The Women in Exhibitions (WIE) Network also looks to nurture the next generation of female leaders.
“WIE’s mission is perfectly aligned with RX’s, helping us build a global community to better respond to regional and cultural challenges that affect women across the industry, and providing them with networks and programming to help them reach their full potential,” said RX’s head of inclusion and diversity, Ray Rhodes.
While the events industry has long been dominated by women, men still occupy more of the most senior positions within event management, which includes exhibitions businesses.
RX has committed to gender equality targets which include increasing the number of women in senior positions. The business will also help set up Women in Exhibitions chapters in Asia Pacific, Latin America and France, where there are no local chapters.
“We’ve learned from our Employee Resource Groups that women really value the opportunity to connect both inside RX and to others in our industry, so that we can learn from, and support each other, to grow careers,” said executive sponsor of RX’s Global Gender Equity Committee, Gaby Appleton.
“This partnership extends an opportunity to do just that for women in our businesses around the world.”
RX has an Australian division which runs exhibitions including the Reed Gift Fairs in Sydney and Melbourne, PAX Australia and the Queensland Minin Expo.
RX also owns IBTM which produces trade events for the business events sector, including IBTM World in Barcelona in November.
