We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Helfman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.

Kelly, What does it take to be successful?
This is a great question and one that I have had time to reflect on through my career. I believe we can break this down into a few points. First is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Once you get a good picture of where you excel, lean into those qualities and utilize those strengths to thrive. On the other hand, understanding your weakness is equally important. I highly recommend continuously reinforcing those qualities and working with people who help fill those gaps to become more effective. There is a huge benefit to working with others which brings me to my second point, be proactive. Become comfortable with asking questions and then learning and applying that feedback. I also am an advocate for investing in growth by working with a  mentor or a professional coach. The third and most important way to become successful is to be productive daily. Staying on track is not always easy, especially with all the additional distractions that can pop up during your workday. Give yourself some grace but always get the most ROI out of each day. These are just a few ways to become more successful in your professional career.

How did you get into this industry?
Fashion has always been a big part in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, my mom owned a  vintage clothing store in Los Angeles. Then in my early 20’s I started my own fashion line which was a featured in top contemporary retail stores. In 2006, I started working as a Customer Service Representative for MAGIC, the largest fashion tradeshow in the United States. Today, I oversee the entire fashion portfolio for Informa Markets which includes MAGIC, Coterie and Project, the largest fashion B2B trade events.

What are some of your proudest moments?
 I am proud of the risks I have taken over the years. For example, launching MAGIC Nashville. This was a brand new show in a new and untested market. In this case, that risk paid off as MAGIC Nashville has doubled in size in just two years. Many people are uncomfortable with risk, but the truth is there is so much to gain from putting yourself out there. It is ok to fail as long as you are resilient and get right back out there. One important practice that I have over the course of my career is patience. That does not mean waiting for things to happen, but I see it as dedication to one’s goals and allowing the process to happen naturally. If you have to force it, it is not for you. Being patient with yourself and your team will make you more relatable. That authentic approach, I believe is what has helped me and my team grow.

How have you been resilient?
2020 was a challenging year for live events. The industry took a huge hit during the pandemic. Being an events company, we needed to find a way to rebound and quickly. We had to get creative and find ways to keep going. Our entire team banded together, and we put together an amazing event in Orlando that year and were able to come out of that time much stronger. Here we are a just a short time after and we are going strong.

What did you have to unlearn?
I had to unlearn the need for perfection and the burn out that came from that. For such a long-time society has rewarded hustle culture.  That perfectionist mentality can consume you and you loose focus of things around you because you are so focused on the work. At some point asking for help was seen as a weakness when in reality it shows strength to ask for support. I choose to lead my team with intention and best practices so that we can all have a healthy relationship with work. I have learned the importance of leading by example. As the President of a large organization, it is my job to set the example and hope that my employees do the same. We thrive together.

Contact information:

• Website: www.informamarkets.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8blFUBP_cKuC93IqMNBWXg
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/informamarkets

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