ATREVIA, a global Communication and Corporate Affairs company, participated in the organizational process of a groundbreaking immersive concert aimed at people with hearing impairments for ibis. Ibis is an economy hotel brand part of the Accor group, in association with the Spanish confederation FIAPAS. The ibis Music Silent Concert, which took place Thursday, May 26th in Spain and June 3rd in Portugal, is an initiative that reflects the company’s commitment to inclusion in their hotels.
“Ibis Music Silent Concert seeks to bring live music closer to people who find it more difficult to enjoy it, reaffirming our desire to make ibis hotels genuinely open spaces for everyone,” said Laura Alves, Brand Marketing Manager for Accor’s Eco & Super-Eco brands in Spain and Portugal.
“We are very pleased that companies of ibis’ scale are openly committed to the inclusion of those with hearing disabilities, whom we represent. The fact that the tourism sector is actively collaborating with us enables us to establish fundamental partnerships aimed at normalizing the presence of deaf individuals in all settings, including in music,” said José Luís Aedo Cuevas, president of FIAPAS.
To ensure that the event was tailored to the needs of the audience, a magnetic circuit was installed in the hall, allowing hearing aids to pick up the sound clearly and at an appropriate volume, and with subtitles, as a more universal measure of access to information for thos with hearing impairments. The evening also included sign language interpretation to enhance the quality of the experience, as well as several screens for the projection of live subtitles and the image of the interpreter.
This breakthrough initiative, which aligns with ibis’ values of inclusion, openness, and sensitivity to music, aims to increase the visibility of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and demonstrate that they can also enjoy musical experiences on an equal standing as others.
According to INE data, in Spain, there are more than 200,000 people with hearing impairments which, in most cases, do not find professionals in the tourism sector who are familiar with their needs.