NOWIE has announced a new collaboration with UN Women UK to deliver its annual research project, The Big Survey.
The Big Survey is an annual report that surveys professionals in the events sector to understand gender dynamics, policy, career satisfaction, and rates of sexual harassment and assault in the industry.
NOWIE is a Community Interest Company, championing gender equality in the events industry through mentoring schemes, networking opportunities, and encouraging policy and structural reform. The team has shared that this year’s edition of The Big Survey will build on the 2025 data, seeking actionable solutions to the challenges women in the sector face. They have also stated their plans to align the research findings with the government’s 2025 Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy, which aims to halve rates of Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade.
UN Women UK joins the Big Survey as a collaborator, and will support the project by contributing the foreword to this year’s report, helping to place the findings within the wider national conversation around preventing Violence Against Women and Girls and advancing gender equity.
This collaboration, confirmed by NOWIE this week, marks an important milestone for the project and reflects a shared commitment to creating safer, fairer and more inclusive workplaces for women.
Tabitha Morton, CEO of UN Women UK, said: “Violence against women and girls doesn’t discriminate. It happens at every level, in every corner of society — and the events industry is no exception. That’s why we’re supporting NOWIE’s Big Survey: to build the evidence base that shows what’s really happening to women in this industry, and turn that evidence into action. Because all women and girls deserve safety, choice, and voice – at work, and everywhere else.”
Cat Kevern, Managing Director of NOWIE, added: “We’re incredibly proud to be collaborating with UN Women UK on this year’s Big Survey. From the moment we began working together, I’ve been inspired not only by the vital work UN Women UK is doing to advance gender equality and end violence against women and girls, but also by the passion and expertise of its team. It’s a real privilege to be working alongside such brilliant people,” she said. “Our ambition has always been to ensure the voices of women working across the events industry are not only heard, but translated into meaningful action. By combining robust research with the expertise of organisations like UN Women UK, we have a genuine opportunity to influence workplace culture, inform policy and help create a safer, fairer events industry for everyone.”
The Big Survey is currently accepting responses from event professionals, both men and women, from across the sector. Anyone who wants to contribute to the research can complete the survey before it closes in August 2026.
Take the Big Survey here.
