Women make up around 70% of the global events workforce but their stories, leadership, and influence are often underrepresented.
The 70% is a weekly series celebrating the women shaping the events industry. From rising stars to seasoned leaders, each profile shines a light on the career journeys, challenges, and perspectives of women working across all corners of the sector.
In our third edition of the series, we speak to Selina Donald, director of sustainability at The Bulb (part of Trivandi Group), Advisory Board member of Isla and NOWIE and Fast Forward 15 Mentor.
How many years have you been in the events industry?
I’ve been in the event industry since 2008, starting my career working on the bid for England to host the FIFA World Cup. Whilst that campaign didn’t quite work out how we planned (we lost to Russia), the experience of working on a high profile and fast paced event was life changing and I truly got the ‘bug’. It put me on the path to working on major events worldwide, including the London 2012 Olympics, Rio 2016 Olympics and across the Middle East and APAC.
Selina Donald, director of sustainability
How do you balance professional growth with personal commitments, and do you think the industry is evolving in terms of work-life balance?
This a tough balance to get right, and one that I’m still learning. I have a personality where I thrive off fast paced and intense projects, so I’ve not been the best at knowing when to switch off. Running a business for a decade often led me to working late nights and weekends, but since The Bulb has been acquired by Trivandi, I’m learning to let go, detangle myself from work and enjoy downtime. Trivandi has a culture of putting well-being and health first, from two additional wellness days off each year, to a wellness allowance of £30 per month – it supports putting life before work and helping you recognise how important it is to look after yourself.
In terms of the industry, we talk about mental health a lot more now and we have a new generation of event professionals who seem to have more awareness of the importance of work/life balance, which is moving the needle. I don’t think our industry will ever be a 9-5 (would we want it to be?!) but health and wellbeing should be at the front of all event organisers’ priorities.
How do you see the events industry evolving in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion?
My perspective is that it’s still too slow. Leadership positions are still more likely to be filled by white men than females and non-binary and other ethnicities, not to mention people with a disability. Every organisation should be auditing DEI and Accessibility, examining their workplaces, questioning the inclusivity of their hiring and promotion practices and thinking about how they can level the playing field.
What advice would you give to young women looking to enter and succeed in the events industry?
The best advice someone told me once was to be positive and to every request for support, say yes (within reason of course!) – it set me in good stead for being someone that people want to work with. ‘People buy people’ in our industry and your relationships are the most important asset to nurture.
How do you handle setbacks and failures?
Better than I used to! I’ve had my fair share of failures and the best thing you can do is to take the view that ‘nobody died’ (I hope) and someone somewhere will have it much worse. You must learn from your failures. Take time to think about why it happened and what you are going to do in future to ensure it never happens again. Always be honest and transparent about any mistakes. It’s so important to own your mistakes and be clear to your manager how you will move on. It’s one of the strongest character traits you can have.
What changes do you think are still needed to create more opportunities for women in leadership?
I’m going to say it again – level the playing field. Women are more likely to be care givers for children and elderly parents, so are we doing enough to support women in these roles and ensure they can or will come back to work? We lose a lot of talent in the industry because it’s just not accessible to women who ‘wear multiple hats’. Those that do, end up working late nights and burning out. Every organisation should be looking at how they support the caregivers in their organisation and ensure they have the steps needed to progress.
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