NZEA’s Mentorship Programme

Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.

Applications for the April intake of the NZEA Mentorship Programme are now closed. Stay tuned for our next intake in July!

After five highly successful cohorts, the feedback from over 200 participants has been overwhelmingly positive - from both mentors and mentees. If you're looking to give back or for one-on-one professional development - get in touch! The programme is free for NZEA members. 

Why become a Mentor?

• Contribute to your professional development

• Give back to the industry by sharing your skills and experience

• Help grow the next wave of event professionals

• Make a difference by helping others achieve their goals

• Develop your coaching and leadership skills

• Included in your member benefits

If you are an experienced event professional - from any aspect of our sector – and feel you have the time, energy and guidance to offer to up and coming colleagues, please read on!

Feedback from Mentors:

"The programme structure and guidance provided by NZEA was great, it gave me the confidence to get stuck in and I have thoroughly enjoyed it." 

“It’s such a great initiative. It’s so easy to get stuck in your own space and simply focus on the next event or deadline. Connecting with someone else that was wanting to challenge themselves and grow has created a broader vision for me, to slow down and take more notice of those on the team or around me. Stopping to listen to other people’s aspirations is a great reminder of how efficient and passionate people can be when they are operating in a lane that interests them.”

Why become a Mentee?

• Contribute to your Professional development

• Broaden your perspective and your network

• Identity and address gaps in your knowledge and skills base

• Learn leadership skills from a leader

• Receive timely feedback and advice from an impartial party vested in your success

• Receive encouragement and support for growth and improvement

• Included in your member benefits

If you’re in the starting or mid-phases of your career as an events professional and would appreciate the perspective of a mentor for one or many aspects of your career, get involved!

Feedback from Mentees

“A good way of developing your skills. As a mentee, meeting the right people, who are doing what you want to do, and knowing that you can get there too. Overall, just a fantastic opportunity to connect.”

"[My mentor] had great complementary experiences and was great to learn from...the programme was easy to join, easy to plan and simple to undertake."

What is the purpose of mentorship?

A mentor may share with a mentee information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modelling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.

Fundamental expectations

Mentors and mentees are responsible for gaining each other’s trust and confidence by

• interacting morally, ethically, and collegially; and valuing each other’s time, professional and personal commitments.

The role of the mentor

• Commit to a minimum 6 x 1hr sessions over the programme duration

• Proactively maintain contact and encourage open communication

• Build confidence

• Coach and help problem-solve

• Share experiences as learning tools

• Encourage professionalism

• Admit when something is out of your area of expertise

• Offer constructive feedback

• Maintain privacy / confidentiality

• Provide feedback to NZEA on your mentor experience to help refine the programme

The role of the mentee

• Commit to a minimum 6 x 1hr sessions over the programme duration

• Take responsibility for scheduling the sessions at mutually convenient times

• Be clear on your goal/s for this mentor programme and communicate them openly

• Actively contribute to discussions

• Seek and accept constructive feedback

• Maintain privacy / confidentiality

• Provide feedback to NZEA on your mentee experience to help refine the programme

Feedback on the Mentorship Programme

As this programme grows, your feedback through debrief meetings and/or questionnaires will be crucial to the on-going success and improvement of the offering.

Timeline

Programme duration: 5 months

March 2024 – Recruitment of mentors & mentees for cohort 6

2 April 2024 (midday) - Cohort 6 applications close

April 2024 – Matching and pre-briefing of each group (Zoom call plus supporting docs)

29 April 2024 – Cohort 6 starts

27 September 2024 – Cohort 6 concludes

October 2024– Debrief participants and refine programme

Please note this programme is open to NZEA members only.