A spotlight on education with our National Education Manager Joanna Child

By National Education Manager, Joanna Child

Last week we celebrated ‘National Teachers’ Day’.  This caused me to reflect on the many ‘teachers’ we all have in our lives.     Many of us have benefitted from teaching from formal educators, colleagues, peers, family and friends; we have been mentored, coached or guided in our professional and personal lives by those willing to share their experience or skills with us.   Many of us have been, and continue to be, that someone for others.  

Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) has a strong point of difference from other associations in that we actively seek to train, coach and mentor.   MEA is at the forefront of event education and we do this beyond our excellent annual Conference via our mentoring program, our coaching services, our bespoke training and our registered training organisation (RTO).      

I am always inspired by our Diploma students, busy professionals who manage demanding event roles while finding time to study. Many are based in regional areas, organising unique and diverse events across Australia. Through MEA's training, they’ve gained the skills and confidence to make a real impact, from launching businesses that bring valuable expertise to their communities to creating festivals and events that add value to their regions and organisations.

Recognising the time and budget constraints faced by organisations and individuals, MEA has developed a range of flexible training options, including one-on-one coaching, small group workshops, and formal accredited programs. Our educational offerings have supported new supervisors with team dynamics, hosted workshops on conferences, customer care, and sponsorship, and delivered targeted webinars to broaden skills and offer fresh perspectives on event management. If your organisation is interested in exploring tailored training options, we’re here to help.

When we share our knowledge with others, we also learn from them.   Collaboration is key to the success of any event and it’s what makes it fun.    One of the reasons I love working in events is that this industry is particularly strong at supporting the endeavours of others through informal and formal ‘teaching’ of any kind; if you have done that recently – thank you from one ‘teacher’ to another.