The Meetings Show, which took place 19 and 20 June, was once again the stage for exciting announcements and launches of innovative products and services. One such example is the partnership of Lime Venue Portfolio and Stress Matters who launched a new Neurodiversity Toolkit on the second day of the show. The guide has been created using the expertise of Stress Matters, and as part of Lime Venue Portfolio’s own strategy of ‘Betterment’ across the industry…
The Toolkit is already being rolled out across the Lime Venue Portfolio team and will now be available to support clients and customers across the group’s 80+ venues. In the last few years, the brand has bought new intelligence to the industry, including insight around ‘sustainability through food’, ‘event legacy and impact’, and is now looking towards accessibility, specifically Neurodiversity.
Workshops by Stress Matters resulted in the Neurodiversity Toolkit
Earlier this year, the Lime Venue Portfolio team, including venue teams from across the group’s portfolio, took part in workshops, ran by Stress Matters, to help educate themselves on this subject. Now Lime Venue Portfolio is using the newly produced Toolkit to continue its own learning, but also to provide open-sourced information for others within the industry.
The aim is for the brand to become proactive industry ambassadors, as well as a source of credible information, that help make events more accessible in every way. The brand has already widely adopted Mental Health First Aid training across its business. Now, this more specialised knowledge will continue to evolve this inclusivity focused approach.
Essential to include neurodiversity in the DEI discussion
Commenting on the project, Laura Capell-Abra, Founder Stress Matters, said: “The discussion around diversity, equality, and inclusivity (DEI), has increasingly become more important. Whilst this rightly focuses on race, gender, and sexuality, it’s also essential that these efforts ensure the inclusion and accommodation for neurodiversity. Lime Venue Portfolio and Stress Matters have joined forces to help educate event professionals in understanding and encouraging neurodiverse inclusivity in events.”
The toolkit itself includes practical strategies and resources to help ensure that events are accessible and enjoyable for all participants. From sensory-friendly environments to clear communication practices. Each recommendation within the guide is grounded in the principles of empathy, understanding, and respect for neurodiverse perspectives.
Laura continues, “Neurodiversity encompasses a wide range of neurological variations, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and many more. Every individual is individual and wants and needs different things to thrive in a working environment. By embracing neurodiversity in event planning, you not only foster a culture of inclusivity but also unlock the potential for innovation and creativity.”
Jo Austin, Sales Director, Lime Venue Portfolio, added: “We’re incredibly proud of this work, and the role we’ve played in it. It’s a sensitive subject, it’s been a real learning curve for us, one we’re delighted to have the support of Stress Matters in, and we really are just at the start of our journey. This is about making events better, more comfortable, and more welcoming for everybody, but it’s also about organisers having more conversations with their delegates. However, it’s already made us a better team, a happier group and we’re on a really fulfilling journey that means something to us beyond our day-to-day jobs.”
You can find out more about the Neurodiversity Toolkit here.
Read more about neurodiversity in the workplace and whether you should tell your employer.
