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.
This week, we meet Debbie Bell, director at ZiaBia Events Consultancy.
How many years have you been in the events industry?
Too many! I’ve been working in hospitality for 40 years, firstly in hotels where I worked in all departments to my dedicated agency career beginning in 1999. Since we set up ZiaBia 14 years ago, we haven’t looked back since. My operations background has fed into this and is key, but of course we are all still learning and growing on a daily basis.
How do you balance professional growth with personal commitments and do you think the industry is evolving in terms of work life balance?
Balancing professional growth with personal commitments is an ongoing process, especially when running your own business. Continuous learning has always been important to me, from working with business coaches to keeping up with new ways of working across the industry. Its important to have your support network around you.
The events industry has made real progress around work-life balance, with much greater awareness of wellbeing and mental health. For me, getting headspace is key; walking, being by water and using mindfulness tools all help. Staying connected with industry peers and sharing challenges also plays a big role in maintaining balance and growth.
How do you see the events industry evolving in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion?
The events industry has made significant progress in recent years when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. We’re seeing much stronger speaker diversity, better accessibility and broader, more thoughtful topics being discussed across events and generally more awareness. These improvements haven’t happened by accident – they’ve come from conscious, ongoing efforts to do better and to keep pushing the conversation forward.
That said, there is always more to be done. DEI isn’t a tick‑box exercise; it’s about constantly evolving and challenging ourselves to improve. At ZiaBia, as part of being a B Corp further DEI training is part of our plans this year. We see it as our responsibility to keep diversity and inclusion firmly on the agenda and to help drive meaningful change across the industry.
What advice would you give to young women looking to enter and succeed in the events industry?
My advice would be to go for it! Get yourself out there and take every opportunity you can. The events industry can be tough to break into, and you may find yourself competing with candidates who already have experience but there are also so many supportive, generous people who are willing to mentor, guide and help you along the way.
Gaining a variety of experience is key – that might mean volunteering, taking on apprenticeships or saying yes to opportunities that help you build practical skills and confidence. At ZiaBia, for example, we actively support early talent and have had two apprentices within the business. Every experience adds value, and persistence really does pay off.
We are always open to talking to anybody that we can help. There are also some excellent industry specific mentorship programs like Elevate Mentoring and Fast Forward 15 that provide excellent opportunities and guidance.
How do you handle setbacks and failures?
When things don’t go to plan, I try to analyse what happened and, more importantly, focus on how I respond. It’s that mindset of learning, adapting and moving forward that ultimately leads to progress and long‑term success.
I’ve learned over the years that setbacks and failures are an important part of growth. Failure isn’t a bad thing; it’s an opportunity to step back, look at situations differently and learn from them. You can’t win at everything and often it’s the knockbacks we experience in both life and business that help shape us into stronger, more resilient people.
What changes do you think are still needed to create more opportunities for women in leadership?
There is still a significant amount of work to do to create more opportunities for women in leadership. The statistics remain shocking despite women making up around 70% of the workforce in the events industry, representation at senior and leadership levels is nowhere near where it should be.
Real change will come through continued investment in women’s progression into management and senior roles, alongside clear, transparent career pathways. In our own female‑led business, everyone in the team has a defined progression framework, supported by flexible working that recognises different career stages and life commitments.
Just as importantly, women need to be present in decision‑making spaces. We must actively ensure women are in the room, part of the discussion and influencing outcomes, while continuing to support initiatives that elevate women in business.
When you consider that the last time we went to the moon, women couldn’t even open a credit card in their own name, yet in the recent Artemis II mission we had women leading the control centre it’s both shocking and encouraging. One female astronaut within the team of four is a direct visual representation of how far we have to go. The progress is real, but the gaps in leadership representation show why sustained focus and action are still essential.