Line in the Sand: Time to Take Action on Women in Business Events Leadership

L-R: Sherrif Karamat CAE, PCMA and Lyn Lewis-Smith, BESydney

Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and the world’s largest association for business events strategists, PCMA, released the findings of a new global study into Advancing Women in Business Events in San Diego overnight.  

During 2023, the PCMA Foundation and Business Events Sydney (BESydney) set out to explore the pronounced gender gap in the global business events industry and then to recommend a set of actions the community can take to advance women into senior leadership roles, specifically to the C-suite and Boards, and address this inequity.   

With a three-quarters majority female workforce globally, and a striking inverse male: female ratio as roles ascend to c-suite, CEO and Board levels, the Report identified the majority of the workforce currently1:  

• do not agree the industry’s leadership is diverse 
• could not see clear career pathways to leadership positions 
• had insufficient access to career advancement support and development opportunities. 

Barriers to advancement were identified across personal, organisational and societal levels.  

BESydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith said, “This Report draws a clear line in the sand. BESydney has long been an advocate for gender parity in our industry. We cannot innovate, grow and build resilience as a sector unless we are tapping into the full capacity of our global workforce.” 

“Whether it be gender, or ability, race, age, or any number of other factors, it is crucial that our sector challenge the prevailing status quo and embrace diversity in all its guises.”  

PCMA and CEMA President & CEO, Sherrif Karamat CAE said, “The business events industry is the ideal platform to demonstrate the value that women make every day, and we need to lead by example. Inclusivity and equity are not just the right thing to do, it leads to greater profitability, successful organizations, and a just society.”  

The global research project comprised four parts: in-person Think Tanks in Washington, San Francisco and online across the APAC region; a global DEI survey in conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP out of the UK; 1:1 in depth interviews with female senior executives; and, secondary desk research.    

The Findings Report in detail can be downloaded at PCMA. The Findings will be followed by Part 2: Recommended Actions for Change to be released later this month.