The Fast Forward 15 inaugural Awards took place on Thursday 24 April at The Mermaid London, overlooking the Thames, bringing together mentors, mentees and supporters for a dynamic celebration of mentorship, innovation and the brilliant individuals shaping the future of events and hospitality.
The evening was nothing short of inspirational, spotlighting the mentors who empower others, the mentees who are driving meaningful change, and the rising stars already making their mark on our industry.
The evening was emceed by FF15 founder Fay Sharpe OBE and Shonali Devereaux, whose energy and charisma tied the evening together seamlessly.
Sharpe said: “We work incredibly hard in the events industry, and while we often celebrate our achievements through the events themselves, these Awards were different. They recognised the people and organisations who give back—not for profit or personal gain, but because they believe in investing their time in others.”
She added: “I’m confident this will go from strength to strength, enabling us to continue the impactful work we do at FF15, including our exciting new initiative, University Challenge, which supports event students and the next generation of event professionals.”
Abby Sammons, marketing and partnerships manager at Wise Productions and current FF15 Mentee and one of the Awards organising team, said: “The overwhelming response to the inaugural Fast Forward 15 Mentoring Awards underscores the incredible dedication of those within our industry! The atmosphere was truly inspiring, filled with individuals and organisations who are deeply committed to fostering growth and mentorship.”
Once the awards had been given out and the evening was coming to a close, the event’s organiser, Sharpe, surprised the audience with one final surprise award: The Fay Sharpe Award for Outstanding Contribution, which was awarded to none other than Shonali Devereaux.
Additionally, the event raised £14,000 for the Fast Forward 15 programme and University Challenge.
The winners and highly commended are as follow:
Corporate Winner:
- IQEQ
Agency Winner:
- BCD – win
- emc3 – highly commended
Mentor of the Year:
- Richard Bridge – win
- Andrew Mosely – commended
- Kathryn Williams – commended
Rising Star
- Mia Breading – commended
- Ashleigh John – win
Diversity & Inclusion
- Elevate Global – win
- Festival of the Girl – commended
Ally of the Year
- Diversity Alliance – commended
- Felicia and Cvent – win
- Hayley Nichols – commended
Event Student
- Maggie Mitchell – commended
- Annie Hart – win
- Maisie Bushell – commended
Community
- NOWIE – commended
- Candice Kass – win
Mentor & Me
- Caroline & Mike – commended
- Kathryn & Emma – win
- Sammy & Sophie – commended
Coaching Champion
- Nel Flint – win
- Cally Willoughby-Ward – commended
Community Coaching Initiative
- KERB + (Nadia Gasper, Lisa Donohue)
Sharpe concluded: “It was a wonderful evening, filled with an electric atmosphere and goodwill all around. The celebration extended beyond the FF15 community—it was a moment for the whole industry.”
FF15 would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making the night a resounding success including the event’s sponsors:
The Mermaid London, Seasoned, Rockit Event Production, ABPCO, welIMPLEMENT emc3, cvent, mia, elevate, Top Banana, Off Limits, Needi, Printhub Global, Oasis Graphic Co, Just Entertainment, The Corrigan Collection, Kevin Moran Photography and Mash Media.
Kevin Moran Photography
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