FF15 Mentoring Awards

The FF15 Mentoring Awards, first hosted in 2025, brings together mentors, mentees and supporters for a celebration of mentorship, innovation and the individuals shaping the future of events and hospitality.

The Fast Forward 15 Mentoring Awards not only celebrates excellence, but also raise vital funds for two industry initiatives:

Fast Forward 15 Mentoring Programme – a not-for-profit, award winning mentoring scheme, founded by Fay Sharpe OBE, for the events and hospitality industry as a way of boosting upcoming female event professionals and pairing them with industry leaders.
FF15 presents University Challenge – a programme designed to help students transition from education to industry employment. With many students struggling to transition from education to industry employment, this challenge will offer the project management, creativity and networking skills for today’s talent and event profs of the future.

The 2026 Winners

Fay Sharpe Outstanding Contribution Award:

Sammy Connell – NASUWT

Rising Star Mentee Award:

Winner: Chloe Turner – ICC Wales

Highly Commended: Olivia Dobberson (Cheerful Twentyfirst) and Dilpreet Gill (Hilton)

Rising Star Mentor of the Year Award:

Winner: Gemma Watson – Mindful Brains

Highly Commended: Sophie Beasor (Power of events), Bernice Heard (Hyatt), Becci Picketts (Blackberry Events)

Mentor and Me Award

Winner – Bernice Heard (Hyatt) and Louise Balderson (XSEM)

Highly Commended: Tom Hurley (LSEG) and Helina Thompson-Hartley (Emota), Kat

Community, Coaching & Mentoring Impact Award

Winner – NOWIE (The Network of Women in Events)

Highly Commended: The Diana Award, HSMAI Europe Mentorship Programme

Agency Mentoring Programme of the Year:

Winner – BCD

Highly Commended: emc3

Diversity and Inclusion Champion Awards:

Joint winners – Gabrielle Austen Browne (Diversity Alliance), Sammy Connell (Cuffe and Taylor)

Highly Commended – Cat Kevern (NOWIE)

University Mentoring Initiative/Student Team/Individual Award:

Winner: The Professional Mentoring Team, City St George’s

Highly Commended: University Westminster, The Birmingham City University (BCU) Professional Mentoring Programme

Corporate, Coaching and Mentoring Initiative:

Winner: Joy Thomas – IQVIA

The Kerrie Dorman 360 Mentoring Initiative

Winner: Kathryn Williams (Corrigan Collection), Marie-noel Mah Nji (Wise Productions) and Gemma Glasson (Wahaca).