Ahead of IMEX Frankfurt, we caught up with adventurer, runner, cyclist, triathlete, skydiver—and IMEX speaker, Jack Ryan to talk adventure, motivation and inclusivity.
Q. You’re described as an adventurer, runner, cyclist, triathlete and skydiver. Where did your love for adventure, for trying out different sports come from?
A. My love for adventure has always been there, from the 18-month-old baby that would get caught climbing cupboards in search of snacks, to the present-day version, exploring the world, collecting experiences and lessons along the way.
The sports aspect is a way for me to test what I’m capable of—I've never dedicated myself to just one sport.
Q. What’s your next adventure?
A. I try to plan my trips a bit more than I did in my search for snacks as a baby, but sometimes life presents opportunities for impromptu adventures which, while the unknown can be daunting, are also a chance to discover something new.
My next adventure is kayaking Sognefjord in Norway in July. I'm excited as I've never been to Scandinavia before, and I have a feeling that Norway will be my gateway to more adventures in this part of the world.
Q. Why do you think it’s important to keep pushing yourself, to keep exploring the limits of what might be possible? What’s your motivation?
A. Curiosity and a desire to live life to the fullest. When you find yourself asking “what if?”, you have two choices—you could either go and discover the answer or make peace with not knowing.
Adventure, both big and small, can teach you about yourself. These lessons compound over time. And for me, this has helped both personally and professionally.
To go on an adventure, to enjoy the adventure itself—then to come back and to see others find value in the lessons I’ve learned and the perspectives I’ve gained long after the adventure is over, is incredibly satisfying and rewarding.
Q. At IMEX one of the sessions you’re speaking at talks about designing inclusive experiences. Can you share an example of an experience where you personally have felt truly included—and why?
A. I attended a Pilates class at my gym for a while. When I first asked about joining, the instructor told me the routine changed every three months. But then she offered me a free 30-minute session a week before the start of each new routine, so that I’d know the names of the different exercises and positions, and so I could just attend the class like everybody else.
She also sent me a list of the exercises in sequence so I could memorize them before class. And she asked for feedback after each class on how she could improve the clarity of her instructions.
I really appreciated this collaborative effort to reach a solution. She offered ideas while asking what would work best for me and took it as an opportunity to improve her instructor skills.
Q. If there was just one thing you could ask event planners to consider when planning an inclusive event or experience, what would it be?
A. Good communication. With over 8 billion people on earth and not one of us being the same, I think it’s impossible, no matter how good your organization is, to be able to plan for every eventuality or know every individual preference.
Being able to communicate is essential to solving issues. And I think we all, as humans, appreciate having the information we need to make our decisions.
Q. You’re also speaking at a session on inclusive travel. Can you tell us about any recent travel challenges you’ve experienced and how you feel the travel providers could have done better?
A. On arriving at check-in for a recent hotel stay, the staff member at the check-in desk spoke only to my friend and referred to me in the third person. When I told him that I had a visual impairment but that I could hear him, he said, "I didn't know that so easier just to speak to your friend".
In terms of what they could've done better, I’d say training for the individual staff member. All other staff were helpful and did everything they could to make my experience a good one.
Q. If you could attend just one education session at IMEX Frankfurt 2025 (apart from your own!) what would it be and why?
A. The
Wonder Walk on how biophilia improves productivity and brand impact as I was reading an article on biophilia recently and am interested in the practical application of this idea.
Q. What are you most looking forward to at IMEX Frankfurt 2025?
A. The people. Whenever you get a group of people together with different personalities, backgrounds and perspectives, then something interesting always happens. I personally will be treating it like an adventure, and hope to come away with new ideas—and maybe some new friends.
Jack Ryan at IMEX
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