Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we highlight some of the many ways RX has been supporting our people, customers, and communities in 2024. From promoting inclusivity at our events to volunteering at the Paralympics and raising awareness of hidden disabilities, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can participate and thrive.

MAPIC champions inclusive experiences

In a world where retail is constantly evolving, MAPIC, the international retail real estate event, is leading the charge to make inclusivity and unique experiences a priority.

Embracing both movements, the 2024 edition (26-28 November) in Cannes featured a keynote presentation by the renowned blind restauranteur Didier Roche, who challenged retailers to build inclusivity into their businesses.

Blind since childhood, Didier co-founded ‘Dans le Noir?’, a restaurant concept where diners enjoy their meals in complete darkness, guided by blind servers. Beyond promoting the employment of people with disabilities, the aim of the concept is to raise awareness of blindness and visual loss while offering a memorable sensory experience. Established in 2004, 'Dans le Noir?' now operates 16 restaurants worldwide and has expanded into spas, escape rooms, wine-tasting workshops, and fragrance discovery sessions. Didier Roche’s presentation reflected on his 20-year journey and offered insights into how retail and real estate professionals can adopt a more inclusive approach. 

“Didier’s journey demonstrates that truly unique experiences can drive both customer loyalty and business success. This is not just about inclusion - it’s about redefining retail through new perspectives,” said Francesco Pupillo, MAPIC Director.

RX shines a light on non-visible disabilities

Some disabilities, conditions, or chronic illnesses aren’t immediately visible, which can make it hard for others to understand that someone might need support. To help change this, RX has taken an important step on its journey to becoming a more inclusive and diverse workplace. In November, our UK business joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network to better support colleagues with invisible disabilities.

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally recognised symbol that allows people with non-visible conditions to voluntarily let others know they may need extra help, patience, or understanding. By wearing or displaying the Sunflower, individuals can communicate their needs in public spaces like workplaces, transportation, and shops.

The idea behind the Sunflower was created in 2016 at Gatwick Airport in England, where lanyards were introduced to help identify passengers with invisible disabilities who may require additional assistance. The Sunflower design—set against a green background—represents confidence, growth, strength, and a sense of positivity. Since then, thousands of businesses worldwide in all sectors have joined the global network.

Ray Rhodes, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at RX, commented on the launch: “We’re excited to introduce the Sunflower at RX to raise awareness about invisible disabilities, help our colleagues reach their full potential, and build a strong community of allies. RX UK is piloting the scheme, with plans to roll it out globally across our offices and eventually offer it to customers at our events.”

Social responsibility takes centre stage at IBTM World 

There can be few people more aware of the importance of inclusion and the power of advocacy than Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, British Paralympic athlete, six-time London Wheelchair Marathon winner and crossbench peer in the House of Lords. Which is why, demonstrating its commitment to put social responsibility front and centre at IBTM World, the leading global event for the business events industry chose Tanni as its opening keynote speaker in November.

Her enlightening session at IBTM World, titled People Potential: A Conversation with Baroness and Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, showcased the limitless possibilities that emerge when we empower people, nurture team spirit, and champion inclusivity. Summing up her thoughts on inclusivity within the events and tourism industries, she said: “Whatever you are designing, think about how it would work for everybody, because it’s much easier to do that at the start than to try and bolt it on at the end.”

Claudia Hall, Exhibition Director at IBTM World, said: “Baroness Tanni is a powerhouse who has dedicated her life to creating a fairer and more just society. She has always used her platform to strive for change and we were delighted to welcome her to the IBTM Main Stage. Her session was just the start of a fascinating stream of content focussed on social responsibility. We hope our valued attendees left with the hope, inspiration and practical tools necessary to start creating a better future, together.”

Paralympic athletes inspire RX volunteers

It was with emotion that many RXers watched the flame of the Paralympic Games go out for the 57th time on Sunday, 8^th September in Paris. Among the 4,500 volunteers chosen to help deliver the event were eleven RX France colleagues who had stepped up to volunteer their time and talent as part of a 37-strong contingent from across our parent company RELX.

