CHICAGO — Since 2018, Trade Show Executive (TSE) has been recognizing a class of women each year that are helping to shape the future of the industry through its Women to Watch program.
The Class of 2024 is a group of exceptional up-and-coming women who making significant impacts at their organizations through their work, from operations to marketing to pricing to sales.
TSE caught up with one of this year’s Women to Watch, Anita Y. Mui, Director, US Strategic Pricing at RX, to talk about how she ended up in the events world, her strategies to avoid burnout and why strategic pricing is the perfect fit for her.
MADDY: Can you tell us how you landed in the trade show industry? Was it a straight path here, or was it unexpected?
ANITA: I was laid off in 2010 from the healthcare industry in the role of a Senior Financial Analyst when there was a lot of cost cutting across the industry. I was fortunate to find RX just in time before my unemployment check ceased. My hiring manager at the time gave me an opportunity to learn the events industry even when I didn’t check off all the requirements they were looking for; I never asked, but I believe he felt I was culturally a good fit and gave me a chance.
Currently, at a 14-plus year career with RX, I’ve met so many intellectuals who were willing to take me under their wing, sharing their wealth of knowledge and being available when I had questions/challenges. Although some of these individuals have left RX and we walk our separate ways, their impact on my well-being is forever.
My path to being the Director of Strategic Pricing was made possible by the belief and faith of the few who gave me a shot at the position and continually supporting my growth and well-being.
MADDY: What are some of the skills that have helped you move up in your organization, and how do you refine those skills?
ANITA: For me, improving my soft skills, specifically in communication, is something I work on tirelessly. My previous positions allowed me to hide more behind the desk, running reports, models & managing financial statements. In Pricing, it was critical to speak with clarity to provoke both thought and alignment. Having things make sense in my head is great, but the most challenging thing for me is figuring out how to effectively communicate that idea so others understand new concepts and see how it helps them achieve their objectives. This particular skill set over the three years of my role, along with growing internal confidence and not ego, is the one that propelled me forward the most.
MADDY: Thinking back on your career thus far, what is a standout moment that makes you proud of yourself?
ANITA: The proudest time I recall is when I made a difficult decision to decline a job offer with more money/career advancement for the balance of time to recover well from having a second child and establishing a new status quo in my life. At that time, it was a difficult decision as a female to make. No one will ever know what the alternative could be. I do feel proud that I was able to make the decision and found peace at that crossroad in life rather than staying doubtful or feeling regretful.
MADDY: What is your motivation to continue striving for excellence in your work?
ANITA: I really enjoy my line of work, the leadership at work and the RX culture. I look forward to Mondays as much as I am excited that it’s Friday.
My first job was as a licensed agent who helped families plan their financial roadmap. I enjoyed that line of work tremendously, but I was awful at prospecting. I was in corporate finance for many years, and it was something I was good at but not always interesting.
I found the perfect home for my personality and skill set — being a strategic pricer, I don’t have to sell but I think about customers and the market all the time. I also get to talk about the P&L and do nerdy math and spreadsheet modeling just like before, but I don’t live by month end close schedules or have to figure out any journal entries on the balance sheet. If you find something you love, I think there’s a natural motivation to strive for excellence as it’s the way to continually enjoy it even more.
MADDY: What’s the toughest decision you’ve had to make in your role and how did you handle it? Or, can you share a significant challenge you faced as a woman in this industry, and how did you overcome it?
ANITA: The most significant challenge I have had to face so far is overcoming the expectations of others in understanding what Strategic Pricing is. My predecessor was charismatic and highly effective in communicating about Pricing, a subject that some still don’t understood why it’s a necessary role. He knew what battles to choose and what to let go. It was a great high bar, but I am not like my predecessor.
Finding my own footing and building internal confidence was something I had to do to earn staying in the role. With the guidance of my manager and his managers, I had the chance to grow into my role and be outstanding in my own way.
MADDY: How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout? How do you encourage others to do the same?
ANITA: I am lucky to love my work and company. Work never ends, so indeed, in the past I forget to take care of myself — both mentally and physically. Outside of work, I have plenty of responsibilities that also never end. RX has always given me the ability to work around my life’s challenges before hybrid/remote work was a thing. My first child has a rare disease, Lymphatic Malformation, which is life-long management.
