The Network of Women in Events (NOWIE) has announced the return of their annual event industry mentoring scheme, Level Up. The programme pairs women in their junior to mid-career with an experienced mentor, providing tailored support to participants as they navigate challenges, transitions and next steps in their professional journey. Established in 2013, NOWIE has recently reformed as a Community Interest Company, and strives to create better opportunities for women in the events sector at all stages of their career, through networking, community and improved representation. Now in its third year, and following a recent rebrand, Level Up makes its highly anticipated return following an overwhelming response and demand during the 2024 programme. Applications are open from Monday 25th November, with successful applicants expected to receive their pairings before the end of the year.
The Programme
Commencing with an in-person networking event, the Level Up programme runs over a six-month period, during which mentees and mentors meet monthly to complete pre-planned sessions. While this high level of structure is offered, participants are free to create their own roster of topics to ensure the programme is relevant and beneficial. The topics covered include setting career goals in the short, mid and long term, managing finances, personal branding and confidence building. The 2024 cohort united 50 pairs of mentees and mentors, with mentors occupying roles at nationally renowned festivals and production companies, as founders and directors, and as freelancers. Enormous care and consideration is taken during the matching process to ensure that mentees are partnered with the most relevant mentor possible.
Success Stories
Mentees in the 2024 cohort celebrated some impressive career milestones during the programme, including Coline Poidevin, who successfully transitioned from a salaried position to full-time freelancing, and Georgie Chappell, who booked her first speaking engagement at an industry event. Kitty Briggs, another mentee from the 2024 programme, commented, “the full-time freelancer world is now looking more achievable, which is something I didn’t think would be possible at this stage of my career.”
The Value of Mentoring
“Mentoring is unquestionably one of the most valuable tools we have to level the playing field for women in the industry,” explains NOWIE’s Director, Cat Kevern. “As we look to redefine industry norms and see more women reaching their full potential and ascending to the most senior roles, we need to create a community where those who have paved the way can help to guide those who are up and coming.”
Kevern is a well-established mentor in her own right, having participated in previous years of Level Up, D&AD’s Shift night school, and student mentoring at the University of West England. “I highly recommend mentoring, both as a mentee and mentor, to anyone looking to progress their career. There is always so much to learn on both sides.”
Level Up is able to continue for a third consecutive year thanks to the generous support of NOWIE’s headline sponsors, Safe Events Global and Arena. Mark Breen, Director of Safe Events Global, commented, “The work Cat and the team at NOWIE do is both important and inspiring. We’ve seen firsthand over the years the challenges women in the industry can face and we believe those doing great work to address that should be supported. So we are delighted to partner with NOWIE and are very excited to see their plans for the organisation come to fruition in the coming months and years.”
Further information
Mentee applications for the 2025 Level Up cohort are exclusively open to NOWIE members and can be completed via the Member’s Area of the website. Mentors do not have to be members and can apply on the website. The application deadline is midnight Friday 6th December for mentees and mentors.
Further information about memberships and how to enrol can be found on NOWIE’s website. https://www.nowie.org/
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