What do you do if you're an event production professional seeking mentorship opportunities in the industry?

1 Identify your goals

Before you start looking for a mentor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and learn from the relationship. Do you want to enhance your technical skills, such as audiovisual, lighting, or staging? Do you want to develop your leadership, communication, or project management skills? Do you want to explore new areas of event production, such as virtual, hybrid, or experiential events? Write down your specific goals and use them as a criteria to find a suitable mentor.

2 Research potential mentors

Once you have your goals in mind, you can start researching potential mentors who have the experience, expertise, and reputation that you admire and aspire to. You can use various sources to find them, such as industry associations, online platforms, social media, blogs, podcasts, or magazines. Look for mentors who are active and influential in the event production community, who share valuable insights and advice, and who have a similar or complementary style and vision to yours.

3 Reach out and connect

After you have a shortlist of potential mentors, you need to reach out and connect with them. You can do this by sending a polite and professional email or message, introducing yourself, explaining why you're interested in their work, and asking if they would be willing to mentor you. Be specific about what you hope to learn from them, how much time you expect to spend with them, and what you can offer in return. For example, you can offer to help them with their projects, to share your feedback and ideas, or to promote their brand and network.

4 Establish expectations and boundaries

If you find a mentor who agrees to work with you, you need to establish expectations and boundaries for the relationship. This means setting clear and realistic goals, defining roles and responsibilities, agreeing on the frequency and format of communication, and respecting each other's time and privacy. You also need to be open and honest about your strengths and weaknesses, your challenges and opportunities, and your feedback and appreciation. A good mentorship relationship is based on trust, respect, and mutual benefit.

5 Seek feedback and apply it

One of the main benefits of having a mentor is that you can get feedback and advice from someone who has more knowledge and experience than you. Therefore, you need to seek feedback regularly and apply it to your work and development. You can ask your mentor specific questions, show them your work samples, or invite them to observe your performance. You also need to listen to their feedback carefully, ask for clarification if needed, and thank them for their input. Then, you need to take action on their feedback, implement their suggestions, and show them your progress and results.

6 Give back and pay it forward

Finally, you need to remember that mentorship is a two-way street, and that you should give back and pay it forward as much as you can. You can give back to your mentor by acknowledging their contribution, expressing your gratitude, supporting their goals, and recommending them to others. You can also pay it forward by sharing your knowledge and skills with others, mentoring someone else, or creating opportunities for the event production community. By doing this, you can strengthen your network, build your reputation, and contribute to the industry.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?