Cat Kevern, chair of NOWIE (Network of Women In Events) and director of Electric Cat Productions, shares her vision of allyship in the events industry.
The presence of gender inequality within the events industry is no secret. Despite making up 76.9% of event professionals globally (source: IBTM Events, 2022), only 22.62% of women occupy senior management roles, compared with 46.43% of men (Fast Forward 15, 2020). As chair of the Network of Women in Events, I am still shocked by how often my call for gender equality is met with comments like, “We have a woman in our leadership team”. After nearly a decade in the live events sector and working with countless event professionals, my understanding of allyship has evolved dramatically. What once meant grand gestures of resistance, now represents something entirely different – a commitment to accountability and mindfulness. Subtle, but highly effective, this is the tool to unlock a more equitable future for women in the industry.
What is allyship?
Allyship is “active support for the rights of a marginalised group without being a member of it” (Oxford Languages, 2024). It relies on those in positions of power consciously using their advantage to bolster others. While marginalised groups are often expected to lead their charge for equality, history shows that real change requires input from outside the group.
Cat Kevern
There’s an additional nuance when addressing gender equality in a professional context: allyship must be fostered between both men and women, and among women experiencing different forms of discrimination. At each intersection, women must act as allies, whether it’s white women advocating for women of colour, senior-level women supporting their junior counterparts, or women in diverse environments championing those in male-dominated spaces.
Three pillars
While some may consider allyship to be a status to achieve or a destination to reach, true allyship is far more dynamic and underpinned by three key qualities:
- Consistency – “Allyship is a verb, not a noun” (Johnson and Smith, 2022). Your daily actions make a far bigger difference than writing a thunderous LinkedIn post calling out inequality on International Women’s Day. Little and often is the way.
- Active Effort – When a landscape of inequality has long been the norm, it is easy to fall into old patterns. A conscious effort must be made to better the experience of the women around you.
- Mindfulness – Awareness is the most fundamental element of this. By remaining mindful of the experience of women, we become open to truly hearing their experiences and offering both effective support and accountability.
Allyship in action
No one encompasses the notion of mindful allyship better than Josh Heyburn, MD of The Occasional Group. Josh’s commitment to inclusion has been unwavering and deliberate. From ensuring an equal gender split when staffing events, to hiring women in senior management, and employing a dedicated People and Culture officer to oversee diversity and inclusion, Josh has been ensuring there is change through consistent and conscious efforts.
Life is punctuated with grand events, but your life is not the sum of those moments. Similarly, the actions that make up a successful movement towards equality aren’t extravagant ones. The real change comes from the steps that each of us takes day to day consistently and mindfully.
Electric Cat Productions is a marketing services agency where clients include Microsoft, Moët & Chandon – LVMH, Amazon Web Services, Lionsgate, London Marathon and Walt Disney World.