Today, for my personal well-being, it’s making sure that I proactively take care of both my body and mind and not when I have time — I make time. I take a 20-minute walk on most days with my aging dogs, who are 15 and 16, enjoy an occasional early morning jog, am a Tai Chi practitioner and take ongoing classes; and my vice is enjoying whiskeys and cigars with friends.
I encourage others to take the first step to what wellness is to you. It maybe ensuring getting eight hours of sleep, it may be cutting back on sugar, it may be picking up a new sport such as golf. It’s ok to have your personal vices, and over the long term, never stop discovering what makes your body strong and well as our body ages. Then sprinkle in some vice.
MADDY: How do you think women can support each other more in this industry? Or, in what ways do you think the trade show industry is evolving to better support women in leadership roles?
ANITA: I think women are supporting more of each other in the trade show industry by highlighting women success and the hardships. For the world’s workplace history and societal norms of the day, the workplace has been predominately men for multiple reasons. Awareness is the first big step and then realizing that the diversity of opinion and thought is great for today’s business and cultivating the best in people.
RX has an ERG (employee resource group) called Women Connected. The great thing the group does, despite being called “Women” Connected, is actively invite both fathers and mothers/Men & Women to the group and talk about challenges they face and what they do and did to overcome. It’s a great group because it’s non-judgmental representative of multiple stories, not a homogenous group of people justifying one side.
MADDY: What do you think the next big thing in the events space is going to be, whether it be related to technology, work models, experiences, etc.?
ANITA: I think work life balance is a term that will retire soon. It’s going to be the default norm and corporate/company common knowledge. I draw an analogy to the future of events — how to incorporate life into work.
What better way to give reason for people to be together face to face, off technology, and learn how to connect through both work and adding fun life elements into the trade show? That’s why I believe the events industry will be here for the long run. No one forgets the emotional feelings of an incredible event experience as long as we give them a reason to go.
MADDY: What advice would you give to other up-and-comers in this industry?
ANITA: It’s ok that you can’t do it all or don’t know it all. Figure out what you can do, do those one or two things well, and ask for help and guidance. I think folks in the industry will agree with me that it takes a hard-working team to make an event happen, and if someone thinks they can do it all themselves, it will burn you out and send you fleeing from the events industry. It is a fun and exhilarating business so enjoy what it has to offer and seek mentorship, set priorities of importance, and ask for help instead of trying to do it all yourself in a small window of time.
MADDY: What strategies have you found most effective for building a strong professional network within the trade show community?
ANITA: I probably wouldn’t put myself as someone who has a strong professional network but rather as someone who is very comfortable behind the scenes and comes out when I have something to offer. However, I had the honor of being nominated as a Woman to Watch in 2024, and I allowed myself to be me at the networking events. That means I retreated away when I get tired of social interactions and be there to truly enjoy and experience the opportunity. I enjoyed many conversations and got to know people on a fun, personal level, while also building a professional network by attending TSE’s Gold 100 Awards and Summit.
MADDY: What role does mentorship play in your career development, and how can other women seek and cultivate these relationships?
ANITA: The people who have taken me under their wings are my mentors. I believe sharing knowledge is truly a win-win situation. By sharing knowledge, I do not lose the knowledge, others gain knowledge and so do I of the person and knowledge they share back.
I think the best way to seek these individuals out is to be genuinely curious and gather up the courage to ask. If the chemistry is right, you gained a new mentor in life. If the other person isn’t interested in sharing, then you also learned something and there’s not much to lose either.
MADDY: How do you stay updated on industry trends and changes, and what resources do you recommend to your peers?
ANITA: Working in a capacity of partner group, the best way I stay ahead of industry trends is read research, read new case studies, generally stay in tuned with business/economic news, and always be engaged in active listening to the event teams, sales and commercial groups who are more in tuned with the industry. They are out in the field and active in the field and they have really great information to share that I have not read in the news.
MADDY: What is your vision for the future of women in the trade show industry, and what steps can be taken to foster greater inclusion and diversity?
ANITA: I think women are a great fit for the trade show industry. Going back to the earlier question on what I think is the next big thing in event space going to be, it’s incorporating life into work. Create memorable experiences within events and connect people and get our social brains working well again in an age of technology that may have dampened that side of development. Therefore, I think a lot of great ideas can come from women and men.
So, a great way to foster greater inclusion and diversity is to invite different people to the table for conversations and ensure everyone has a chance to speak or write down ideas and share with the organizer since we all express our ideas in different ways; let’s ensure we have channels for people to express thoughts freely, void of judgement.