Every RELX employee is entitled to two RELX Cares days each year to volunteer for charities and causes close to their hearts, and on this special occasion our volunteers were given an extra day as an exception. Over the course of 10 days, they played an important role in supporting Club France, the hub for celebrating the French Paralympic athletes. Their contributions included logistical support, communication operations, programming disability awareness activities, supervising sports activities and more.

Reflecting on the experience, and the generosity and solidarity of her fellow-volunteers, Vanessa Brizay, Marketing and Communications Director said: “We were happy to participate in this global event and to experience the values ​​of sport up close. The athletes' celebrations were my favourite moments, there was such joy, everyone was singing and dancing…At Club France there were more people with disabilities than non-disabled people. Disability was almost the norm. The view was reversed. It really does something. I hope to keep that for as long as possible, this new view, this contact without difference."

The legacy of the Paralympics lives in on at RX France through the creation of an ‘Enabled’ Employee Resource Group whose volunteer members aim to raise awareness among their colleagues about the different forms of disability, promote concrete actions, and foster a work environment where everyone, whatever their ability, can fully flourish.

MCM Comic Con supports the deaf community

From the biggest names in pop culture, and sneak peeks at the latest in TV, film and anime, to stunning cosplay competitions, gaming and more, MCM Comic Con hosts a wide variety of free panels and screenings. Many of these ‘must see’ events are also now accessible to the deaf and people with hearing loss , thanks to RX’s partnership with TranslateAble, a language agency dedicated solely to the events industry.

TranslateAble’s team worked closely with RX, providing two British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for MCM Birmingham Comic Con and four for each MCM London Comic Con event in 2024. The interpreters rotated between content stages based on session popularity. RX supplied the schedules in advance, allowing TranslateAble to determine interpreter coverage and technical requirements. Fans could check which panels were supported by a BSL interpreter on the event app, or on the schedules displayed in front of each stage.

“At MCM Comic Con, our priority is fostering a safe, creative and inclusive space for everyone attending our portfolio of events. Accessibility has been a key focus of this commitment, and we’re always looking to improve our processes based on feedback from our fans,” explained Annie Byrne, Content Manager.

“For our stages in particular, it was important to our team to ensure all fans can fully enjoy and engage with panel content across the weekend” she continued. “Our partnership with TranslateAble not only provides fans with the interpreting service they need, but also helps us continually refine and expand our approach to offer BSL support on an increasing number of panels and across more stages, ensuring that no fan is left out of the conversation.”

Batimat builds awareness of musculoskeletal disorders

As a leading international trade fair for the construction industry Batimat provides a powerful platform from which to address issues impacting the building community. This year, it used it to promote the first ‘Building Sector Telethon’ in Paris on 28 November 2024 in support of the research and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

MSDs are the leading cause of occupational diseases in the construction sector and are now the leading cause of medical incapacity (45%) and occupational diseases (87%). Their financial and economic impact is substantial with €186 million in contributions paid by companies in the sector for claims each year.

Batimat, which ran from 30 September to 3 October, provided a stand from which the telethon’s organisers, AMF Telethon, could present the initiative to the event’s 100,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibiting companies; welcome participating candidates; and raise the profile of the event through on-stage presentations and a media broadcast on Bati-Radio.

On the day of the Telethon, members of the Batimat team joined builders, manufacturers, distributors, service partners, training schools and construction networks at the Emile Anthoine stadium, beneath the Eiffel Tower. Together they ran and moved in support of the AFM-Telethon and particularly its Institute of Myology, a centre of expertise dedicated to the science and medicine of muscle and its diseases. The funds raised will go to several causes, including the opening of a new building at Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.

Attending trade shows and pop conventions can be energising and immersive experiences; but they can also take it out of you! We take a look at how RX events are providing health and wellness features to improve the attendee experience, and using their industry platforms to spread the word about the importance of wellness and wider health issues.  

Rest, relax, reset

ReedPop is the largest producer of pop culture events in the world, including New York Comic Con, PAX East, MCM Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, and many more. 

