Dana Heard
Event Producer
Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity, including when you first recognised it in yourself?
As a lot of people know, late diagnoses of ADHD, (or neurodiversity) are on the rise, not because ‘more people are neurodiverse’ but because there’s more awareness & research. So, for me, it wasn’t one big lightbulb moment, more a long trail of “ohhh… that explains a lot” realisations.
I’ve always worked a bit differently. I need structure, but not too much structure. I love a list but will absolutely abandon the list if something more urgent comes up which, in events, is basically always.
I never used to have the language for it or really understand why but now that I do have that language, it’s been a bit of a gamechanger. I understand why I work the way I do, I can explain it to those around me and build systems around that instead of constantly trying to force myself into ways of working that just don’t fit.
A lot of it comes down to being kinder to myself and setting expectations that are actually realistic for how my brain operates not how I think it should operate.
What’s one misconception about ADHD or neurodiversity you’d love to change?
That people with ADHD are outwardly ‘hyperactive’ or “bad at time management.’
From personal experience from the outside, it can look like I’m doing nothing. But internally, it’s chaos. I’m thinking about 50 different ways to start a task, trying to pick the best way, stressing about the time I’m losing by not starting, and then overthinking the fact I’m overthinking. Too many thoughts in too many directions and that’s part of the misconception, sometimes the hyperactivity isn’t external, it’s internal – so it comes in waves of racing thoughts.
But, if something is urgent, fun, or emotionally engaging my brain basically says ‘let’s GO’ and kicks into hyperfocus. With ADHD in particular, there’s a difference in how the brain regulates dopamine and reward, so motivation comes from either novelty or urgency. That’s why I can smash out a fun creative pitch in a few hours, but a simple admin email can sit there staring at me for three days.
Once people understand the why behind it, it can explain why some people work in the way they do, and what can help to work with those ways.
For me what helps is writing things down into lists. They give the brain something concrete to latch onto, and a dopamine hit when I tick something (even small) off rather than one overwhelming, abstract task.
Also communication is key. Being able to say, “is this the right approach?” makes a huge difference. Having managers who understand that, (hello Sophie!) is invaluable, because otherwise you end up overthinking whether you’re asking “obvious” questions when actually you’re just trying to get started.
What strengths do neurodivergent individuals bring to teams, especially in creative or fast-paced environments like events?
I think because a neurodiverse brain is so active, and reactive, it can make so many random connections really fast which can help with creative problem-solving in real time. So, in events, when things are going wrong or need to be solved you need people who can look at something sideways and go, “Okay, what if we did this instead?”
For me, because my brain is driven by dopamine, high-pressure, fast-paced environments, like being onsite can enhance focus. The constant urgency and stimulation make it easier to stay engaged and motivated and honestly, it’s probably where I work best.
Hyperfocus is another big one. When it kicks in, it’s powerful. You can get through days’ worth of work in a few hours and go deep on it.
I think that in creative environments, you don’t actually want everyone thinking the same way. The combination of different viewpoints and lenses, neurodiverse or not is where the magic happens.
Where do you see the events industry making progress in supporting neurodiversity, and what opportunities are still emerging?
There’s definitely more awareness now, which is great. People are beginning to recognise that neurodiversity isn’t niche, it’s probably already in every team.
The opportunity now is moving from awareness into something tangible.
That means thinking about how we structure workloads, how we communicate information, how we manage pressure. While not just expecting everyone to adapt to the same system.
On the event side, it can be really simple things. Clearer, more digestible content in presentations. Quieter spaces people can step into. Options like silent disco headsets to reduce sensory overload.
In the workplace, it’s often small shifts that make the biggest difference normalising walking breaks, letting people use music to focus, and most importantly, creating an environment where people can actually say, “This is how I work best,” without feeling judged for it.
If you could give event planners one simple “rule of thumb” to make their events more neurodiversity-friendly, what would it be?
Don’t rely on people interpreting things the same way, because they won’t. If something matters, make it obvious.
When information is vague or overloaded, it very quickly turns into overwhelm or overthinking, or both.
Clear signage, simple messaging, structured agendas, and spaces to step away if needed go a long way.
The simpler and clearer things are, the better people feel especially when everything else is a bit chaotic (which… it always is in events).
MCI UK
