Full circle: From learning to leading

Originally published by Conference & Meetings World, 30 April, 2026

Author:

Rui Cruz Alves, Senior Producer

Rui Cruz Alves attended the IMEX–MPI–MCI Future Leaders Forum as a student back in 2014. Now a senior producer at global events agency Emota, he returns to IMEX Frankfurt in May 2026 – this time as moderator of the very forum that helped launch his career. He tells CMW’s Iain Stirling what he has learnt along the way, why human connection will always be at the heart of events, and what he’d say to his younger self.

Iain Stirling – You attended the Future Leaders Forum as a student in 2014. What are your memories of that experience?

Rui Cruz Alves – It feels longer ago than I’d like to admit! At the time I was studying for my master’s at the University of Westminster, and we were very fortunate that our lecturers really imprinted on us the value of networking early. They introduced us to associations such as MPI and helped us understand the importance of engaging with the wider industry from the outset.

IMEX was an opportunity the university put in front of us as part of the Future Leaders Forum, and I went along with a couple of colleagues. The first impression was simply the scale of it. I’d attended a few networking evenings and supplier events in London, but nothing comparable. What struck me was the sheer breadth of business that the events industry touches – the range of suppliers, the different disciplines, the extraordinary variety of people you could meet in a single day.

It was also an incredibly international group of students. One of the great beauties of our industry is that people come from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences, and that diversity really adds to the talent pool. The forum was nicely curated; it gently nudged you into networking, which at that age can feel a little daunting. But because everyone was in the same boat, everyone was approachable. It genuinely made me want to be part of the industry in a wider sense – not just to hold a job in events, but to be part of the community around it.

“It made me want to be part of the industry in a wider sense – not just to hold a job in events, but to be part of the community around it.”

IS – Returning more than a decade later as moderator is quite a full-circle moment. What does it mean to you personally?

RCA – It really is. For one reason or another – projects, travel, the general busyness of life – I’ve tended to be occupied during May over the past decade, so I kept missing IMEX. This year the calendar finally opened up, and I felt it was an opportunity to go and give something back. That original forum was such a significant moment for me; I wanted to see whether I could contribute in some way.

I reached out to the IMEX team and was genuinely delighted when there was a role for me. It’s going to be a fascinating experience, because returning will force me to recognise the transition the industry has been through. When I sat in that audience in 2014, I was finishing my dissertation on event mobile apps and whether they would make events more engaging. I’m sure that sounds rather quaint to today’s students! But it also means I’m genuinely curious to hear what the new generation is thinking about, and how they see things we might take for granted.

IS – How has your career evolved since those early days?

RCA – I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside talented teams and supportive companies. After Westminster I joined TFI Group, where I got to experience a wide range of work across the corporate, B2B and association markets. I then moved to George P. Johnson, working on larger scale, more creatively ambitious projects. For the past five and a half years I’ve been at Emota, where agency life continues to offer that variety I’ve always loved.

If I had to pinpoint what truly accelerated my development, I’d have to credit my active involvement with ILEA – the International Live Events Association. There was a period when I was deeply engaged with the association, and simply by interacting with people from different backgrounds, including very senior industry figures, I learned an enormous amount about different perspectives and how to evolve the way things are done. A number of those people became quite fundamental to how I grew as a professional.

IS – How do you think the events industry has changed since you were a student?

RCA – The pandemic was a massive social experiment for all of us, and its effects have been profound – not just on events, but on how we all work and live. Before COVID, live streaming a meeting or running a hybrid event was either a big-budget undertaking or something fairly niche. Then suddenly the entire world was tuning in to television presenters broadcasting from their living rooms, and overnight everyone became comfortable with the concept. That shift is enormous, and I’m not sure we’ve fully reckoned with its implications yet.

And then, of course, there’s AI. It permeates daily life across every sector, and events is no different. I’m certain it will come up at the Future Leaders Forum – the new generation will have strong views on how it will shape the industry.

