How Mentorship Can Help Solve the Event Industry’s Talent Shortage

The events industry is facing a critical talent shortage—and it’s not a future problem, it’s a right‑now problem.

Fewer students are choosing hospitality and events degrees, and we’re feeling the impact across the sector. Low starting salaries, the “invisible industry” challenge, and even AI reducing traditional internship pathways are all making it harder to attract young professionals.

Industry data backs this up: the Events Industry Council’s Futures Landscape Study 2025 identified “Talent and Workforce Development” as one of the 12 key forces shaping the industry’s trajectory—and one of its most urgent challenges. According to the study, 75% of respondents said talent is either very or extremely important to the industry’s future.

With the talent pipeline under pressure, mentorship is one of the most meaningful ways we can support, retain and grow the next generation of event professionals.

2026 marks my second year as a mentor with NOWIE – The Network of Women in Events CIC’s Level Up program, which connects women in the early to mid-stages of their event careers with professionals in their chosen specialism. It’s a brilliant initiative focused on sharing skills and creating growth opportunities, helping mentees to gain confidence and build toward their career goals.

For the past six months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the fantastic Bella Casson as she settles into her new role. Together we’ve set goals, identified development areas and celebrated the wins—big and small.

But mentorship isn’t a one-way street. I’ve learnt just as much from the experience as I’ve given.

Here are three things mentoring has taught me:

1. Fresh perspectives mean better leadership: Working with someone at an earlier career stage forces me to step outside my assumptions. Bella asks questions I haven’t considered in years and challenges processes I take for granted—it’s a powerful nudge to stay adaptable and open-minded.
2. Mentoring sharpens my own skills: explaining how I approach stakeholder management or problem‑solving makes me more intentional about my own practice. It’s like holding up a mirror to your professional habits—you see what’s working and what’s outdated.
3. Fueling my own passion for events: I genuinely enjoy mentoring. It’s energizing to meet people who love this industry as much as I do and to help them find their path within it.

Although my formal mentorship with Bella ends next month, the connection won’t. We’ll continue to stay in touch in the months and years ahead, sharing experiences and supporting each other as our careers evolve.

If the events industry wants to close the talent gap, we need more of this—more support, more pathways and more people investing in the next generation. Mentorship isn’t the whole solution, but it’s a great place to start.

Laura Lewis is Senior Operations Manager at the IMEX Group

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