Congratulations to 2025 SITE Mentee of the Year Riley Allen!
Riley was presented with this year’s award during the 2025 SITE Young Leaders Conference in Las Vegas, and will continue celebrating all that she’s achieved as an emerging leader at our 2026 Global Conference in Abu Dhabi.
Here are reflections from Riley on what she gained through SITE’s Mentoring Members program this year (where she was mentored by Jose Navarrete) and where she’s looking to grow her career next, as she continues to stand out as a leading voice in our industry.
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Q: What was your focus when you started SITE’s Mentoring Members program earlier this year?
A: Entering the program, my primary focus was to deepen my connection to the industry and expand my professional network beyond the boundaries of my current organization. I wanted to gain broader insights, build meaningful relationships, and better understand events from different perspectives.
From our very first meeting Jose, my mentor, helped me refine this focus by encouraging me to make my SMART goals more specific and actionable. Together, we broke down each goal into clear steps, which gave me a strategic roadmap and a stronger sense of direction.
This process not only clarified what I wanted to achieve but also how I planned to get there. As a result, I approached each goal with greater confidence and purpose, knowing I had a thoughtful plan in place.
Q: Your mentor spoke highly of the initiative and drive you showed throughout the program this year. How did you showcase these invaluable skills as a mentee and find opportunities to build on them over the year?
A: I demonstrated initiative and drive in my mentorship relationship by consistently showing up prepared, setting clear intentions, and taking ownership of my growth.
From the start, my mentor and I established a bimonthly meeting cadence, which gave us structure while also allowing time for independent progress between meetings.
I made it a priority to come to each meeting with updates, questions, and reflections, ensuring our time together was purposeful and productive.
Outside of our mentorship meetings, I took initiative by enrolling in the CIS certification course, completing modules on a structured timeline, and preparing thoroughly for the final exam.
I also connected several times with an Event Manager within my organization to explore different career paths, participated in supplier visits and industry webinars to expand my knowledge, and took steps to be more involved within the SITE Midwest chapter.
This balance of guided mentorship and self-driven effort helped me stay focused and accountable throughout the program.
Q: Can you share another goal you had for your mentorship this year?
A: In addition to earning my CIS, I also worked on defining my personal brand statement — something that helped me articulate my professional identity and values more clearly.
My mentor challenged me to think critically about how I want to be perceived in the industry, which led to a strong, authentic statement: I’m a genuine and dependable professional who brings strategic insight, generational adaptability, and unwavering commitment to every project — always prepared and driven to deliver impactful results.
