley Place Boston and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

McGrath is a graduate of Emmanuel College in Boston and is a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME). She is active in Destinations International and currently serves as a Board Member of the Certified Destination Management Executive Program and the Professional Development Committee.

Christine Susa is Director of Marketing & Communications for Visit Pasadena.

Fern, a leading provider of exhibition and event services, announced a partnership with Stephan Murtagh, The Exhibition Guy, to launch the Fern Exhibitor Success Program. This collaborative effort provides a series of custom webinars that event organizers can provide to exhibitors to help them have a more robust and rewarding event experience.

The Fern Exhibitor Success Program offers three levels of engagement and training options. Key components include:

The 7 Steps to Exhibition Success, which takes the exhibitor on the journey from pre-show planning to onsite and post-show follow-up to enhance their ROI/ROO.

The 9 Key Things for Last-Minute Trade Show Marketing Success, which builds on the seven steps by focusing on the small yet hugely essential things an exhibitor can do in advance of the show to attract key buyers.

All These Leads, Now What—What to Do After the Show, which focuses on post-show strategies and best-practices for lead follow up and conversion.

In addition to the webinars, event organizers have the option of purchasing blocks of 1:1 coaching that they can make available to exhibitors.

“We are delighted to have developed a strategic partnership with Fern. Having followed Fern for a long time, it’s clear that our visions for exhibitor and exhibition success are very much aligned,” said Murtaugh. “This made it an obvious choice for both businesses to not only add value to their clients but to make the exhibition industry an even better platform for all stakeholders. We look forward to working with the team at Fern on this unique & exciting partnership.”

“The success of an exhibitor’s experience at an event is something that also benefits the organizer. With more than 28 years in the exhibition business, Stephan understands what it takes to be successful on both fronts,” said Jim Kelley, Vice President, Marketing and Industry Relations for Fern. “Now our event organizer clients can pass his expertise along to their exhibitors to provide a meaningful and a tangible return that will result in higher exhibitor satisfaction levels, retention and new sales.”

By R.V. Baugus and Office of the Governor

IAVM Director of Safety & Security Mark Herrera served on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Task Force on Concert Safety that was formed last November 10 in response to the tragedy at Astroworld Festival in Houston that killed 10 concertgoers and injured more than 300. On April 19, Gov. Abbott announced that the task force released their final report which includes recommendations and strategies to ensure the safety of concertgoers in the Lone Star State. (To see the final report, click here.

“Collectively, we all worked to provide resources and information that would guide our venue executives and others to provide safe and secure events,” Herrera said. “It was truly a pleasure being a part of this task force and happy to have contributed.”

The task force was led by Texas Music Office Director Brendon Anthony and consists of safety experts, law enforcement, fire fighters, state agencies, music industry leaders, and others. The task force held several meetings and one-on-one discussions to analyze concert safety and develop ways to enhance security at live music events in Texas.

Among recommendations and findings, the Texas Music Office announced the creation of an online Event Production Guide that can be easily promoted and accessed through the Texas Music Office website. This centralized resource will outline and encourage best-practice recommendations and serve as a one-stop shop for promoters to access existing legal requirements.

“I thank the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety for their commitment to safety and security for all concertgoers and for their collaboration with stakeholders on this critical report,” said Governor Abbott. “The recommendations, findings, and solutions detailed in this report will help the State of Texas prevent another tragedy like that at Astroworld Festival from happening again.”

Herrera called the experience to represent IAVM and the public assembly venue industry positive in “pushing the legislation for action,” which was accomplished through the final report.

“That (legislation) would have an effect on the operations and revenue potentially with some of our facilities,” Herrera said. He added that he sat on the task force in a non-partisan political role and that one of his points of emphasis throughout was to vet with venue managers to review any final draft.

“Here is what we don’t need. We don’t need regulations,” Herrera said. “I said we need resources and funding. So, I talked a lot about what we’re (IAVM) doing with the crowd management training and how we’re training teams. It went well. When the governor’s final report came out, nothing in it was regulatory.”

“They appreciated IAVM helping from a revenue concern or on the operations side. I told the governor’s office I also appreciated them listening to me through all this, aggregating all these resources and information for our industry. The final draft is great.”

In addition to the responsibility to sit on the task force, Herrera also presented at Globe Life Field — home to MLB Texas Rangers — about how the public assembly venue industry is managing the crowds in today’s environment.

“I developed a team of venue executives and said, listen, the one thing I want to do is bring in Brendon and we want to talk with the venue executives about our progress and how we’re trying to aggregate resources and the importance of permitting and the importance of unified command structures,” Herrera said. “What we’re doing as a task force will positively affect the entire industry as they’re managing these situations and these crowds to prevent a catastrophic event like in Houston.”

Unified On-Site Command and Control (UCC): The task force strongly supports a requirement that event promoters determine which EMS, fire, and police agencies would respond to a 911 call on the site of their event and that those agencies be employed as UCC members.

Permitting: The task force strongly recommends that mass gathering events permitted by municipalities should follow permit guidelines and best practices for unincorporated areas that are outlined in state statute. The task force also recommends that local authorities stop the show when it is determined that an event has been organized without a permit or has breached the bounds of the issued permit. Additionally, the task force recommends implementation of a universal permitting template and that any template include a standardized checklist for County Judges responsible for issuing permits.

Training: The Event Production Guide will include a list of robust training resources for promoters, staff, and first responders for site walkthrough drills, security briefings, communication trees, show-stop triggers and responses, and more.

Planning with Risk Assessment: The task force recommends a Concert Attendee Code of Conduct which should be part of the ticketing process and make clear what behaviors will lead to ejection. The task force also recommends that venues communicate with other venue representatives that have hosted the artist before. Event promoters should partner with artists to encourage safety, since messaging from the artist can be uniquely persuasive for fans. In addition, the Event Production Guide will include best practices for event design and crowd control.

Centralized Resources: The Event Production Guide will host the large collection of resource documents that information many of the task force’s recommendations.