Emily Ward, 35

Events Director, Georges Media Group (parent company of The Advocate, The Times-picayune, NOLA.COM and The Acadiana Advocate) Education: Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Southeastern Louisiana University

What advice do you have for other young professionals in the news industry?

Finding a mentor is one of the best things you can do for your career. They will have experiences you can learn from and advice you can lean on when you aren’t sure of your next step.

Take every opportunity to learn new skills and challenge yourself, keep opening new doors and never stop learning or growing. Regardless of where you currently are in your career or how many years of experience you might have, you always stand to learn something new from others; you just need to be open to it. Also, remember to take time to pursue continuing education in your field through professional development. The most profitable investment is investing in yourself!

If you could predict the “next big thing” in news media, what would it be?

I feel like the “next big thing” will always be an innovation in serving our readers in a bigger or better way, and I am excited about what this could mean for future events.

The events industry has changed drastically since the pandemic and will continue to do so. The past two years have forced us to rethink each event and how best to move forward in this climate. I’m very grateful to work for a company that embraces change alongside peers who continuously support one another through those changes.

One of the things I love most about events is the constant evolution of styles, platforms and unique experiences we can bring to life for our audiences. Advances in technology allow us to meet our audience where they are and add elements to our live events that elevate the entire experience, so I cannot wait to see where this takes us next!