Rising Talent: Future-Proofing Your Career in Business Events
An Offstage with Soundings® recap of our session at IMEX Frankfurt 2025
By Tracy Judge, Founder & CEO, Soundings
There’s something powerful happening right now in the business events space. The next generation of professionals is stepping forward not just to fill roles, but to reshape them. And if this session showed me anything, it’s that rising talent is ready to lead that change. The traditional career path is becoming less defined. AI and automation are fundamentally shifting the way work is done. According to Soundings’ AI Impact on Workforce Dynamics study, the business events industry is behind other sectors in AI adoption, but that doesn’t mean its workforce has to be. Those who understand how to position themselves with skills and strengths, not just titles and tasks, will be the ones shaping the future.
Strengths Are the Compass
The session began with identifying individual strengths, whether in strategic thinking, relationship building, executing, or influencing. In a workforce facing constant disruption, knowing and leaning into natural strengths provides clarity and confidence. Strengths help talent navigate uncertainty and differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
Skills Are the Strategy
As part of the session, participants were invited to reflect on the changing nature of work and identify three skills they want to develop, either by upskilling (building on existing strengths) or reskilling (preparing for new types of roles or projects). These skills were selected with a future opportunity or career goal in mind, recognizing that the path forward is less about titles and more about capabilities. They also explored how to pursue these skills through different learning approaches (formal education, social learning, or hands-on experience) and committed to taking steps toward that growth. This exercise demonstrated a key shift in career development: future-ready talent isn’t defined by static roles, but by adaptability, clarity, and an ongoing investment in learning.
This Is the Moment to Invest in Talent
For organizations: emerging professionals are not just the future of our industry–they’re actively shaping it right now. They’re learning, evolving, and pushing the boundaries of what work can look like. Supporting their growth through strengths-based development, skills-building, and meaningful opportunities isn’t just the right thing to do–it’s a strategic advantage. And for the rising talent navigating this new landscape: career paths are no longer linear. Strengths are the foundation, skills are the toolkit, and learning is continuous. The opportunity now is to build a career that’s not only future-ready, but personally fulfilling.
To everyone who joined my session on May 22nd during IMEX Frankfurt, thank you. Thank you for making the time, for engaging with openness, and for leaning into the conversation. You didn’t just attend, you showed up with curiosity, honesty, and intention. And for that, I’m proud of you. You made a choice to invest in yourself, and that’s one of the most important commitments you can make in today’s ever-evolving industry. Let’s continue to elevate the conversation. Let’s keep showing up, building, and growing–together.
I would love for you to share your comments, learnings, and progress below!
Tracy Judge, MS, CMP
CEO & Founder, Soundings
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