Head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences, Rachael Bartlett, has been named as one of the mentees in the inaugural Fast Forward 15 programme – created to inspire, encourage, and empower women in the events industry.
The mentoring initiative – pioneered by Fay Sharpe of Zibrant – aims to help 15 women develop their events and hospitality careers by sharing knowledge and expertise with leaders in their field. In total, the Fast Forward 15 scheme attracted 139 applicants, with the chosen 15 announced at a lunch on Friday 20th March.
Rachael will be mentored in the ‘Aspirational Board Director’ category of the programme by Jo Austin, head of sales at Lime Venue Portfolio. The programme, which is endorsed by the HBAA, MPI, and the Women’s Business Council, will see mentors and mentees work together over a 12-month period to achieve specified objectives and goals.
Rachael comments:
“I’m delighted to be a part of the Fast Forward 15 scheme and to have the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the wider industry. Understanding events challenges through new perspectives is key to both personal development and business growth, and it’s a privilege to have been selected from the pool of candidates that applied.
“The Fast Forward 15 scheme is a brilliant initiative for supporting women in the events industry, and I look forward to working with my mentor Jo over what I’m certain will be a hugely rewarding year.”