Let’s talk about the elephant in the exhibition hall.
For some reason, the event industry still seems completely fixated on “big surprises”. The “shock and awe” moment, the unannounced headliner, the flash mob in the middle of networking, the mystery “secret experience” no one’s allowed to know about until they’re knee-deep in it.
It’s as if the industry hasn’t realised that it’s not 2010 anymore, and that attendees in 2025 are a very different crowd.
Because here’s the truth: there’s a large percentage of your audience that absolutely does not like big surprises.
Surprise ≠ Delight for Everyone
Some people love spontaneity, they live for the unexpected, and that’s great, good for them.
But for a significant number of your attendees, particularly those who are neurodivergent, anxious, or simply sensory-sensitive, “surprise” translates to stress.
When you drop an unplanned sensory bomb, flashing lights, booming sound, sudden crowd shifts, you’re not delighting them, you’re overloading them.
Sensory overload is not fun. It’s disorientating, painful, and can send someone straight out of your event and back home to recover. You’ve just lost them, and it’s very likely that you’ve lost them for good.
The Power of Knowing What to Expect
People don’t come to events for shock value, they come for connection. They want to meet people, learn, feel included, and belong to something bigger.
That sense of belonging starts with trust, and you can’t build trust by keeping people in the dark.
When you provide clear, transparent information, ie. what to expect, when to expect it, how loud, how bright, how busy, you’re not ruining the surprise, you’re building confidence, you’re saying “We respect your comfort as much as your curiosity”.
And that is what modern event design is about.
“But We Want to Create Buzz!”
There’s a difference between creating buzz and creating panic.
You can absolutely build excitement and delight without triggering overwhelm. Tell people something big is coming, but give them the tools to prepare for it. Let them opt in, offer them quiet alternatives and communicate it clearly.
Surprise should be a choice, not a trap.
Big Surprises Are So 2010s
The world has changed.
We’ve lived through pandemics, political chaos, social burnout, and sensory overload on a global scale. People don’t want to be caught off-guard anymore, they want to feel safe.
The new event gold standard isn’t mystery and drama, it’s clarity, calm, and care.
if you really want to impress your attendees, then make them feel seen, make them feel included and make them feel like they belong. That’s the real magic, and no confetti cannons required.
The Bottom Line
Big surprises might look good on paper, but they don’t land well for everyone. And when 20% (or more) of your audience is neurodivergent, ignoring that reality isn’t edgy, it’s seriously outdated.
The future of events isn’t about surprise and spectacle… it’s about safety and belonging, and that’s a far better story to tell.
Helen Moon is the neurodivergent powerhouse behind EventWell, the award-winning not-for-profit championing neuroinclusion and mental wellbeing in the events industry. With nearly 30 years’ experience across hotels, venues, suppliers, and freelance operations, Helen knows events inside out.
Diagnosed with AuDHD and Dyslexia, she founded EventWell in 2017 to make wellbeing and inclusion the norm, not the nice-to-have. A qualified stress management therapist with diplomas in psychology, neurodiversity and safeguarding, she blends lived experience with professional clout to drive meaningful change.
Helen is a respected voice in event accessibility; an advocate, educator, and disruptor on a mission to rewire the way the industry thinks about inclusion.
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