What I keep coming back to, though, is that the fundamental purpose of events hasn’t changed and, I hope, never will. It’s about human connection. It’s about creating meaningful experiences and memories for the people in the room. That is something AI cannot replace. So, the real question for our industry is how we take all these social, technological and economic shifts and use them to deliver experiences that are still resonant and relevant.

“The fundamental purpose of events hasn’t changed and never will. It’s about human connection. That is something AI cannot replace.”

IS – You’ll be facilitating a ‘meet and mingle bingo’ session to kick off the forum. What’s the thinking behind that?

RCA – Full credit to Hannah at the IMEX team – she chose the format based on feedback from previous forums, where students consistently said they wanted more frequent and purposeful interaction with one another. The idea is elegantly simple: participants connect over shared topics rather than standing awkwardly in a room wondering what to say.

Networking can feel daunting at any age, but especially when you’re just starting out. You walk into a room of 20 or 30 people you’ve never met and think: is my opinion even relevant yet? Having a structured, fun activity removes that anxiety. It gets people talking naturally, and once that initial ice is broken, conversations tend to flow. Because while the on-stage content will be excellent, the networking is really the crux of the experience. The connections students make with one another are just as valuable as the ones they make with established professionals.

IS – What practical advice would you give to students who find networking intimidating?

RCA – Remind yourself that the other person is probably feeling exactly the same way. Nobody is there to judge you. Everybody is there for the same reason: to meet people, explore topics they care about, and expand their world. Not everyone has a transactional agenda. You’re not necessarily there to land a job or win a piece of business – you’re there to build relationships, and you never know when someone you met at an event three years ago will be exactly the person you need.

Also: ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Asking is never a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that you’re curious and willing to learn. We’re only as good as what we know, and the people around us have a wealth of expertise. Tap into it.

IS – The forum connects students with organisations across the industry ecosystem. Why are those early touch points so valuable?

RCA – Because they reveal the full picture. Working in a venue is a very different experience to working in an agency, which is very different again from being a specialist supplier or a production house. But we’re all part of the same ecosystem; we all need each other to make these experiences happen. Giving students the chance to speak to people from across that spectrum might be the conversation that nudges someone towards a particular path or, equally, the one that tells them clearly where they do not want to go, which is just as valuable.

Either way, they will likely end up working alongside those people at some point in their career. So, getting to know them early is no small thing.

IS – How do you see the sector evolving for young professionals over the next 5-10 years?

RCA – We’re in a genuine transition moment. The reality of work across all industries is being reassessed because of what technology can now do, and there is a worrying trend across Europe and the wider Western world of higher unemployment among younger people. Many of the entry-level tasks that traditionally gave people their start are being automated, and that’s a real concern.

That said, I don’t think that should – or will – be the final answer. The value of bringing new voices into an industry goes well beyond executing routine tasks. We are now seeing decision-making roles at major companies being filled by a much younger generation, and that will shape what clients expect from their event partners. The newer generation will help answer the questions that matter most: what kinds of experiences are relevant to audiences born in the 21st century? How do we do things more sustainably, more meaningfully? Those are not questions technology can answer on its own.

Events have always adapted. That’s nothing new to our industry. And I think it will be genuinely fascinating to watch how B2B events in particular evolve over the next few years. I am certain they will.

IS – Finally, if you could go back and say one thing to yourself in that 2014 forum audience, what would it be?

RCA – Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Talk to as many people as you possibly can. Ask all the questions. And don’t just find out what someone does – find out how they got there. The route people take to reach a particular role often teaches you more than knowing the role itself. It might reveal a path you hadn’t considered or help you adjust your own plans.

More broadly, I’d say: invest in the community, not just in your own career. The industry is stronger when its community is stronger. The big questions facing us – AI, the future of work, what audiences will want next – don’t have single answers. But if we all keep talking, keep sharing our perspectives, we’ll start finding some paths forward together. The time you put into that, at your own expense, pays back in ways you simply cannot anticipate when you’re starting out.