Women are believed to make up around 70% of the events and exhibitions work force, and yet this majority is often woefully underrepresented at board level in the same businesses - where females fill roughly 20% of roles. For many this comes as no surprise, and it’s matters such as this that are addressed by the Women in Exhibitions (WiE) initiative which met at Excel last month for its third annual summit. The event follows the success of its first two outings in Maastricht and Milan, and we were once again delighted to partner with the event and provide our support. This year five members of the GES team attended and brought with them experience from the fields of event management, ESG and business development.
Opportunity for sharing
Natalie Wing, Commercial Director, GES EMEA and she sits on the board of the UK chapter of WiE. For her, the annual summit offers a unique chance for discussion and shared experience. “It’s great to have stakeholders from every aspect of the industry, all on a level playing field. The topics discussed are for everyone and this year touched upon really interesting and relevant subjects such as supporting caregivers in the workplace as well as what true allyship looks like.” But while the 150-strong audience was predominantly female, it’s not just about women meeting with women, as Natalie suggests. It’s important that men are part of the discussion too: “The summit provides room for real openness and honesty among attendees and a unique space for networking too. It was great to see some senior-level male industry peers taking part in discussions too and using the opportunity to listen and understand the challenges.”
The 2025 summit was opened with an engaging keynote speech by Deborah Frances-White - an award-winning writer and comedian, best known for her hit podcast The Guilty Feminist. Larger sessions were interspersed with multiple breakouts and opportunities for networking too.
Undoubtedly, forums such as this create space for dialogue, visibility, and action around gender equality—helping to break barriers, amplify voices, and promote leadership opportunities for women. And it’s something we’re proud to support. At GES, we have supported the WiE network since its inception. We view ourselves as allies and are committed to championing gender equality via robust ESG initiatives.
As we continue to play an active role in the initiative, particularly via its UK Chapter, we’re hopeful for change and excited to be a part of it.