faqs

Now in its fourth year, Level Up with NOWIE is a 6-month mentorship programme designed to connect women in the early to mid-stages of their events careers with experienced professionals in their chosen specialism.

The programme will encourage the sharing of skills, guidance and opportunities for growth as well as the chance for mentees to grow their network. Anyone with a minimum of 3 years of experience can become a mentee and we’re keen to encourage applications from women who are either employed, self-employed, or running their own business.

Level Up mentors will act as trusted experts in their field to help guide mentees towards achieving specific goals - increasing their impact, confidence, and success within the industry.

We’re looking for women working at a mid-level within the events industry who are looking to take the next step in their career. We would expect mentees to have at least three years’ experience working in the industry.

Location and Time Requirements:

• Mentees must be working within the UK events industry.

• Applicants predominantly working on UK-based events but residing part-time in the EU (e.g., for affordability reasons) may also be considered.

• All mentorship meetings can be conducted remotely, and applicants must be available to meet within UK time constraints.

Open to New Mentees Only:
Returning mentees may reapply only if a previous match was deemed unsuccessful due to factors outside their control, subject to pre-approval.

Student Applicants:
Students are generally excluded from applying to the programme unless they demonstrate a clear need for mentorship alongside university studies and expected support there, plus have significant additional work experience beyond their studies.

Gender Inclusivity:
The program is open to women, trans, and non-binary individuals who feel comfortable being included under the umbrella term "women" and identify with issues that predominantly affect women.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I):

• Commitment to Diversity: We actively encourage applications from mentors of diverse backgrounds, ages, and races to create an inclusive mentorship environment.

• Sector-Specific “Non -Traditional Roles” Representation: Mentors from technical, creative, artist management, security, licensing, and other non-traditional areas are especially encouraged to apply, as spaces are capped across sectors to ensure diversity in representation.

Where Possible, Access Needs Awareness:

• Inclusive Mentorship: Mentors are encouraged to support mentees with any disclosed access needs and work together to create an accommodating mentorship experience - support can be given when needed. 

Your Access Needs:

To ensure we are aware of and able to support any accommodations you may need, applicants are encouraged to disclose any access needs as part of their application. While this is optional, it’s available for those who wish to share.

If we can do anything else to help this be more inclusive and accessible, please let us know at hello@nowielevelup.com

We’re look to match you with women who have at least 10 years of experience in the events industry, ideally at a mid to senior level, with roles that involve team management, project oversight, or strategic contributions.

• Applications open in November 2026

• You’ll find out if you are successful early December.

• If you are successful, the online launch is in December and kickoff is in January.

• The next cohort runs for 6 months, from January 2027 to June 2027 (this can be flexible).

Pre-January Suitability Calls:
Mentees must be available to participate in a quick suitability calls with the matched mentor before the end of December to assess compatibility. You’ll also be expected to schedule your first meeting by the end of the third week of January.

The whole programme:

• The programme requires a total commitment of 15–20 hours over six months.

• We expect mentees and mentors to meet at least once per month, with the final session taking place in June 2027.

• Mandatory monthly temperature checks and a mentee journal are required.

• Mandatory engagement with the WhatsApp group, Instagram, and/or email when requested for information.

Marketing:

• Be willing to engage in the programme launch on social media. If there is a safeguarding reason you cannot do this, let us know.

• Mention our programme sponsor Arena when mentioning Level Up online.

The programme is all remote, except the launch in London, which is recommended but not mandatory. While pairs can meet in real life, we recommend online sessions.

We’ve prepared a comprehensive workbook and reflection journal to guide your sessions. Some activities are mandatory for mentees, while others allow flexibility, letting you decide how deeply to explore them based on your needs and goals.

Monthly topics include:

• Goal-setting

• Confidence building and personal branding

• Practical skills for progression

• Finances and negotiation

• Work/life balance

• Creating a long-term action plan for your career

You must be a member to sign up - head to the membership space to get access.

We expect there to be a high volume of applications, so we cannot guarantee that we will be able to match everyone.

If you’re not successfully matched to a mentor, you can always try again next year! It’s more due to compatibility than your experience.