Tomorrow's Talent: Jade Woodall, BCD

How did it feel when you found out you were one of the winners of Tomorrow’s Talent?

Very exciting! It’s always nice when your hard work and passion for the industry is recognised by your peers and colleagues and I was really looking forward to meeting all of the other winners and hearing their stories!

What first attracted you to working in events?

When I was back in school, we had a family friend who ran his own events company and I loved hearing about all of his exciting projects. He seemed to be the only ‘grown up’ I knew at the time who had a ‘fun’ job! So when the time came, I started looking into whether events could be studied as a degree at university and when I discovered it was, I was immediately sold! I loved the idea of working in such a busy, fast moving, exciting industry where no two events are the same. Plus the opportunity to travel and meet lots of new people was a big thing for me!

What do you love most about your job?

For me it’s the thrill and adrenaline rush I get from being onsite and seeing all of your hard work pay off in the form of a successful event. I also love to travel and I meet so many different people through my work from all over the world which is so interesting and engaging.

If you could change one thing about the events industry, what would it be?

I would personally like to better understand (and put into practice) how we as an industry can reduce our impact on the environment and climate change. I feel as though when deadlines are looming and the pressure of an event is rising it can be easy to cut corners when it comes to sustainability and reducing waste, but this is something I think we need to be pushing to have best practice and procedures in, so that the events industry is leaving a positive legacy. I do think we are improving, awareness certainly is, but we can always do more!

What are you most looking forward to about The Meetings Show this year?

Continuing to grow relationships with the organisers of the Meetings Show/ Tomorrow’s Talent and the fellow winners.

Expanding my network of amazing suppliers, venues and fellow event organisers.

Getting new ideas for my events and attending education sessions to improve skills and knowledge.

What are your ambitions for the next five years?

I would like to continue working in agency events as I find this the most fast-paced and exciting area of the events industry (it definitely keeps me on my toes!) and continue expanding my network and knowledge to ultimately become the best event manager I can be and progress onwards and upwards into a senior agency position.

Do you have any advice or top tips for people just starting out in events?

Volunteer, network and absorb/learn! Try and get as much voluntary experience as possible, which will help you build relevant skills and develop a network of key contacts. Also look into memberships with industry networking organisations/groups and attend shows like The Meetings Show to better understand how you might fit into the industry and what it’s all about!

Connect with Jade on LinkedIn here.