Event Leadership Institute (ELI) and McVeigh Global Meetings and Events have partnered to launch the Business Owner Mentorship Program, providing coaching and consulting to event professionals who’ve been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“Event business owners, agencies and third-party suppliers went from a banner year in 2019 to a full ground stop of work in March,” said Howard Givner, founder of ELI and a former event agency owner. “Now they’re scrambling for survival and resources to help them chart a path to come out of this crisis.”

The new program came out of an ELI-led initiative called the Situation Room that Givner hosted earlier this year. Held over four months, the Situation Room involved 15 event business owners from the United States and Canada meeting regularly in private Zoom conferences. Attendees shared the challenges they were facing, exchanged ideas and provided support to each other. “We kept coming back to the question of how we could help each other and the industry as a whole,” said Givner. 

It was through these sessions that Givner said they started to recognize that an opportunity existed for industry professionals who had been through previous crises — and could relate to the kinds of pressures and challenges this year has brought — to help others navigate the pandemic. 

“None of us got where we are without mentorship,” said Jeff Guberman, CEO of McVeigh Global Meetings and Events, who will lead the new mentorship program. “We are excited to pair experienced mentors in the industry with small business leaders looking for guidance on how to weather this challenge.” 

As the chair of the program and a volunteer mentor, Guberman will look to match event professionals seeking guidance with mentors based on the size and type of their business and the challenges being faced. Once matched, the mentors will offer approximately two hours of consulting and coaching support. 

“While no one has the magic answers,” said Guberman, “it is helpful to have a second pair of eyes or an auxiliary sounding board who understands your business so we can all emerge stronger as an industry.” 

Mentors and mentees are invited to apply for the program here.