THREE LIFE LESSONS FROM MY CAREER IN EVENTS
Laura Lewis
Senior Knowledge and Events Manager at IMEX
Over the 15 years I've worked in the events sector, I've come across many different situations. I've learnt something from each of them and want to share some of these with the NOWIE community.
First, I want to pay tribute to a key individual I've learnt the most from, who’s given me skills which I've really drawn on throughout my career – my mum! As a single parent bringing up two children she was incredibly resilient, strong and endlessly hard working. Through her job at Unison, she championed equal pay for Teaching Assistants - many of them women - and helped them to get their voices heard by organizing meet-ups and marches.
Even when she became sick, her disciplined and pragmatic approach continued - ‘there’s always a solution to a problem’, she used to say. Mum sadly passed away a few years ago, but not a day goes by when I don’t draw on the resilience, dedication and strength she showed, and taught me
So, it feels very fitting in the run-up to International Women’s Day to celebrate my mum – and all the women who make a positive impact on our lives.
Here are some of my life lessons:
1. Be open to possibilities
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I left college. All I knew was that I loved fashion, so I decided to take the lead and contacted a whole host of fashion brands to ask for work experience.
My persistence paid off and the timing was perfect – it was the run-up to one of the sector’s biggest events – London Fashion Week – so the answer was a resounding yes! This meant I was hands–on right from the start – helping out at fashion shows, press conferences and preparing showrooms. It was exciting to be in the thick of these live events.
However, instead of this being a stepping stone into a career in fashion, these experiences were my introduction to the world of events. Although this wasn't what I'd initially set out to do, I saw the glimmer of something there – was this a sector I could build a career in?
2. A bit of trust goes a long way
I was lucky that at the very start of my career people were willing to take a chance on me and i learnt so much from them. I've had mentors at various stages of my career and am happy that I'm now able to return the favor and become a mentor myself.
Everyone needs a sounding board sometimes, particularly at the start of their career. I've been there myself and I understand that it can be a time that feels uncertain and sometimes overwhelming. Knowing that someone has your back, trusts you and that you're part of a wider event prof. community is part of what makes this sector so rewarding.
One of the key skills I've learnt from my current mentor is how to ‘be your own leader’ (this is also one of IMEX’s business principles). She places a huge amount of trust in me which, in turn, has built my confidence and the authority behind my own decision making.
The benefits of mentoring are clear – both mentors and mentees can learn from, inspire, and uplift each other. However, it’s an opportunity that few people take advantage of: according to Forbes, 76 per cent of people think mentors are important, but only 37 per cent have one. My rallying cry is this – discover the magic of mentoring!
3. Don’t be scared of the big stuff, you can handle it!
Later on in my career I was part of the operations team for a series of consumer shows in London. These shows were big – 30,000 people across four days. Shortly before the doors opened on the first day, however, we received a security alert. A suspicious package had been found on the show floor during build up.
The adrenalin was pumping - this was the first time I'd ever experienced a security alert at one of my events. We moved swiftly into action - my team worked closely with the venue’s security team and quickly involved the emergency services. My task was to help evacuate the venue – full of exhibitors and stand builders at this point – while the emergency services were on their way. Once the venue was declared safe, we were able to open, and the rest of the show ran without a hitch.
I learned so much from this incident: the various elements of a crisis scenario – how to assess and respond to a crisis, who to communicate with and how. The team were well prepared - they had a ready-made crisis plan which helped to guide us step by step.
I’ve learned so much from the wide variety of situations thrown my way over the course of my career – even if they were uncomfortably challenging at the time. It’s at times like these I draw on my mum’s pragmatic approach to life: there’s always going to be an answer to a problem. Don’t panic – you'll find a solution!
Laura Lewis is Senior Knowledge and Events Manager at IMEX and is part of NOWIE’s Level Up mentorship programme. IMEX Frankfurt takes place 14 – 16 May 2024 - the business event community can register here