One of the most important responsibilities we have as leaders is making time—not just to build what’s next, but to invest in who will build it. At Fast Forward, mentorship isn’t a talking point; it’s a practice. That means creating real access, real responsibility, and real learning moments for early-career professionals as they step into the live media and events industry.
Internships in the live events industry provide early-career professionals with hands-on exposure to operations, marketing, leadership, and real-time execution that can’t be replicated in a classroom.
In this issue, I spent time getting to know two of our interns—Amanda Mershon and Sydney Tatevossian—who are experiencing our business from very different vantage points: operations and on-site execution. Their perspectives are thoughtful, honest, and a powerful reminder that the future of our industry depends on leaders who understand both the mechanics and the magic of what we do.
I invite you to read their stories and see the industry through their eyes.
Intern Spotlight: Amanda Mershon
One of the privileges of leading a company at this stage is hitting pause, and taking the moment to slow down and listen—to step out of meetings, endless Zooms and away from strategy decks and expansion plans, and into the engine room of our business. That’s where people like Amanda are learning the craft of operations in real time—and where I’m reminded why investing in early-career talent matters.
Amanda joined Fast Forward as a Business Operations Intern, bringing with her a curiosity about how organizations actually work—not just in theory, but in motion. As a Business major at San Diego State University, she gravitated toward operations because it sits at the intersection of systems, problem-solving, and people. Her instinct is to ask: How can this run better? How can we make it smoother for everyone involved?
That mindset is exactly what operations demands—especially in live media and events.
What’s been particularly instructive for Amanda (and for us) is her exposure to two very different platforms within our portfolio: SommCon, a B2B conference built around precision and industry rigor, and the San Diego Food + Wine Festival, a large-scale consumer experience where adaptability and guest experience are paramount.
She observed quickly what every seasoned operator learns over time: B2B environments reward structure, accuracy, and predictability. B2C environments reward flexibility, situational awareness, and fast decision-making. The fundamentals are the same—but the execution shifts based on who you’re serving and what success looks like in that moment.
That distinction—serving the audience in front of you—is one of the most important lessons in our industry.
Amanda is using her time with us to build skills that will serve her well far beyond this internship: cross-department communication, data-informed decision-making, and project management that balances urgency with organization. She’s particularly interested in how data can be used not just to report on what happened, but to inform smarter operational choices going forward—an area we continue to invest in as a company.
Like most people new to live events, she’s also experienced the baptism by fire that comes with real-time execution. The pace is fast. Plans shift. Details matter. Learning to stay calm under pressure while keeping teams aligned is not something you learn in a classroom—it’s learned onsite, in the moments when it counts. Watching her navigate that learning curve has been a reminder that confidence is built through exposure, not perfection.
What stands out most, though, is how clearly Amanda understands the interconnected nature of this business. She sees how a decision in one department ripples across others. She understands that communication and follow-through are not “soft skills” but operational necessities. And she approaches collaboration not as a task, but as a responsibility.
At Fast Forward, we believe the future of this industry depends on leaders who understand both the mechanics and the meaning of what we build. Amanda represents that next generation—thoughtful, systems-oriented, and motivated by impact.
Taking the time to know our team at every level isn’t just culture-building. It’s leadership. And it’s one of the most important investments we make.
Intern Spotlight: Sydney Tatevossian
One of the things I pay closest attention to as a leader is why people are drawn to this industry in the first place. Not the job description—but the spark. With Sydney, that spark is unmistakable.
Long before she stepped onto an event site, Sydney was captivated by the idea of shared spectacle—the kind of moments where creativity, storytelling, and collective energy collide. From themed cultural moments like the Met Gala to the immersive wonder of Disneyland, she’s always been drawn to experiences that feel bigger than the sum of their parts. That curiosity eventually led her to Fast Forward—first through conversations with peers and mentors, then through hours spent watching our Food + Wine Festival videos before she ever applied.
That instinct—to seek out the feeling behind the work—is one of the most important traits in live events.
Sydney’s first major onsite experience with us came at the San Diego Food + Wine Festival, where she worked attendee registration—often the first human touchpoint guests encounter. What stood out immediately was her understanding that this role isn’t transactional; it’s emotional. Registration isn’t just about credentials and scanners—it’s about reassurance, tone, and trust. She quickly learned that when something goes wrong, what guests want most is to feel seen and supported. Kindness, clarity, and a solution-focused mindset can change the entire trajectory of someone’s day.
It’s also where she found her footing. In the span of a single event, Sydney gained confidence she didn’t expect—learning to think on her feet, communicate clearly under pressure, and represent the event experience with warmth and professionalism.
Working alongside Kristin Martinez, our VP of Events, gave Sydney a front-row seat to leadership in action. She observed what it means to manage complexity with calm, to balance creativity with organization, and to lead a team through long days and constant variables without losing focus. Watching that example has clearly shaped her own aspirations—and reinforced what strong leadership looks like when it’s practiced, not just talked about.
What excites Sydney most about this industry is its openness. There is no single path, no fixed narrative. Every event, every professional, every moment tells a different story. She’s particularly inspired by product launches, dinners, and parties—spaces where detail, storytelling, and design come together to create something intimate yet impactful. Those moments, she says, feel like magic. And now, she’s helping create that magic for others.
As leaders, we often talk about the future of this industry in terms of technology, data, and growth. But the truth is, the future is also shaped by people like Sydney—who bring curiosity, empathy, and a genuine love for experience into the work.
Taking the time to get to know our interns isn’t about nostalgia or culture alone. It’s about stewardship. Because the next generation of event leaders isn’t waiting in the wings—they’re already on site, learning, contributing, and reminding us why this work matters.