Mentoring programme Elevate has launched its fourth edition with a call for new mentees and mentors.
The programme for event professionals, the largest of its kind in the UK, was created four years to fill what the founders saw as an industry skills gap. The free programme has been designed to bridge that gap helping to provide the skills needed to succeed in long-term events careers.
Max Fellows, co-founder of Elevate and commercial director at TEN6 Creative said: “There is a general expectation for events professionals to progress through their career on experience alone, meaning that larger roles and requirements are picked up by ‘faking it until you make it’. I wonder if mentoring is our industry's secret weapon?”
Registration for the programme is now live and will remain open until Monday 17 February. All partnerships will be announced by the end of February.
Over its previous three seasons Elevate has created more than 220 mentoring pairs with people from across the events industry. The next intake pre-signups have been coming in steadily but the team will be capping at 50, so organisers suggest applying quickly, before it’s too late.
Mellisa Noakes, Elevate co-founder and head of events and divisional sponsorship Santander UK, said: “We know this sort of mentoring scheme is something the industry is crying out for. We conduct a survey each year and over the three seasons 80 per cent feel that they lack the confidence they need to excel in their current job roles. In addition, over 75 per cent reported lacking all of the skills they needed to meet their current role requirements, let alone the skills that they would need to rise through the ranks of their companies.”
Elevate’s six-month programme is designed to connect mentees with more experienced mentors from the industry. Mentors include CEOs, entrepreneurs, creative directors, venue managers, freelancers, client managers, brand experience directors, suppliers and creative designers from the likes of Jack Morton, Sony, Amplify, Geometry, L'Oreal, Pretty Green, Sequoia Partnership, Seen and many more.
Francis Cremona, head of sales at Camm and Hooper, said: “I urge everyone to get involved with Elevate. Mentoring for the programme has been a huge honour and privilege. The value it's provided has almost taken me by surprise having already taught me such useful lessons that I incorporate into my day to day role. It is without doubt the best thing I've done in my career to date.”
For more information, visit the Elevate programme.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
