The ECM Mentor Programme has been created with industry partners, to generate exchange and knowledge between new and advanced professionals in the Meetings Industry.
It is time for the established members of ECM and industry professionals to give back, to inspire, to share, and thus to make sure that the new professionals, despite the turbulent times, get the best start in what we hope will be a long and successful Meetings Industry career.
Meetings Industry professionals all over Europe
Mentor and Mentee Toolbox for inspiration
Voluntary 12-month programme
Alumni Network
Mentor and Mentee Networks
The raging of the COVID-19 virus across the globe has had enormous consequences for the meetings industry. It has resulted in a big shift in the ways people who have been long-term in this industry network and develop relations when attending industry events.
It has posed however, a whole different challenge for newly appointed professionals in our industry whether working in CVBs, hotels, venues or as a PCOs anywhere in Europe. Indeed, they have been missing out on being at these central platforms, which are essential for them in terms of being introduced to the industry and which give them critical opportunities to build up a network. As we know, these key industry events also support them in receiving guidance, insights and knowledge to grow both professionally and personally.
Establishing an ECM Mentor Programme in close collaboration with industry partners aims to be an answer to solving this challenge. It is a way in which the mentees can develop their own professional network, strengthen their industry knowledge and be inspired by other destination business models.
#MeetShareGrow
MENTORS
 | As an established professional with more than 5 years of expertise in the Meetings Industry, give back and make a difference – both for the mentee and the industry at large | ||
| Be a change maker; be the change you want to see in the world through your efforts of instilling seeds of growth in the new generation |  | ||
| Be part of a community of ECM Mentors, with whom you can network, share knowledge and gain insights | ||
| Get the opportunity to work with, teach, learn and get fresh perspectives from your mentee | | ||
| Develop your own teaching – and communication skills | ||
| Attend ECM-hosted Mentor Programme events (virtually and in-person if possible) and two ECM webinars a year | |
MENTEES
 | Be a professional with less than 18 month of experience in the Meetings Industry | ||
| Design the course of the programme with your mentor in line with your goals, take the initiative for the meetings and set the agenda |  | ||
| Record your development to achieve set goals as well as observations, thoughts and ideas | ||
| Familiarize yourself with ECM as an organisation and with the ECM Mentee Programme Toolbox for insights and inspiration | | ||
| Take on the challenge of the ECM Hackathons and get teamed up with other mentees! | ||
| Be a change maker: as a mentee, you will be invited to share your view on important matters related to ECM as an association. Your opinion will then be carried out to the ECM Board | | ||
| Participate in the ECM Mentee Network where you can exchange knowledge, discoveries, insights and best practices | ||
| Attend ECM-hosted Mentor Programme events (virtually and in-person if possible) and 2 ECM webinars a year | | ||
| Take part in the ECM Summer School following the one-year programme. This is by no means mandatory but a platform that complements the Mentor Programme! |
“Throughout the Programme, the mentee will get the opportunity to get different outlooks on the industry, receive professional guidance, develop their network and relations and be inspired by other destination business models and insights. Be part of the ECM Mentees Network means knowledge exchange, discoveries, insights and best practices”
“It's so lovely to have a broader viewpoint on the world rather than just what is going on in our city. Don't see this as extra work or another meeting in your agenda. Make it useful and fun for yourself and your mentor so you both feel happy and satisfied after!”
"I didn't really have exact expectations in the beginning but after my first appointment with my mentor, I realized that this would be a great experience for me. I took advantage of every single interaction with my mentor, because having insights from someone who lives what she works is not the kind of knowledge or inspiration you can find in books! My mentor is backing me up with her knowledge, and her passion for her work inspires me to be better in what I do and to push the limits!"
"I would simply say that the secret is to listen. Mentoring is absolutely vital to the upstreaming of business events as change agents rather than travel agents. We must do this if our legacies are to have any value."
“ Professionals who are new to our pandemic ravaged industry face many challenges. Particularly, the inability to engage with the global network that so many of us have been privileged to be a part of. The ECM Mentor Programme offers an ideal opportunity for new professionals to grow their network, learn more about the beyond bed nights value of the industry and to receive guidance from a mentor carefully matched to their needs.”
“I attended the ECM Summer School in 2018 while I was at the start of my career in the industry. Over the course of several days I had the privilege to gain hand on & practical knowledge about the Meetings Industry. I also have the pleasure to connect with counterparts from around the world and make new industry friends. It was a wonderful opportunity and I am grateful to have taken part in such a wonderful program, I am a proud alumni!”
"The ECM Mentor Programme is a great opportunity for Mentor and Mentees to develop their own professional network, build up their industry knowledge and be inspired by other destination business models and insights."
"IAPCO’ mission to raise the standards of service amongst our Members and others in the meetings industry is fundamental to everything we do. Mentoring a relative newcomer provides a great opportunity for experienced meeting professionals to help raise standards by guiding those that are on their way to leading our industry in the not too distant future. IAPCO is pleased to endorse the ECM Mentorship Programme and I encourage everyone to consider how you can contribute. Together, we can achieve great things."
“Mentors will have the chance to be the change they want to see in the world through their efforts of instilling seeds of growth in the new generation. They will have the opportunity to work with, teach, learn and get fresh perspectives from a group of mentees from diverse backgrounds and with a broad range of talents and skill sets.”
ENDORSED BY
The ECM Mentor Programme Communication Kit
