Can you share a brief overview of your career journey that led you to your current role?

After finishing my Product Design university degree, I landed a job as Marketing Assistant, in January 2017 at a land-based gaming company where I managed the extensive global exhibition schedule. After a busy year, I achieved a promotion to Marketing Executive. During my 3.5 years here, I gained experience in organising 10sqm booths to complex double-decker 240sqm stands. Having the creativity nailed, I got my head down and learnt the marketing and business side of things quickly. I handled multiple contracts and managed tender processes, including writing the initial briefs right through to negotiating costs and awarding the business. Thereafter I subsequently managed the planning, operations, logistics and delivery as well as undertaking post event analytics. Some may say my love of events came from being thrown in at the deep end and experiencing the buzz of ICE London a month in to starting.

Covid put a spanner in the works when it came to face-to-face events, and I was made redundant in July 2020.

Fast forward a month and I found a job as a Marketing Executive, this time it was in the Defence industry. A new, exciting challenge (with plenty of technical abbreviations to learn, IYKYK) where as soon as I joined, I took over organising, promoting and delivering the webinar series – designed to provide educational and engaging sessions with leading edge topics and demonstrations. Adjusting to life running events behind the screen proved a nice new skill with significant sales opportunities however 18 months later, once the world started to open back up, I longed to return to the gaming industry in an events-focused role.

December 2021, saw my return to the gaming industry as an Events Manager. Utilising accrued knowledge in events management and collaborating with key stakeholders, to date, I have managed single storey 37sqm booths through to mammoth 650sqm double-deckers. With increasing responsibility, precise budgeting, (blood, sweat, tears, pink gin), and continuous growth in event-led lead generation in December 2023 I was promoted to Head of Global Events.
Which skills or qualities do you believe are crucial for success in senior positions? 

The more events you do, you realise how small and tightly-connected the industry is. It is crucial you are capable of developing and maintaining close relationships. The following qualities will enable you to prosper in your role and advance to senior positions.

Be a good communicator – It’s cliché, but communication is key – especially in events.

In order to deliver a successful event, you will be liaising with lots of different people, different languages and different hierarchies.

Internally you will work inter-departmentally to ensure the exhibitions you deliver will work for all. You will have to learn about the product, the target markets, the prospects, customers, and competitors. Technically, you will need to know the USPs and innovations that set the product apart. Be open to learning, ask questions and reach out to your colleagues when you need to.

Externally you will be coordinating different suppliers and services; it must be a priority to grow a circle full of trusted and reliable providers, with the purpose of using them going forward. In order to develop these connections, you need to give the energy you want to receive with politeness and transparency.

Stay on top of things with WhatsApp groups, teams chats and regular calls.

Be organised – You will be managing both external suppliers and internal stakeholders, with everyone reliant on you bringing it all together. Create spreadsheets and timelines, write lists and set reminders. Ensure your folders are clear and comprehensive.

Be proactive – To flourish in events, you need to be a go getter, have a good attitude, be able to solve problems and get stuff done. You can really tell when an Event’s Manager has gone the extra mile (and back again – just as I did when I flew out to manage an event in Brazil two days after my own wedding, crazy!)

Be personable – This one ties in with being a good communicator, but it’s important to remember it is a two-way street with suppliers, they need to want to work with you too. You need to understand different types of people and be able to recognise how formal or informal you can be with them to maintain a great relationship. Inject your personality, ask them how their weekend was and make small talk. Be friendly, approachable and don’t burn bridges – you never know when you may need to call on someone!

You are the events expert, aka a fountain of knowledge, believe in what you can accomplish and ensure you build the best team around you in order to succeed.

How can organisations better support and promote gender diversity in leadership positions?

Diverse teams can develop more innovative ideas, with access to multiple views, leading to improved overall productivity. There are several ways we can advocate for gender diversity, which is crucial in achieving a business strategy and greater profitability.

For a woman in a heavily male dominated industry, it is very apparent there is a lack of female representation in leadership positions, it is important we empower women to grow and challenge the unconscious bias and stereotypes.

Promoting equal opportunities within the workplace is crucial. This means implementing procedures to prevent discrimination when it comes to recruitment or promotions. Ensure pay is fair, have conversations about career development and embrace non-linear career paths.

Flexible working hours, hybrid or remote working has improved the quality of work/life balance for parents (and pawrents ?). We often see less women in leadership roles because of family commitments, so creating a culture that values this balance would help women thrive. Luckily, I work in an environment that supports this type of flexibility, promotes taking time off and offers wellbeing initiatives.

For a diverse environment, it is important that women are encouraged to get involved and further their careers. Offering training for both career progression and life skills can be a way to up-skill employees and also proves you are worth investing in.

Refreshingly, here at Sportingtech we are lucky to have amazing women in leadership roles and an incredibly gender-diverse senior team. 40% of the Senior Leadership Team are women, which is a powerful statement, proving that if you work hard, you can work your way to the top rank. Throughout the business there are different genders, races, religions, and beliefs represented at every level, fortunately in a respectful and supportive working environment.

What piece of advice would you give to individuals aspiring to pursue senior and leadership positions in the events industry?

The events industry is a wonderful world full of marketeers, organisers, creatives, project managers, suppliers, accountants, builders and more. In order to succeed in the events industry, you will have to work in harmony with all these professions.

For anyone wishing to pursue a senior or leadership role within events, I would advise you to work hard and get involved. Soak up everything like a sponge and learn from mistakes and feedback. You should have the craving to want to innovate and improve, and a competitive streak to always be and deliver your best. Believe in yourself, be kind and grow your circle.

And for my parting note, I will leave you with two phrases that have helped me get to where I am today:

1. No question is a silly question
2. When You ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME