New in Events, a podcast from IBTM World, has returned for a second season with events professional Shonali Devereaux as its new host.
Designed to inspire and support IBTM’s community of event professionals with insights, practical advice and innovative ways of working, series two of the podcast will feature ten episodes, airing every two weeks and running until the summer. New in Events will explore topics such as preventing professional burnout, crafting compelling stories through events, and how to promote inclusivity and accessibility. It is available on Spotify, Amazon Music and other listening platforms.
Devereaux, who was appointed CEO of the UK-based Meetings Industry Association (MIA) in November 2024, has 30 years experience with high-profile events, including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. She has also held senior leadership roles and board positions, and is a lecturer in Events and Tourism at the University of Hertfordshire. Passionate about mentorship and diversity, she is co-founder of the Diverse Speaker Bureau and volunteers with the Fast Forward 15 mentorship program and the Meeting Needs foundation.
In each 30-minute episode, Devereaux talks with a headline interviewee before bringing listeners conversational highlights recorded in the podcast booth during IBTM World 2024 in Barcelona.
The new season’s first episode aired on February 27th. Titled Professional Resilience: How to burn bright and avoid burnout, it features an in-depth interview with Mike Ford from Grateful Lemon, who shares insights on burnout and how event professionals should approach stress, recovery and sleep. Ford is followed by a show floor interview with Bo Krüger, speaker and meetings designer at Moving Minds, who reveals how stress can be a creative force when harnessed with a “yes and” mindset.
The season’s second episode – Accessible Events: New EU legislation and talking to an Olympic icon – aired on March 13th. In it Devereux speaks to inclusion and accessibility consultant Shani Dhanda and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, iconic Paralympian, campaigner, broadcaster and parliamentarian. Both guests share their experiences of day-to-day life with a disability and offer valuable advice for how planners can design more accessible events.
“I can’t wait for everyone to hear the amazing conversations we’ve recorded for this new series. Each one is so full of insights and fascinating takeaways that I urge anyone working in the meetings and events industry to stream the first episode of Season Two and to give New In Events a follow so that you never miss an episode,” says Devereaux.
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