Excitement is building as the 46th Annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition in New York City approaches. Whether you have questions that need expert answers or are eager to dive into the latest industry innovations, INTIX has you covered. With dynamic general sessions, breakouts by venue type and dozens of engaging workshops, there is something for everyone.
One highly anticipated session will offer important information on a frequently misunderstood aspect of venue accessibility: service animals. Accessible customer service expert Dani Rose, Managing Director of Art-Reach, and service animal handler Nae Vallejo, Project Director at Art-Reach, will lead a one-hour workshop titled “Let's Raise the Woof: Service Animals and Customer Service.” Beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 3:45 p.m., it will focus on best practices for accommodating service animals, which is crucial for inclusivity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“It is not only about fulfilling legal requirements but also about ensuring all patrons feel welcome, creating accessible spaces for everyone, and understanding the specific needs of service animal handlers,” Rose and Vallejo emphasize. “We want to encourage front-line staff to release the anxiety, the stigma, and the insecurity when they encounter a service animal and share practical tips for what to do to build confidence for front-line staff and safety for service animal handlers.”
Working service dog Roady, a two-year-old black Labrador, will also be in attendance to help ticketing and live event professionals learn.
Roady, a two-year-old black Labrador in his orange service vest. Photo by Wide Eyed Studios.
“I like to encourage the radically inclusive idea that people with disabilities can come into your venue, enjoy your event, and leave, just like everyone else,” Rose says.
With their session, Rose and Vallejo will help live event organizations of all sizes and types with an essential aspect of welcoming all audiences. Workshop attendees can expect a thorough overview of service animal accommodations, including requirements under the ADA, customer service procedures, and methods for enhancing safety and comfort for both handlers and service animals. Rose and Vallejo will cover practical approaches to implementing inclusive policies that meet ADA standards. They will share tips for emergency preparedness, considerations for reserved seating environments and fraud prevention. Perhaps of greatest significance, attendees will watch a demonstration of the type of tasks that service animal Roady is trained to perform and witness the nuances that help identify working service animals.
Indeed, engaging directly with a person with a disability who uses a service animal in their daily life will enhance the learning experience for attendees. Rose believes this direct interaction offers a personal perspective that enhances empathy and understanding, fostering a stronger commitment to implementing effective, respectful and meaningful accommodations. Attendees will also understand the legal obligations to protect the safety of service animals and the rights of service animal handlers.
“Most importantly, attendees will learn directly from a service animal handler (Nae) the necessary ways in which to interact when you see a service animal on your site,” Rose says. “No touch, no talk, no eye contact. A service animal who is working should never be distracted from their work.”
She adds, “Even if you absolutely love dogs and you just can’t help yourself, you should never interact with a working service animal.”
“I will share personal experiences Roady and I have had in our two years of working together, [and] these experiences exemplify the awareness necessary for positive customer service transactions,” Vallejo says. “We will share examples of interactions and ways to gain consent from service animal handlers during customer service interactions.”
Dani, Roady and Nae walking under blooming Princess Trees at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Photo by Wide Eyed Studios.
It is important for ticketing and live event professionals to understand what distinguishes service animals from emotional support companion animals and how to navigate interactions respectfully and in compliance with the ADA. Attendees will learn this, plus appropriate interactions, correct terminology, preferred language and guidance for enhancing accommodations to best welcome service animals on-site.
“Professionals will learn to identify service animals by understanding that they are task-trained to support a disability,” Rose and Vallejo explain. “Our session will cover the types of tasks and the ways in which the services are performed. [Attendees will] learn that certification or specific identification isn’t required but will be equipped with the correct [legally permissible] questions to confirm the animal’s role. They will also learn how to respond to emergency situations and follow medical protocol as identified by the service animal when their handler is experiencing a medical emergency in your venue. We'll teach you what to do, what to say and what not to do when welcoming service animals on-site.”
For those unfamiliar with service animals and their vital role, the importance of welcoming and protecting them at all venues might not be immediately clear. To explore this, we posed the question to Rose and Vallejo.
They explain, “Service animals are essential to the independence, safety and comfort of their handlers. A service animal is required by the person for whom they work because the services provided accommodate the person's disability. A guide dog is an easy example, where a person who is blind or has low vision can command the sighted service animal to ‘find outside’ or ‘walk forward’ or ‘find the restroom.’”
Vallejo adds, “These commands and tasks are critical to independent navigation of a venue and just one example of millions of tasks a service animal may perform for a handler.”
We also asked Rose and Vallejo why it is essential for all live event and entertainment organizations to establish policies, practices and procedures for service animals.
“Organizations benefit from having transparent service animal policies to ensure consistent, respectful, and ADA-compliant handling of service animals and their handlers,” they say. “These policies help mitigate confusion and foster an inclusive environment for all patrons. Particularly when they are available and communicated to a guest or fan in advance. Truly, when a venue does not provide enough information, most service animal handlers will decline to attend.”
Vallejo continues, “If an employee, patron, guest, fan [or] anyone shows up at your venue tomorrow with a service animal, you need to know what to do to protect the rights and safety of a service animal handler … Most of the regulations and procedures for working with service animals are available for free on the internet, and yet no matter where I go, the policies and procedures are different. Learning from my lived experience will help attendees create consistency in their inclusive practice.”
An organization’s policies, practices and procedures for service animals should address a wide range of considerations. These include admission guidelines, customer service protocols, designated relief areas, amenities, reserved seating and general admission environments, and emergency procedures. They should also outline how staff should interact with handlers and manage situations to prioritize the safety and comfort of service animals and other patrons.
“Service animal handler communities often do thorough research before deciding to visit a site,” Vallejo explains. “They look for specific services that can ensure a comfortable and safe experience for both themselves and their service animals. Your pre-visit information should include enough specificity that service animal handlers may make an informed decision on whether to prepare a visit to your site. If there is not enough information, I will simply choose not to visit a venue.”
On why INTIX 2025 conference attendees should come and learn with them, Rose and Vallejo emphasize, “Our session is more than just a presentation — it's a chance to reshape how we welcome and include individuals with service animals. Join us to gain actionable insights, watch a service animal in action, and take away valuable resources that will eliminate confusion, anxiety, and misinformation while also enabling your organization to make meaningful strides toward accessibility and inclusivity.”
They add, “We [also] want to emphasize the importance of ongoing evaluation and adaptation of policies to stay current with best practices in accessibility. We find there is an enormous amount of misinformation regarding service animals, and we want to give everyone the correct information as well as confidence, reassurance and resources.”
Ultimately, Rose and Vallejo will show ticketing and live event professionals ways to simplify policy and enact effortless practices to welcome all audience members, including those with disabilities.
“Our goal is for attendees to leave with practical strategies and a renewed commitment to inclusivity.”
If you haven’t already registered for INTIX 2025 in New York City, what are you waiting for? Click here to register today!
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