Quiet rooms are increasingly seen as non-optional parts of venue and event design. Photo Credit: AdobeStock/Drobot Dean
Adaptive lighting, quiet rooms, stealth tech and pre-event social groups are just some of the less visible features planners are adopting to increase attendee engagement at events.
Lorela Chia, founder & managing director at GR8 Dreams describes these as ‘participation architecture’ – the design of conditions that allow more people to enter an experience fully – whether physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially and practically.
“It is not enough to invite people into a space if the space was never designed with their needs, comfort, access, dignity and participation in mind,” she says. “Quiet rooms are a good example. They recognise that people process noise, stimulation and social intensity differently. For some delegates, having a quiet space is what allows them to stay engaged rather than withdraw from the event.”
The next step in inclusivity
ICC Sydney launched a permanent quiet room this summer within the convention centre. Designed as a calm, low-stimulation environment, it provides visitors with a safe space to rest and reset.
Greer Cash, event operations manager, Australia at BCD Meetings & Events says rather than being viewed as an optional wellness initiative, quiet rooms are increasingly becoming part of a broader strategy around inclusivity, accessibility and attendee experience.
Along with quiet rooms, sensory kits and ear buds form a larger movement for greater neuro-inclusivity in the events industry. In North America too, event industry players neuroinclusivity guidelines and certifications firmly on their agenda, with IMEX America this month receiving Level III Comprehensive Neurodivergent Accommodation, the highest endorsement available under a new framework.
While quiet rooms gain traction elsewhere in the world, Xinling Yap, regional account director, Asia Pacific, BCD Meetings & Events says there is increasing interest even in Asia, particularly in Singapore, Bangkok and Bali.
“For regional leadership meetings in Singapore, where attendees often arrive from across Asia Pacific and multiple time zones, dedicated wellness lounges and quiet spaces are becoming increasingly common,” she says.
Engagement in a new light
Event lighting is not all about showy programming and design.
BCD’s Cash says adaptive lighting is another way of quietly improving attendee engagement. While delegates may not consciously notice changes in lighting throughout the day, environmental factors can influence focus, energy levels and overall comfort.
“When implemented thoughtfully, adaptive lighting is less about creating a visual effect and more about enhancing attendee comfort, engagement and productivity. Rather than being a gimmick, it can be a subtle yet effective way to improve the overall event experience,” she says.
Catherine Chaulet, president and CEO at Global DMC says that used well, circadian lighting supports what the agenda is asking people to do: brighter, cooler light through morning content where concentration matters, then warmer and lower levels for late-afternoon workshops and evening receptions.
“Delegates arriving on long-haul flights spend their first 48 hours working against their own body clocks, and light is one of the few tools that genuinely helps them adjust,” she says. “The gimmick version is a colour-changing ballroom with no relationship to the run of show. Ask the venue how the system maps to your agenda, and if the answer is a preset with an attractive name, treat it as decor and budget accordingly.”
Stealth tech
The best event technology often disappears into the experience. BCD’s Cash says that across event programmes in Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne, the focus has shifted away from technology for its own sake and towards technology that removes friction from the attendee journey, including automated registration and personalised agendas.
“The most effective technology is often the technology attendees never notice,” she says. “Rather than drawing attention to itself, it delivers value by enabling a smoother and more seamless experience.”
Chaulet adds that it’s this stealth technology – which delegates never consciously register, that they rate the most highly, from badge scanning that takes a second, to Wi-Fi that holds when 800 people join a session at once. “Fund the infrastructure first, then the showpiece,” she summarises.