Nicki Incandela Thies, Director of Production, Wilson Dow
Event profs are quick-thinking and adaptable problem-solvers by nature, able to read a room and anticipate challenges to pivot at a moment’s notice. These skills aren’t necessarily ones you can glean from a textbook. They come from within, or develop through experience. It’s one of many reasons why talent management in the world of experiential marketing is unique.
“Managing talent in the events and experiential marketing industry is unique because emotional intelligence is almost as important—if not more important—than technical expertise,” says Nicki Incandela Thies, director-production at Wilson Dow. “But beyond these tactical skills, success in this industry is about understanding why we do what we do and connecting the dots of how each choice contributes to the bigger picture of creating memorable experiences.”
In our quarterly HR update, we explore three talent and work insights from Incandela Thies and the team at Wilson Dow.
More Than Work
From return-to-office mandates to remote-work isolation, no matter the side of the coin your agency lands on this year, workplace culture has entered its most challenging era. And it appears there is a lot to make up for: A Gallup 2024 poll found that employee engagement fell to an 11-year low; while Inc’s annual CEO Survey identified “burnout” as the most common workforce challenge.
At Wilson Dow, people are considered powerful culture-drivers, says Nicki Incandela Thies. The organization prioritizes having diverse perspectives in-agency and on projects, and has internal community groups that help foster a sense of belonging for new hires and seasoned employees, alike. These include Gives, which is focused on the agency’s philanthropic and giveback efforts; Wellness, focused on work and life wellbeing; Sustainabiliteam, focused on the company’s sustainability efforts; and DEI, to ensure an equitable environment and celebrate diversity.
“Prioritizing individuals with fresh viewpoints helps create a more engaging experience relevant to a wide range of audiences,” Incandela Thies says. “Everyone brings a different, authentic set of qualities to the table, and those abilities all have the right fit in various work and event situations.”
Learning by Doing
On top of familiarizing new hires with agency workstreams and getting them up to speed on priority projects and clients, a big part of onboarding is learning how teams work together. New hires at Wilson Dow are introduced to the different departments, and then given hands-on exposure, from ownership of projects to opportunities to shadow experienced producers and strategists.
“Our new hires are immediately welcomed into projects, meetings, and brainstorming sessions where they can start contributing,” Incandela Thies says. “This approach helps them navigate their roles early, build meaningful connections within the organization, and long-lasting relationships with vendors and clients.”
Beyond learning by doing, the agency offers a robust catalog of internal resources for continued growth and learning that employees can access at any time. And beyond the day-to-day, the agency invests in growth through its monthly Level Up training sessions, where employees sharpen their skills and learn from in-house and third-party industry experts.
Mentorship
Studies continue to draw a direct correlation between employees who have mentors and increased job satisfaction, and in a fast-paced, high-pressure industry like event marketing, where on-the-job learning is critical, mentorship is a key opportunity.
Wilson Dow’s formal mentorship program, Project Protégé, is designed to “foster growth, connection, and cross-functional collaboration,” and pairs tenured team members with developing talent. Mentor-mentee pairs meet monthly to swap insights, share experiences, and navigate life at the agency.
“Wilson Dow leans heavily on a bottom-up approach for the entire agency’s growth. This means junior talent isn’t just here to learn from leadership; leadership is learning from them, too,” Incandela Thies says. “Our junior staff continues to shape me into the leader I strive to be, and in return, I show up as my best for them—offering both guidance and an objective perspective, knowing that leadership is a constant two-way evolution of trust, development, and understanding.”
Image credit: iStock/Dilok Klaisataporn
