Susan Sarfati, CEO of High Performances Strategies

08/03/2011

The truth about women in the MICE industry

Following on from our article on her survey of women in the meetings industry, and looking forward to the Women’s Leadership Forum at IMEX, BWMN caught up with Susan Sarfati in order to delve deeper into the issues affecting the fairer sex…

BWMN: How did the idea for the Women’s Forum at IMEX come about? What is the objective of the Forum, and who will be participating?

Susan SARFATI: I have spent a lot of time teaching leadership techniques at seminars conducted by non-profit organisations specifically for women, and more often than not they are exceptionally well-attended, and on occasion even over-subscribed. Given that women’s leadership is an issue that generates a lot of interest, I thought it would be a good idea to hold a specialised forum on the subject at IMEX, and when I suggested it to the organisers they were very interested, so that’s how it came about.

The objective is to help women who work in the meetings industry to address and resolve the issues that affect them in their careers, which we identified with our IMEX survey, and to provide advice on how to succeed and rise to the top. It will be led by my collaborator, Liz Jackson, President of Jackson Consulting Inc, and myself, and all those (men included!) who are interested in these issues are invited to attend!

BWMN: What would you say are the main differences in the challenges faced by men and women in the meetings industry?

Susan SARFATI: Certainly, the challenges faced by women are very different to those faced by men, and not just in the MICE industry, but in all areas of the working world. Perhaps the most significant difference is that women face a greater struggle to establish themselves in the workplace. Men are particularly good at building up their status in the eyes of others and convincing others that they are good leaders in all situations, and are thus often better equipped to get their ideas across. Very often, a woman will bring up an idea in a meeting that is completely ignored, only for a man to bring up exactly the same idea fifteen or twenty minutes later, and generate a lot of interest in it. Women therefore have to find other ways to present their ideas, and develop different skills, in order to get people to listen to them.

Yet this is not just a result of the differences in character between the sexes. Women are still not offered the same opportunities in the working world as men, which is reflected by the disparity in their earnings: according to recent statistics, on average women still earn only 76% of what their male counterparts take home.

However, women do have certain advantages over men. Success in the MICE industry is built on the ability to form relationships and collaborate, and this is something that women are generally very good at. They care very much about what others have to say, and are able to listen to the ideas of others and combine them with their own to achieve the best possible result. Women are also very adept at multitasking, and have a great attention to detail. As one of my colleagues used to say, the organisation of meetings is looking after millions of tiny details and bringing them together flawlessly, and this is therefore a very important skill. These are all things that men (as well as other women!) can learn from the women who have achieved the most in the meetings industry.

BWMN: How can women move the meetings industry forward?

Susan SARFATI: Following the economic downturn, the meetings industry is once again experiencing a period of growth, and there are now many more women working in it, and doing important work. They therefore have a fantastic opportunity to do great things and strengthen the industry as they develop their leadership skills. The more women who think of themselves as leaders, and bring innovation and a willingness to take risks to their job, the better for the meetings industry.

BWMN: Finally, do you have any further advice for women looking to achieve success in the industry?

Susan SARFATI: Firstly, you need to form your own action plan: work out where you’d like to be, and come up with a strategy of how to get there. You should make sure you have confidence in your ability, and give yourself permission to think big: promise big on what you can achieve, and deliver big. I believe that it is also very important to develop what I like to call your own ‘executive committee’: find several high-powered individuals who occupy a position that you’d like to reach and who can mentor you, and help you achieve your goals.

Furthermore, it is crucial to spend time developing your expertise in presentation, especially of yourself, in order that people are aware of your skills and successes. Create your own brand, a strong sense of your individual identity. You should be able to tell stories detailing your accomplishments when the opportunity arises, what I would call your ‘elevator speech’: come up with a series of concise comments that you can make to impress upon people your skills, and practise recounting them. This will help you to put your best foot forward. Of course, while this is very important, you should not forget about the people around you: speak highly of yourself while listening to others.

Those interested in learning more about these issues are invited to attend the Women's Forum on May 25th at IMEX.

For further information:

www.imex-frankfurt.com