IAAPA Young Professionals Mentor/Mentee Program Accepting Applications

Being a part of the IAAPA Young Professionals Mentor/Mentee Program has been a fulfilling experience for mentor Jamie Flaherty, ICAL, senior manager of business solutions at Gateway Ticketing Systems Inc.

“I have been lucky in my career to find people who have taken me under their wings and shown me the ropes as I entered new industries,” he says. “I wanted to pay it forward to young professionals who may not yet realize just how wonderful the attractions industry is or who may still be trying to find their way in the business world.”

With a mission to develop the industry’s next generation of leaders, the IAAPA Young Professionals Subcommittee created the mentorship program in 2017 to connect young professionals with industry veterans. Through the program, mentees learn about career paths within the industry while building their networks and growing from professional development insights.

This is the second year Flaherty has served as a mentor with the program, which paired him with mentee Cassidy Newman, marketing and trade show coordinator with WhiteWater. Newman decided to participate in the mentorship program because she wanted to expand her network and develop stronger skills for the workplace. 

“I find value in learning from the experiences of others,” she says. “Jamie is a busy guy leading his own team at Gateway Ticketing, but he has been such a great mentor. Not only is he continuously making time for me, but he is very relatable, so I feel comfortable talking through any of the work challenges I am facing.”

Flaherty and Newman communicate by email and schedule calls every two weeks to delve into Newman’s questions, share advice and ideas, and check in with each other, which has become especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Heading into this program Cassidy wasn’t sure what to expect, and neither of us would have expected to be under lockdown for 90-plus days due to a worldwide pandemic,” Flaherty says. “That’s brought a whole new set of challenges, which we discuss on a regular basis.”

Newman says she has gained valuable insights from Flaherty’s sales background and found ways to apply the learnings to her marketing role.

“I have learned so many lessons over the course of this program that I have lost count, and we are only halfway through,” Newman says. “I think the biggest takeaways I have so far are how to better be accountable and communicate when I make mistakes, how to receive feedback, and how to engage with senior members of my company and external organizations.”

The 2021 IAAPA Young Professionals Mentor/Mentee Program will run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Mentor/mentee pairs are expected to meet virtually at least four times throughout the year. In-person meetings at an IAAPA Expo or event are encouraged. 

Mentee applicants must be 35 years or younger (excludes undergraduate students) and a member of IAAPA or part of a member company. Mentee applications are available at IAAPA.org/YPMenteeApplication and are due Sept. 1, 2020. Industry veterans with a minimum of five years of experience who are interested in becoming mentors can submit an interest form year-round online at IAAPA.org/YPMentorInterestForm.

“This is an industry built around having fun and making memories, so as leaders, it’s our responsibility to attract and keep the best talent within the industry,” Flaherty says. “This program paves the path the younger generations can travel to gain confidence in themselves and find an industry they want to stay in for a long time. The future of the industry lies in today’s youth, and we must all do our part to embrace that.” 

For more information about the IAAPA Young Professionals Mentor/Mentee Program, visit IAAPA.org/Young
Professionals or contact [email protected].