Rosalind Wade: The power of reinvention and self-belief

Like many people, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 turned my life and career upside down. By the time countries began locking down, I had lived in Asia for over 20 years but found myself back in the UK. I spent 15 years in Hong Kong, with brief flirtations with Singapore and the United States in between, before finding a new home in Manila in 2017.

To me, Asia was home. It was where I had built my career and networks, both personally and professionally. My journey in the industry started there when I began working for Beacon Events in Hong Kong in 2007. Within a year, I had successfully organised my first gaming event – iGaming Asia in Macau, which was originally a joint venture with Clarion. Following that, I organised similar events in Australia, Taipei, Singapore and various other locations.

In 2013, I played a pivotal role in co-founding Asia Gaming Brief (AGB), marking yet another successful chapter. This endeavour culminated in the launch of the ASEAN Gaming Summit, which swiftly emerged as one of the premier gaming conferences in Asia.

Unfortunately, this all ended abruptly in 2020 when I found myself living back in the UK for the first time in nearly three decades.

A surreal return home

Returning home after living abroad can be a surreal experience. Culture shock is already bewildering, but experiencing a reverse culture shock, where your home now seems unfamiliar, adds an extra layer of confusion.

By July 2020, the Philippines’ borders were still closed and a return to Asia looked increasingly unlikely, so I turned my attention to Europe. Plans to move to Spain were in place when personal tragedy struck, leaving me with no choice but to remain in the UK for the foreseeable future.

Within a year, I had lost my home, my friends in Asia, my job and my main source of income.

Charting my own course

Despite moments of self-doubt, I recognised the need to pick myself up and chart a new course for my life and career. I knew that the opportunities I sought wouldn’t simply materialise in front of me, so I had to take the initiative to create them.

During contemplative dog walks in my hometown, I underwent a period of profound self-reflection. As I began to re-engage with my network and the broader community within my industry, it became clear that, despite having been absent from events for some time, people still associated me with them and Asia, in particular. Decades of positive relationships established with clients and contacts meant that I had great support and a good reputation behind me.

The problem, however, was that I found my enthusiasm for rejoining the events industry in the same capacity had waned. The thought of working for someone else no longer appealed to me. It felt like a chapter in my life had closed and, if I were to rejoin events, I would need to do something different and carve out a new and fulfilling role for myself.

The events industry is dominated by men, many of whom are my friends and many of whom I have worked closely with in the past. They have built incredible global empires that have long dominated the meeting space. My goal was not to challenge them but to carve my niche and do something that belonged to me.

I had faith in my experience, and I knew I was good at what I did. So, I set out to find a gap in the market, somewhere I could use my experience, my network of contacts and my expertise.

The industry seemed to have reached a point of saturation, with major events occurring almost every other week. Despite the frequency of these events, it was becoming increasingly difficult to connect with the individuals who were truly essential to meet. While rubbing elbows with 200 people in a week may seem beneficial from a social perspective, it often hinders the decision-making process. After all, how could one effectively make decisions without getting more than a few seconds with the decision-makers themselves?

A new venture

This led to the founding of Winna Media in mid-2023. My goal was to help create events where people could cut through the noise and connect with the people they needed to. I didn’t want people to leave my events with a stack of business cards; I wanted them to leave with business deals and long-lasting relationships and friendships.

All of this culminated in the launch of the first HOT100 event. The event’s aim was simple: to get 100 of the industry’s most important decision-makers all in one location, sprinkle in some entertainment, a spot of golf, some amazing dinners and let them get to know one another. One thing I know is that it is much easier to do business with someone after spending significant and meaningful time with them than it is after a speedy exchange at an event kiosk.

The event was a big success and I have my eyes on similar events in the coming months, especially as Thailand is presenting unique opportunities in the sector. However, it is not the event’s success that fills me with pride. Instead, it’s the fact that I backed myself and overcame a series of personal, financial and professional challenges to put it together.

Taking the step to launch my own business was definitely scary and I would never have been able to do it without the help of my right-hand woman, Diana af Klinteberg. Diana and I worked together on multiple events in Manila and she has become my most dependable and trusted partner in the business. More importantly, she is a friend I trust and know has our best interests as a priority.

If I have learned anything from the last few years and starting my own business, it’s that self-belief and the ability to back yourself in difficult situations can go an awfully long way. Four years ago, I didn’t think I would be building a new business, but here we are and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next.