In this episode of the Event Manager Podcast, we discuss the power and value of mentoring women in the event industry. Our guests are Georgia Suttie, Venue Find Operations Manager at Agiito and Sophie Conlon, Events and Communications Manager at the University of Essex, both currently mentees of the Fast Forward 15 mentoring program.
We start by discussing some of the unusual and diverse career paths that event professionals take. With so many event professionals having diverse backgrounds, the value of a structured mentoring program such as Fast Forward 15 can be clearly seen and both Suttie and Conlon are living examples of this.
Being mentored by senior industry professionals has clearly benefited Suttie and Conlon’s careers. They are grateful for the opportunity and speak fondly about the experience. For them mentoring is just as much about being guided by someone that knows the event industry inside out as it is about having someone they can trust who gives them the confidence to advance in their careers.
For Suttie and Conlon, the shared experience of being part of the cohort of 15 mentees now concluding the program is a huge benefit. The group is planning and promoting The Bingo Ball, an event designed to raise awareness and funds for the Fast Forward 15 mentoring program. The event on March 8 will also raise funds in aid of MindOut, a mental health charity supporting the LGBTQ community in the UK.