Celebrating comics, anime, movies, TV and gaming, our conventions offer fans a unique opportunity to see and meet their celebrity superheroes, comic creators, authors and gaming stars, show off their epic cosplay costumes and buy exclusive merchandise. But we understand that what makes our events so magical can also make them overwhelming at times.

That’s why every ReedPop convention features a ‘quiet room’, or ‘reset room’ where anyone feeling anxious or over stimulated, or simply needing time out, can escape from the crowds and noise. 

At the recent MCM Comic Con in London, The Reset Room was staffed by the team from “Gaming The Mind”, a charity run by mental health experts combining healthcare expertise with a passion for video games and geek culture. Gaming the Mind’s team were on hand throughout the three-day event to have a chat and provide noise cancelling headphones and low-fi activities to help guests unwind.

MCM Comic Con also produced a show guide for anxious attendees on how to plan for and manage on the day. In addition to the Reset Room, it highlighted some less hectic spots to catch a break on the show floor, including the Console Gaming Library, and the Manga Drawing Drop-In Station.

Steps to Wellness Challenge

As well as providing wellness features at our events, health and wellbeing is a growing focus for branded exhibitor activations.

A leading US supplier of smart electronic access solutions, SALTO WECOSYSTEM encourages all its employees to engage in a healthy lifestyle. Through its Free2Move.org social initiative it also plays an active role in supporting adaptive sports programmes and Paralympic athletes.

The company is a regular exhibitor at ISC West in Las Vegas; and when it wanted to use the 2024 event to engage ISC West attendees with its newly launched SALTO WECOSYSTEM brand, Account Executive Catherine Garvey and her fellow ISC team members created the perfect custom activation – the SALTO WECOSYSTEM ‘Steps to Wellness Challenge’.

“Like most activations, it was designed to be engaging and fun, while also generating leads and positioning SALTO WECOSYSTEM as a leader in the health and wellness space,” explained Catherine.

Participants were encouraged to sign up for the challenge, then log their daily steps at ISC West on their smart watches and phones for a chance to win a range of prizes, including a Meta Quest 3 VR headset, a yoga master set, or a $250 charitable donation.

A SALTO WECOSYSTEM-branded Wellness HQ was located at the front of the event where attendees could register, and a prominent leader board was constantly updated so participants could keep an eye on who was in front and where they ranked. The activation package also included a custom ‘Steps to Wellness Challenge’ website; a Lead Booster promotion; an awareness campaign on the ISC West website and social media channels; and SALTO WECOYSTEM branded water coolers within the conference area and ISC Executives Club.

SALTO WECOSYSTEM generated 744 leads from the Steps to Wellness Challenge, representing 45% of the total leads they secured at the event. One participant visited SALTO WECOSYSTEM’s booth after registering for the Challenge to thank the company for the activation, revealed Catherine: “Having recently suffered a stroke he said that he was making an effort to “keep moving” and the Challenge helped him stay on track and remain true to his goals during his business trip.”

A thriving industry

As the world's leading platform for the fitness, wellness, and health industry, RX Germany’s FIBO is all about showing how we can live healthier lives. With the global wellness market set to grow from $5.6 trillion today to $8.5 trillion by 2027, wellness has never been more of a priority—a fact reflected in a big way at FIBO 2024.

FIBO’s Meeting Point Spa and Wellness was a key hub for innovation, featuring a networking lounge, a packed four-day lecture program, and themed wellness days. It was surrounded by exhibitors catering to the hotel, wellness, and spa industries, like Gharieni Group, Starpool, RoboSculpture, Klafs, and InnoZen, all showcasing their latest products and innovations.

Wellness is all about finding balance—not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and socially. That’s why FIBO 2024 went beyond fitness and health to include beauty and lifestyle topics too, with workshops on hair and skincare and talks from influencers and experts on mental health, nutrition, fitness during pregnancy, balancing work and sport, and more.

After an action-packed 2024 event, attended by 129,600 health, fitness and wellness professionals and enthusiasts, FIBO returns to Cologne from 10-13 April 2025. And in October 2025, the team are excited to take the FIBO brand and spirit to Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s fastest growing health, fitness and wellness markets. FIBO Saudi takes place for the first time in Riyadh from 1-3 October 2025.