About us
Women in Exhibitions Network welcomes as members professionals representing exhibition organisers, venues and suppliers in the event industry whose business is related to the organisation and facilitation of exhibitions or trade fairs.
Women in Exhibitions Network has been set up to fulfil the mission of empowering women in the industry whilst helping to nurture the next generation of female leaders.
This community is the result of a joint effort of inspirational female leaders from our industry who are our founding members and ambassadors.
Oana CIPCA Founder & President, Women in Exhibitions
Senior Business Development Manager at MECC Maastricht
Oana is the initiator and founder of the Women in Exhibitions Network officially launched in 2018 with the aim of supporting the continued professional development of women working in exhibitions and providing opportunities for them to meet and network.
With a degree in Business Administration and over 15 years of experience in international business development, Oana leads business growth initiatives at MECC Maastricht. She is also the founder of Wanna’Help, an NGO dedicated to nurturing the talents of orphans in Romania.
At « Women in Exhibitions », Oana’s mission is to empower the next generation of women leaders by creating a platform that supports and increases the number of women in decision-making positions in the industry. Today, Women in Exhibitions has a global reach, with chapters in the DACH region, UK, North America, The Netherlands, France and upcoming launch in Italy.
She aims to make the exhibition industry discover women, create the right environment for women to shift in their attitudes and behaviour, and to support them to grow.
Sonia THOMAS, VP Women in Exhibitions, Executive & Team Coach, Consultant
Sonia is a certified coach (Dauphine University, Paris), specializing in team and executive coaching (systemic and cognitive-behavioural coaching).
Prior to this, Sonia worked for almost 15 years at UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, with her most recent role being Chief Operations Officer. She also worked in the hospitality industry, tourism and legal.
In addition to her other roles, she teaches HRM and coaching at Dauphine University in Paris, and coaches students from HEC Business School (MSIE), also in Paris.
She is certified by the London School of Economics in Inclusive Leadership Through Behavioural Sciences. She is particularly interested in inter-cultural and inter-generational studies, and believes in the importance and the need for a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Silvia Forroova, VP Women in Exhibitions, Global Event & Sustainability Strategy Specialist | Mentor | Coach | Speaker | Moderator
I am the Global Event & Sustainability Strategy Specialist for the CPHI portfolio within Informa Markets – a division of Informa Plc. In my daily work, I look after strategic partnerships for the global portfolio of pharmaceutical supply chain, packaging and drug delivery events, collaborating with associations, trade bodies, membership organisations, alongside building sustainability strategy and roadmaps for our events – my focus is manifold: our trade shows, the wider pharma industry, and our people within the organisation and their learning about sustainability.
I am also a founding member of the Women in Exhibitions Dutch Chapter – our mission is to empower women in the events industry and nurture the next generation of female leaders within trade events businesses.
I am an EMCC & NOBCO accredited coach/mentor.
Enabling and empowering women is my main mission.