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Krista Iverson Vazquez, Vice President at the C5 Group<\/p><\/div>\n
Krista’s experience covers both European and American markets, granting her an insightful transatlantic perspective. The States, particularly, has always been characterised by its distinctive go-getter attitude, which Krista was quick to speak to when asked about the differences she has noticed between the two over time: “The US market has always had a larger appetite for risk. It feels way more entrepreneurial, built on a spirit of giving great ideas a shot.”<\/p>\n
The entrepreneurial spirit is an intrinsic part of the industry’s identity on that side of the Atlantic. It is an attitude Krista herself embodies, leading her teams with courage and drive at the forefront.<\/p>\n
When asked about her approach to leadership, Krista identified three pillars she lives by when heading teams. The first is clarity of vision: understanding what your team’s driving force actually is. “You have to have a vision that is clear and simple. Why are we here? What are we trying to achieve? We are here to build events that are growing economically by providing value to our customers. Simple. Clear.” When tasked with motivating a team, it is easy to overcomplicate the goal. Krista’s first pillar may seem straightforward, but it is one that consistently gets lost in the process.<\/p>\n
Her second pillar extends this idea into clarity of responsibility. Vision alone is not enough to guide a team to success; each individual needs to understand their own purpose within the broader goal and have the freedom to meet that goal by leaning into their own strengths. “People need to know what their job actually is within the team’s goals and have some agency over how they meet those goals.” When even one team member feels misaligned or not able to leverage their best skillsets, it risks derailing the entire process.<\/p>\n
Krista’s third pillar is psychological safety, and it is perhaps the most telling of the three. Her approach to shortcomings is not forensic but forward-looking: “When something fails, bring the team together, acknowledge it, and focus the conversation on what you would do differently now that you know what you know, not on auditing what went wrong.” Each mistake is treated as a learning curve rather than a liability, which creates the room for growth and clarity that Krista values so deeply.<\/p>\n
“Leaders have a choice when something fails. It can be a forensic investigation into everything a person did, or it can be a forward-looking, honest conversation. The first is not a safe environment. The second is where real learning happens.”<\/em><\/p>\n The consequences of getting this wrong are ones Krista has seen play out across the industry. “Things go wrong on event teams when people start pointing fingers backwards. Production did it. Marketing did it. Sales did it.” When blame becomes the default response to failure, it spreads quickly and becomes very difficult to reverse. As Krista is clear to point out, there is not always a formula for why something did not work in the industry. Sometimes you do all the right things and the market response wasn’t what you anticipated. Part of this business is very much an art, and sometimes there is a bit of mystery about why some things fly and some struggle to take off. It is this, Krista notes, that makes this such a fascinating industry. You cannot be afraid to fail, and you have to always be excited to get back on the pitch.<\/p>\n The idea of growth extends beyond teams, and alongside that entrepreneurial mindset comes an ever-changing events landscape. When asked about the shifts she has observed in recent years, Krista was excited about the industry’s proven resilience. “I’ve seen this industry shift post 9\/11, respond to the financial crisis of 2008 and pivot quickly during COVID. Every shift, including the ongoing AI transformation, has introduced opportunities to redefine our value proposition and deliver meaningful innovation.”<\/p>\n Rather than attempting to reverse these market shifts, the more productive question is how you and your teams can adapt by leaning into them and fully accepting the change they bring to the market. For Krista, that question always leads back to the same place: the clarity of your vision, leaning into the strength of your team, and the courage to lead both honestly.<\/p>\n Visit Jackson Barnes Recruitment\u2019s website\u00a0www.jbrecruitment.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.<\/p>\n About Jackson Barnes Recruitment<\/strong><\/p>\n Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Researcher<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Conference producer<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Event Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Sales \u2013 delegate, sponsorship & Business Development<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Event Manager<\/a><\/p>\n