International Women's Day is challenging us to #BreakTheBias this year. The global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women features high on the agenda, and as we fast approach it, there is cause to pause and reflect on some of the amazing women in our industry. 

We were lucky enough to spend some time with Fay Sharpe OBE from Fast Forward 15, to find out more about the incredible work that she has been doing to drive the meetings and events industry, to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Fay has over 30 years of experience in events and has won numerous awards including an Honorary Doctorate for her services to the sector from the University of West London.

This is some of the highlights from catching up with Fay.  

What’s your personal experience in the industry, and where does your inspiration come from?  

I’ve worked in the event industry for over 30 years. After studying hotel management at college, and working in a variety of other roles, I went on to start my own event agency called Zibrant. Everything that I have done throughout my career and all of the experiences that I had encountered, have led me to this point. I've spent a lot of time on the ground working in hotel management, directing creative and managing brands and I love everything about the industry. 

When did you know that the event industry was your calling? 

When I was 21, I didn't know what I wanted to do. After finishing my hotel management course at college, I went on to work in a hotel. My boss turned around to me one day and challenged me to drive more footfall into the property, so I created a wedding fair and as a result of this event we secured 28 wedding bookings. This success gave me a huge amount of confidence in my ability and cemented my lifelong love for events. 

Can you share more about your personal journey from starting out to now. Were the any particular challenges you have had to overcome?

I was 19 when I started in the industry, so I was very young. But I was very fortunate that I had a couple of really amazing strong female clients and they were such a massive inspiration to me.

What or who inspires you?

I'm truly inspired by so many people and I love working with creatives.  I'm also really inspired by our industry as there is a huge sense of community and people always rally together to support one another. 

Can you tell us a little bit about Fast Forward 15? 

Yes, of course. Fast Forward 15 is a mentoring programme designed to provide 15 women in the events, hospitality and MICE industry, with the opportunity to be mentored, encouraged and advised by an industry expert for a full calendar year, as well as becoming part of a wider community of successful women supporters. 

Why did you set this up? What was your motivation? 

In 2014, I sold my business and decided that I wanted to focus my time on helping women to become more confident and achieve their goals. I could see that there wasn’t enough diversity being showcased across the industry at that point and after attending an event where 82% of the attendee list were men, I knew at that moment that something needed to be done to shift the dial. 

I wanted to draw on all of my industry experience and become a role model to other women, so I came up with the idea of creating a mentorship programme, this is when Fast Forward 15 was born. I sourced mentors in high positions in the industry and carefully matched mentees with the right mentor so that they could support them with education, profile building and generally building their confidence. 

Who can apply for Fast Forward 15? 

Any woman in the event industry can apply for the programme. Applications for this year’s round close on the 10th of March.

What would your advice be to a woman who is starting out in the event industry? 

The event industry is such a varied space and no one size fits all. Before setting out, take some time to write a list of personal strengths and what you enjoy and then try to work out what opportunities you might be suited for from there. It might be event planning, hotel management or corporate events – each is different and require a specific skill set. Also, when looking for jobs, look at agencies or brands whose cultures and ethics you admire. Finally, never be afraid to reach out and ask others for advice. It’s such a helpful community and you’ll be amazed at what you can learn for others. 

What are your plans for the future of Fast Forward 15?  

Fast Forward 15 has evolved but COVID has really forced us to tighten things up to ensure that we can still achieve our mission and vision. We realised that some of the changes that we had to make because we were unable to meet in person, opened up opportunities for us and we were able to communicate with one another more regularly online. This has been a huge transition for us and one that we will continue to build on. 

We are also looking to make a shift towards championing more diversity across the industry. I would really like to see more Black, Brown and Ethnic Minority women thriving in our industry so this is something that we will be working to support in the coming months and years.

We also have our 2022 charity event, The Bingo Ball, in aid of MindOut - a mental health charity for the LGBTQ community in the UK taking place on the 8th of March 2022 after Confex at Excel London – please so join us if you can! This year’s mentees have really pulled it out of the bag. Throughout the event, there will be an opportunity for networking with industry peers, an introduction to the Fast Forward 15 programme, top entertainment and an all-important game of bingo! We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to not only have a fabulous time but also raise money for MindOut.