Women make up 77% of the global events workforce, yet hold only 16% of leadership roles. The imbalance is well known, but the women driving this industry forward are still too often overlooked.
The 70% is a weekly series dedicated to changing that. Each instalment profiles a woman whose work, insight, and ambition shape the events sector – from emerging talent to established leaders. Through their stories, we explore the pathways, challenges, and perspectives defining what leadership looks like today.
In this weeks edition, we meet Davinia Bourdon, head of sales – exhibitions at Olympia Events.
How long have you worked in events?
I’ve worked in events since 2008, so around 17 years now. My whole career has been built on the commercial side of the industry, starting out as a sales executive and working my way up through a range of organiser businesses including Easyfairs, RX Global and Clarion Events.
I’ve been lucky enough to work on some major global events across multiple sectors including energy, defence and infrastructure, and those roles gave me a brilliant grounding in sales, stakeholder management and event development. Across all of them, the constant has been building strong partnerships and understanding what clients need from an event to help it grow.
How do you balance professional growth with personal commitments?
I’ve always had to be quite disciplined about it because I have three children, so balance has never been something optional, it’s been essential. I’ve always been ambitious and driven, and I’ve always wanted to keep learning and progressing, but I’ve also had to run a very organised home life alongside that. For me, it comes down to flexibility, being realistic, and working smart rather than simply working long hours.
I’ve been fortunate to work in businesses that trusted me to get the job done, and that trust makes all the difference. I’ve never been afraid of hard work, but I do think you can build a successful career and still make space for family life if the culture around you supports that.
How do you see the industry evolving on diversity, equity and inclusion?
We’ve definitely come a long way, but there is still work to be done. When I first started in event sales, it felt very male-dominated and quite competitive.
That change is a positive one, and greater flexibility has certainly helped open the industry up for more women, particularly those balancing work with family life. I’d love to see more women in leadership roles, appearing on speaker line ups and represented even more on conference stages. Progress is happening, but it needs to be intentional rather than assumed.
What advice would you give to young women entering events?
Back yourself and do not take things personally. I had to teach myself resilience quite early on, and I also had to learn to project confidence, even on the days when I did not necessarily feel it. You deserve to be in the room as much as anyone else, and sometimes believing that is half the battle.
I would also say learn to work smart, learn how to communicate well, and push yourself out of your comfort zone when it comes to presenting and speaking because those skills make a huge difference. The events industry is demanding, but also exciting, and if you are prepared to work hard, keep learning and stay confident of your own value, there is a huge amount you can achieve.
How do you handle setbacks and failures?
I try to handle them by owning them, learning from them and moving forward quickly. Mistakes happen, however experienced you are, and there is no value in pretending otherwise. What matters is how you respond. If something has gone wrong, I believe in being honest about it, fixing what I can, and focusing on the solution rather than dwelling on the problem. I also try not to take setbacks too personally. This industry moves quickly, and you have to keep perspective; tomorrow is always a new day, and often the best thing you can do is take the lesson, be accountable, and keep going.
What changes are still needed to create more opportunities for women in leadership?
Flexibility and trust are still the big ones. There are still businesses our there which equate visibility with productivity, when in reality people can be hugely effective without being seen at a desk five days a week. If we want more women in leadership, particularly women with caring responsibilities, then we need to create working environments that are built around outcomes rather than rigid presenteeism. Hybrid working, flexible hours and a genuine culture of trust all matter. People want to succeed for themselves as well as for their employer, and when you treat them like grown-ups and give them that accountability, they usually rise to it. We have the technology and the tools now, so the opportunity is there; the challenge is making sure leadership culture keeps up.