Over the course of the CN 30underThirty programme, Conference News will be speaking to members of the programme about their professional journey and the causes they’re championing to shape a more inclusive, forward-thinking industry.
This week, meet Laura Singleton, producer at CTL Communications. Singleton accidentally fell into the world of events after speaking to a recruiter. In this interview she discusses the challenges she has overcome and her passion for championing new talent within the events industry.
What made you want to get involved in the industry and why?
Finding the events industry was a happy accident. The truth is, I didn’t even know this kind of role existed until Covid-19 and speaking with a recruiter! I initially trained as a theatre director where I was fascinated with the powers of collaboration and finding creative ways to tell complex stories – which as you can imagine, was a perfect transition to the events industry. It has everything the theatre industry had, plus more variety, and an even faster pace!
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome?
The biggest challenge, I would say, is imposter syndrome. As a young female working within the corporate world, it’s challenging at times. You doubt yourself. I’m extremely lucky to be surrounded by incredible female leaders at CTL who empower me every day, push me out of my comfort zone, and put their trust in me. As to overcoming… I’m working on it, but does it ever really leave? If you have a solution, reach out – I’m all ears!
What have you learned about yourself since entering the events world?
I care about the way people feel, and I’ve learnt it’s not a weakness. This could be at every touchpoint of a delegate journey, the way the production and creative teams feel bringing an event to life, or our internal team at CTL. The environment you experience is so important.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice when starting out in events, what would it be?
Trust yourself. If it doesn’t feel right in your gut, it probably isn’t, and it’s OK not to know the answer; it’s about what you do to get there that matters.
How do you see the events industry changing over the next five years, and how do you want to be part of that change?
Our audiences are now digitally literate, and the next generation will have grown up immersed in and navigating the digital world. This is incredibly exciting and allows us to take even more risks with the user experience! I can’t wait to experiment and push the boundaries in the ways we integrate technology into events to enhance creativity and amplify experiences – especially virtual ones!
What is an issue or topic within the industry that you think is important and want to champion? Can you explain a bit about it?
According to recruiter reports, we’re in a talent shortage within the events industry. It’s such a huge, multidisciplinary industry and people aren’t aware. I do believe there is something here for everyone; we just need to share and shout about it louder – raise the awareness!
Good talent is hard to find but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Why is this particular issue or topic important to you?
I didn’t even know this world existed, so I’m sure there are others out there in a similar position. Talent is the backbone of our industry, and collaborating is where the magic happens. I believe there are many doors waiting to be opened by the right people and exciting collaborations yet to come. They just need to know this world exists first!
What do you plan to do to continue to champion/topic?
I would love to go into schools to speak to young people about the industry and the endless opportunities it offers. I’m always sharing experiences with young people in my local community and children of friends, to give them insights and hopefully inspire them to pursue a rewarding and exciting career in events!
What can the industry itself do to better champion this topic?
We’re constantly talking to the people that know, not the people that don’t. I really believe that it’s the perspectives and ideas that come from unconventional places that offer exciting insights and inspiration to push boundaries, and this can apply to recruitment too.
Perhaps we should take deep dives on unconventional journeys that event professionals took before finding the industry and highlight them: what are the benefits, similarities, career prospects, what were their expectations, what do they love about it? This is super interesting for young people looking to find their career path, or even people looking for a career pivot.
