Ahead of the show, IMEXscoop spoke to IMEX speaker and Head of External Engagement at the Australian Psychological Society, Paula Rowntree.
What first sparked your focus on inclusive and psychologically safe event design, and what’s kept you committed to it over time?
The events industry can move quickly from one trend to the next, with people sometimes becoming “experts” overnight. While working within the Australian Psychological Society, I saw an opportunity to approach neuroinclusive design differently—by grounding it in psychology, evidence and lived experience, while still keeping it practical and achievable for event professionals delivering real events.
In your case study session, Designing Events for Every Mind, you’ll show how program design, physical spaces and communications were adapted for diverse cognitive needs. Which change had the biggest positive impact for attendees, and why? Was there an approach you tried that didn’t land as expected?
If you can only do one thing, communicate clearly and early. Even without additional budget, giving attendees information about schedules, spaces and what to expect gives control back to them. That enables them to prepare and self-regulate in a way that works for them.
One lesson we learned was that not every attendee wanted visible support indicators, reinforcing the importance of choice and flexibility.
How do you balance neuroinclusion with commercial objectives, budget limits and stakeholder expectations, especially when priorities compete?
Neuroinclusive design only works when you bring all stakeholders along on the journey, including venues, speakers, suppliers and event teams. Some of the most impactful changes are low-cost and operational, but they do require education and shared understanding.
The science really starts to take hold through practical implementation. Once people see it in action, they begin applying that thinking across future events as well.
In your second session, Designing Neuroinclusive Events that Work for Everyone, you talk about the thoughtful design choices that can make a real difference. What’s a small but high-impact design choice that most event planners can implement quickly?
Clear and detailed pre-arrival communication is one of the simplest and most impactful changes event planners can make. Letting attendees know what to expect—from venue layouts to session formats and quieter spaces—reduces uncertainty and gives people the ability to prepare and self-regulate in the way that works best for them.
Where do events unintentionally create barriers, even with the best intentions, and what’s a practical way to spot those barriers early in planning?
Events often create barriers by doing what they’ve always done and by not engaging enough with people who have lived experience. One example we discovered was alligator clips on lanyards. One clip isn’t noticeable, but hundreds together created overwhelming background noise for some attendees.
We also learned that attendees are often comfortable sharing neurodivergence-related needs if we clearly explain why we’re asking and how that information helps us better support their event experience.
Recently, IMEX has made adjustments in signage, communication and space design to better support neurodivergent attendees. From your perspective, what matters most when you’re embedding neuroinclusion into “business as usual” design decisions?
What matters most is embedding neuroinclusive thinking into everyday planning decisions, rather than treating it as a standalone initiative. One thing IMEX has done particularly well is involving team members with lived experience and staying open to ongoing feedback and adjustment.
Every brain is different, and IMEX is genuinely trying to understand and adapt to a wider range of attendee experiences.
If you could attend just one or two education sessions at IMEX (apart from your own!) what would they be and why?
I’m particularly interested in the Digital Doppelgänger session because it explores the intersection of AI, psychology and human behavior. I’m increasingly fascinated by how we combine behavioral science, technology and event design to create more human-centered experiences.
I think the industry is moving toward a future where attendees expect greater personalization, flexibility and relevance. That shift will require us to be far more intentional about understanding and designing for individual needs, rather than designing for the masses. I’m not sure the industry fully understands yet what this will mean operationally, commercially or experientially.
What are you most looking forward to about being in Frankfurt for IMEX?
More than anything, I’m looking forward to the people and the in-person conversations. AI is evolving so quickly that we’re entering a period where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between what’s real, generated or amplified online. That actually increases the value of face-to-face events.
In-person conversations allow us to challenge ideas, explore nuance and genuinely understand how people think. AI can support content creation, but live interaction still reveals human insight, experience and authenticity in a way digital environments can’t replicate.
Paula Rowntree at IMEX
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