Welcome to Rise AV - a group for gender diversity and professional growth

BECOME A MENTEE BECOME A MENTOR

TRANSFORMING AV

Empowering Women, Driving Change, Shaping the Future

Rise AV exists to break down systemic barriers, elevate women’s careers, and build a diverse, skilled AV workforce that’s fit for the future.

While the industry is growing at 6.1% annually, it’s also projected to face a 2.3 million worker shortfall by 2026. At the same time, women make up just 9% of the AV workforce, and only 2% in technical roles.

If the future of AV depends on attracting fresh talent, how can we afford to ignore half the population? We can’t.

But we can build a stronger foundation by confronting the real barriers to inclusion, progression, and retention.

How We’re Creating Change

At Rise AV, we’re not just focused on bringing more women into the AV industry, we are committed to helping them thrive, stay, and lead. Our work is centred around both individual empowerment and systemic change.

We support women already in the industry through mentorship, tailored professional development, and a supportive community that encourages confidence, connection, and career growth. Because if we can’t retain the talent we already have, how can we expect to attract more?

At the same time, we partner with AV businesses to help them become more inclusive from the inside out. This means reviewing and refining internal policies, fostering cultural transformation, and promoting responsible practices that contribute to a more equitable supply chain throughout the industry.

This dual approach, supporting people and transforming systems—is what sets Rise AV apart. We’re not just filling the pipeline. We’re fixing it.

Get Involved

Supporting Rise AV isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment. Inclusive workforces are proven to be 25% more profitable, more innovative, better at decision-making, and more effective at attracting and retaining top talent.

Whether you want to mentor, sponsor, or become a member, there’s a role for you in this movement.

Our professional development programmes are exclusively for women, but our membership and mentorship are open to all genders.

Together, we can close the gap and build the future of AV.

OUR MISSON

Inspire, Support, and Build a Diverse AV Community

Rise AV, built on the success of Rise Women in Broadcast, is committed to real change by attracting talent, providing mentorship and development, fostering education, and driving systemic industry change by embedding diversity into AV business practices.

At Rise AV, we’re committed to driving equity, representation, and long-term change for women across the AV industry — from entry-level to executive leadership.

In May 2025, we proudly launched the Rise AV Mentoring Programme in the UK, offering aspiring women across AV, Residential AV, and live events expert mentorship, confidence-building, and career support from experienced industry leaders.

Now, we’re building on that momentum with the launch of the Rise AV Elevate Programme, a high-impact leadership accelerator designed to fast-track mid-level women into senior leadership.

Applications open in June for this transformative six-week programme starting in October 2025, which blends in-person and virtual learning, real-world business challenges, and personalised mentoring from AV leaders. It’s the next step in our mission to create sustainable pathways for women to thrive and lead in this industry.

Whether you’re early in your AV career or preparing to step into senior leadership, Rise AV offers meaningful, supported development opportunities that create lasting change for individuals, businesses, and the industry as a whole.

This Is Just the Beginning

The skills shortage isn’t just about gender—we need more young people entering AV, too. That’s why we’re building on Rise WIB’s Rise Academy, which introduces students to broadcast careers, by launching Rise AV Academy to inspire and attract the next generation of AV professionals.

But first, we mentor, develop and create a supportive community for women already in the industry. If we can’t retain the talent we already have, how can we expect to attract more?

Our Focus Areas

Attract and Retain Talent:

Inspire women to join, stay and thrive in AV.

Mentoring:

Tailored programmes to support women at all career levels.

Education and Awareness:

Workshops, panels, and masterclasses spotlighting female talent and foster learning.

Networking and Community Building:

Connecting emerging talent with industry leaders.

Free Membership Access:

Ensure inclusivity and accessibility for aspiring professionals.

Advocacy for Change:

Promote actionable diversity initiatives into AV business practices.

C-Suite and Career Accelerator Programmes:

Empowering women to reach executive roles.

Rise AV Academy:

Inspiring students (ages 11–18) through AV workshops.

Rise AV Awards:

Celebrating outstanding women, advocates and companies in AV

Global Expansion:

Launching chapters worldwide to amplify our impact.