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.
In this years first edition, we meet Mike Linford, partnerships manager at asembl.group. In this interview, Linford discusses his love for experiences, the importance of mentoring within the events industry and why seeing events as a career path is important.
What made you want to get involved in the industry and why?
I actually fell into the industry, I had no idea events was a viable career path. I’ve always loved music festivals and major sporting events, their ability to transcend time and everyone sharing the same peak experience, I find the psychology behind it all fascinating.
A huge part of me has always been extroverted, and drawn to novel experiences, which naturally events offer. I was never going to be suited to a life behind a desk, doing the usual 9-5. I needed to be out there, interacting with people, creating experiences.
What is the first career highlight that comes to mind?
Obviously being named 30underThirty has to be up there and I’m honoured to be on the list. All being said I don’t think I could pick just one highlight, there’s been some amazing moments, and so many doors have been opened from things that I’ve done and people I’ve met.
So, I’d struggle to give a specific highlight, the whole career is a highlight, and each moment continually evolves. There are some exciting plans ahead of me for the next 12 months and I’m fully focused on throwing myself into the opportunities.
What have you learned about yourself since entering the events world?
Great question, I continue to shock myself, I’d say I’ve never been inherently intellectual. Not in the sense of exams and education anyway, so when I learn new things, I still surprise myself. But I’d say my ability to be dynamic and quite stoic when needing to find a solution, we’re in events so things are always going to go wrong, so over the years I’ve picked up a keen ability to (quickly) land on a solution when things take an unexpected turn.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice when starting out in events, what would it be?
Action is the antidote to anxiety. I still use this daily, naturally we’re going to want things off that make us feel uncomfortable, but over the years I’ve learnt that if you lean into the discomfort and just take action, you’re negating any further ruminating and anxiety about what could go wrong. And, ultimately, there’s so much growth on the other side of that, you seen learn you can do hard things.
How important are schemes such as CN 30under30 and do you believe the industry does enough to support young professionals?
They’re amazing, giving up and coming talent in the industry a platform to progress their careers and ideas out into the industry. Everyone has their own offering to bring to the table, the more opportunity to collaborate and elevate that forward, it can only be positive for our industry.
How do you see the events industry changing over the next five years, and how do you want to be part of that change?
We’re at an inflection point now where everyone needs a digital detox, the fatigue from the digital world is starting to show. We’re seeing an increasing need for human connection, and that’s exactly what events are. So, over the next decade, expect more corporate events to connect global hybrid workforces, more incentives and employee reward programs, and brand experiences becoming an increasing part of the marketing mix as a way to create an organic, loyal, community following.
With all that comes more job opportunities, jobs that need to be filled by a new generation of events talent bringing fresh takes and perspectives to help evolve the industry and keep things competitive. For me, I want to help the younger generation see events as not just a viable, but aspirational career choice.
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?
Seeing events as a career path, not as something you fall into. Our industry is so misunderstood and underrepresented when you look at the route through education into the world of work. You can see why most professionals in the space never actually intended to be in events, yet it come through a by-product of some other pursuit.
We need to shed more light and be more vocal on why events and events management is an aspirational career choice.
Why is this particular issue or topic important to you?
Coming out of education I had a two year gap working in retail where I was so lost and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, completely unaware events was even a career. Yet, I loved festivals, major sport events, novel experiences and adventure. If I’d had a mentor or knowledge that there was such thing as the events industry I would’ve wasted less time feeling lost more time exploring, and loving, our industry
What do you plan to do to continue to champion the topic?
I’m an advocate of the industry mentoring program Elevate, it’s a fantastic program led by Max Fellows, Melissa Noakes, and Peter Kerwood. I owe a lot to the elevate team for guiding me into the industry after my time at University, pairing me with my then mentor, now boss, Gavin Farley.
Now six years into my career in the events world, I’m paying that mentorship forward, still engaged with Elevate as Part of Elevate North team, bringing the mentoring program to the Northern regions. I’m also quietly working on an exciting new mentoring venture with the Elevate team, which will be announced in the following months.
What can the industry itself do to better champion this topic?
Pay it forward, mentor the next generation, be vocal about how great our industry is! The more visible the events world is the better opportunities we create for the next generation, especially at a time when everyone is so disconnected and digital isolated, lets bring people into the world of events, a career that is human-centric at its core.
We’re not going anywhere, we’re growing, the landscape is more competitive and we’re all going to win as a result of it. Events has given me everything, and I want others to see how wonderful an industry ours is.
Yes it’s late nights, budget amends and endless pitch work. But I’m a lad from Manchester that’s flown from Las-Vegas to Melbourne, seen my boy-hood club lift the Premier League trophy in a hospitality box with my old man, walked the pitlanes at the F1 an hour before the race, and taken a helicopter over the great barrier reef. None of that would have been possible without my career in events.
So it’s time to pay that forward and bring others into the industry to write their own stories and experience all the crazy things we get up to as a result of how hard we work.
The CN 30underThirty is a 12-month programme that recognises and supports young talent from the conference and meetings industry. Find out more about the CN 30 under 30 class of 2026 here.