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 Natasha Thomas, CEO and founder of Total Management Group.
How many years have you been in the events industry?
25+ years.
How do you balance professional growth with personal commitments and do you think the industry is evolving in terms of work life balance?
After 25 years, I’ve learned that balance isn’t a destination, it’s a daily practice. I’ve had to become ruthless about prioritisation and unapologetic about boundaries, it’s a daily practice. I’ve had to become ruthless about prioritisation and unapologetic about boundaries, because nobody will else will protect your time for you. I’m fully present wherever I am and I’ve stopped glorifying the grind. Sustainable success comes from pacing, not from burning yourself out every quarter. The industry has genuinely shifted post-pandemic, conversations around flexibility, mental health and realistic workloads are happening in rooms where they never would have before. But we still romanticise the ‘always on’ culture, and that needs to change.
The most honest thing I can tell you is that you won’t always get the balance right and making peace with that is part of the journey.
How do you see the events industry evolving in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion?
We’ve moved the conversation forward, and I won’t pretend otherwise, but movement isn’t the same as transformation. When I started out 25 years ago, DEI wasn’t even a term people used in this industry.
Today there’s genuine awareness that inclusive events produce better ideas, better outcomes and more loyal clients. What I’m pushing for now is accountability with teeth, not mission statements, but measurable targets around leadership representation, pay equity and access to opportunity. Intent without action is just good PR. The next chapter has to be structural, not cosmetic.
What advice would you give to young women looking to enter and succeed in the events industry?
Own your seat at the table from day one. Build your competence relentlessly, but don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ to back yourself, that moment rarely comes. Say yes to the opportunities that scare you a little, invest deeply in relationships because this industry runs on trust and reputation, and find a mentor who will be straight with you, not just supportive.
Most critically: advocate for yourself loudly and early, your ideas, your boundaries, your pay, your progression. Nobody did me more favours than I did myself by speaking up. Resilience will carry you further than talent alone, but resilience isn’t about absorbing everything, it’s about knowing when to push back,
How do you handle setbacks and failures?
Directly and without too much drama. After 25 years, I’ve had my share of things that didn’t land, clients that walked and decisions I’d make differently. What I’ve learned is that the worst thing you can do is avoid the post-mortem. I sit with it, I ask what I missed. I get honest feedback and then I move forward. This industry is too fast moving to let setbacks anchor you. The ability to reset quickly is genuinely one of the most valuable professional skills I have. I also think there’s something important about normalising failure in leadership, if you’re not failing occasionally, you’re probably not being bold enough.
What changes do you think are still needed to create more opportunities for women in leadership?
Organisations need to stop treating women’s progression as a pipeline problem and start treating it as a structural one. I want to see transparent promotion criteria, pay audits that are actually acted on, and succession planning that proactively develops women rather than waiting for them to push through on their own.
Flexible working can’t remain a penalty for ambition. And we need to get serious about unconscious bias, not a one-off workshop, but ongoing accountability at every level of decision-making. Women are getting into leadership roles; the failure point is often what happens next. Retention, sponsorship, and genuine inclusion in the rooms where strategy is set, that’s where the real work is.
