Introducing 'The 70%' with Margaret Reeves

Women make up around 70% of the global events workforce — but their stories, leadership, and influence are often underrepresented.

The 70% is a new weekly series celebrating the women shaping the events industry. From rising stars to seasoned leaders, each profile shines a light on the career journeys, challenges, and perspectives of women working across all corners of the sector.

Whether you're looking for inspiration, connection, or simply a more honest look at what leadership in events really looks like — this series is for you.

In the first edition of the series, Kristyna O'Connell spoke to our managing director, Margaret Reeves, who has been in the industry for the last 18 years.

How do you balance professional growth with personal commitments, and do you think the industry is evolving in terms of work-life balance?

With great difficulty, if I'm honest. It's very easy to get consumed by what needs doing, especially in events. The nature of the industry means long days and tight timescales; it's all or nothing, that's the reality.

As for work-life balance, I don't think the industry is going to change much. Clients want what they want, when they want it, and if we want to keep them happy, we have to deliver. Having said that, maturity brings a different kind of balance. I don't have young children now, and that does help. I think the industry is missing a trick with the over-50s – we've got a lot to offer.

Professionally, I've been very lucky to have a personal coach, and incredible support from my fellow directors and the RefTech team. I may be the MD, but every day's a school day. I've grown so much in confidence over the years, but I still have things to work on. For example, walking an exhibition floor and approaching strangers? That's my idea of a nightmare, but I do it and I know it's something I need to get better at.

How do you see the events industry evolving in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion?

It's definitely getting better. There are some real powerhouse women leading the conversation, people like Gabrielle Austen-Browne from Diversity Alliance are doing brilliant work.

At RefTech, I'd say we already operate in an inclusive way, we always have. When we offer development opportunities or coaching, we offer it to everyone. We recently gave staff the chance to have one-to-one coaching sessions, and many of them used that time to talk about personal development, team communication or building confidence. That kind of support really matters and it helps everyone feel like they're part of something.

What advice would you give to young women looking to enter and succeed in the events industry?

Have a voice. Be heard. Find a mentor in the business, someone who can support and guide you. And go in with your eyes open. This industry is full-on with long hours and high expectations so I think a lot of young people don't realise just how intense it can be.

But if you're proactive, if you get stuck in, and you're open to learning, there are great opportunities. And don't be afraid to ask for help or support; we've all needed it at some point.

How do you handle setbacks and failures?

Quiet reflection, usually. Of course, it's disappointing when something goes wrong especially if we lose a client we've worked with for years. But I've learned to look at it pragmatically.

Clients will stay with you as long as you tick their boxes. If you don't, they'll move on. It's not personal, it's business. The important thing is to understand why it happened and learn from it. What could we have done differently? How do we make sure it doesn't happen again? That's the mindset I try to bring to setbacks.

What changes do you think are still needed to create more opportunities for women in leadership?

We need to keep talking about it and not just among women. Leadership teams need to be looking at opportunities fairly and equally and actively encouraging women to develop and push forward.

That means asking: what support do they need? Would a coach help? Is there training or shadowing that could boost their confidence or skills? And crucially, are they getting the same experience as others? You can't grow into a leadership role if you don't get to see the full picture.

It's not just about opening the door; it's about making sure women are supported to walk through it with confidence.