By Mia Breading

This month I have chosen the inspiring, Hayley Nicholson as my Shero. Before beginning my FF15 journey, in many ways Hayley mentored me. She managed me whilst I began my career and, inspired me to apply for FF15. Whether she would accept it or not, I owe a lot of my success to Hayley, and for that I am truly grateful.

Hayley is an Event Content Specialist and the owner of event content agency, Nuff Said. She joined the events industry 5 years ago, and her passion is creating great event programmes. She believes there is a lot to be said about the usage of language when writing and communicating your programme, and convincing delegates that an event is of value to their time.

In 2022, she was selected to be a FF15 mentee, which was a fantastic opportunity for her to grow and learn more about the wider industry. She spoke at many events including Confex, The BNC Show and IMEX. She has also been recognised for several industry awards including CN30underThirty, C&IT Corporate A-List and the PPA Next Gen Awards.

Outside of work, she volunteers as team manager for the Guy’s Transplant Team, a patient support network for transplant & dialysis patients, friends & family of Guy’s Hospital in London. She’s passionate about spreading the message of organ donation and supporting the team by organising social and fundraising events and arranging the team logistics for the British Transplant Games.

What does FF15 mean to you?

FF15 for me is all about community and ambition. Post programme, I’ve found this incredible network of people from every corner of the industry, each with their own expertise, coming together to help women in the industry.  FF15 gives you the opportunity to share your goals. No one will say, “you can’t do that”, but instead help and guide you.

What are your standout moments of 2023?

It’s been a truly transformative year for me, from finishing the FF15 programme, travelling and speaking at industry events and even picking up a couple of industry awards.

But the biggest moment must be starting my own business, Nuff Said. This was a long-term goal of mine and I’m excited to finally call myself a business owner!

What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Continuing to build my own event content agency, I have lined up some exciting projects and clients I’m working with.

Top tips for anyone starting a business?

Surround yourself with trusted advisers that can share their wisdom, such as a mentor, a friend who also runs their own business, or a parent! It doesn’t all need to come from one person, it really depends on what that person can help you with. Personally, I had all three!

If you could change one thing for the better in the events industry, what would it be?

I’d like to see the salary ranges of entry level event jobs increase. We cannot continue to justify paying £18-23k in today’s economy, especially for what is a demanding job that can be stressful due to the level of perfectionism expected!

For me, my standout moment in 2023 with Hayley, was demoting her from part time manager, part-time buddy, and promoting her to full-time friend, and I’m truly in awe of her well-deserved success. Merry Christmas Hayley… and a happy New Year!