Update: 7/19/2016: This piece has been updated to reflect comments and new software options since the article first went live. New additions appear in the “Blogs” and “Podcasts” sections.
You’re an event planner. Your clients, your staff, your friends looking for favors – they all turn to you for help pulling off a fantastic event that everyone will be talking about for years to come.
But who do you turn to?
Here’s an alphabetical list of our go-to resources for event management professionals, including blogs, magazines, and podcasts.
Blogs
Aside from its event management software, Bizzabo has a blog that regularly posts useful, easy-to-digest pieces full of actionable takeaways. It has a slight focus on conferences and corporate events, but contains lots of helpful content for everyone.
It’s not the prettiest of sites, but Adrian Segar is an event industry expert with lots of insight. His posts tend to be short and on bigger, abstract ideas, but give you a lot to think about event strategy and planning.
The blog from popular enterprise event software Cvent is divided into categories so you can peruse based on your interests: social media, site selection and budgeting, association tips, meeting and event intelligence, planning how-tos, and strategic meetings management. It also includes rankings of top meeting hotels and destinations.
No matter which side of the pond you’re on, this blog from Eventbrite’s UK division can answer many of your event planning queries. Its entries cover technology, social media, marketing, and more.
Julius Solaris started Event Manager Blog back in 2007, and it is, according to him, the first blog for event professionals. In addition to daily posts on event planning and software reviews, Event Manager Blog has published a number of free e-books like “The Event App Bible” and “The Good Event Registration Guide.”
Event consultants and meeting designers, Gallus Events uses its blog to offer advice and tips on the industry. It also spotlights software in its “Event Tech of the Week” series, giving an overview of both new and established technologies.
The Social Tables Blog is chock full of information for the entire event industry, from marketing and technology to catering and design. The blog also provides information on venues, popular cities for events, and news relevant to the event planning industry.
Stylevise is dedicated to the specifics of event design. If you are looking to improve your aesthetics and make your event more pleasing to the eye, Stylevise is the blog to consult.
Magazines
BizBash publishes its magazine seasonally, in addition to BizBash Daily, a daily (or weekly, if you prefer) email newsletter with event planning news, ideas, and resources. Its website also offers resources for finding venues, suppliers, and jobs, and the digital edition of the magazines. You can subscribe to the two large print editions each year for free as a qualified event professional.
Published since 1986 by the Professional Convention Management Association, Convene provides the meetings industry information and professional development on a monthly basis. It is available in print, digital, or both for free.
Publishing 6-8 editions a year, Event Marketer focuses on the marketing aspect of event management, and encompasses corporate events and trade shows. Its online content is organized by B-to-C (business to consumer) and B-to-B events. The magazine, available by complimentary subscription for those who qualify and $45/year for all other U.S. residents, has field reports, interviews and in-depth analysis.
This monthly publication is targeted at the meetings, travel and hospitality industry, and includes news on trends, technology and venues, as well as profiles of industry leaders. Subscriptions are free. There’s plenty more content published daily on the web.
Successful Meetings is also available by free subscription in print or digital. It’s designed to inform and entertain meetings professionals monthly (plus its Annual SourceBook & Pinnacle Registry), while its website includes research and white papers.
Membership Groups
The Event Marketing Institute focuses on the business marketing side of the industry, with education, research, and resources. Members get access to webinars, white papers, surveys, and research, plus discounts on online training, consulting and research services, and industry forecasts. The benefits range by membership options, which start at $295 for the Affiliate level and scale up to $10,000 for the Executive Workgroup spot.
Meeting Professionals International
Founded in 1972, Meeting Professionals International works to build a community of industry members for career development and business opportunities. MPI’s more than 18,500 members receive support through a local chapter, industry news and research (MPI publishes the quarterly Meetings Outlook trends report, among other reports), training events, networking, its member magazine The Meeting Professional, and more. Most professional memberships are $395 for the first year, and there are student, faculty, and group rates as well.
The Professional Convention Management Association brings together association, corporate, and trade show professionals, along with students, faculty, and suppliers for the industry. Membership offers networking and education across its 17 chapters in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, at $360 for professionals.
Podcasts
This meeting, event, and video production company regularly creates the MeetingsPodcast for industry professionals. Grass Shack Events & Media’s Mike McAllen typically interviews guests on news and issues in events, meetings, and media.
Introducing a video element to its podcast format, The Event Tech Podcast features interviews with industry experts from software companies and publications. With host John Federico, CEO and cofounder of EventHero software, they discuss how technology can enhance events and conferences for all involved.
The Savvy Event Planner Podcast
Tom Crowl, a corporate entertainer and online entrepreneur, hosts the Savvy Event Planner Podcast, a resource dedicated to offering his ideas and case studies to the event management world.
Marketed as a one-stop shop for event professional trade secrets, PlannersPod is hosted by Toby Goodman and James Eager. PlannersPod embraces an interview style podcast featuring event industry experts to build a solid lineup of views regarding the present and future trends of event management.
More?
Let us know in the comments if we’ve missed any of your go-to event resources!
Comments
Comment by Max Avallone on
What about event apps – particularly Yapp?
We used them to engage attendees by uploading an event schedule, newsfeed for sharing status updates and event photos, relevant documents, maps, polls, etc! Our attendees really loved the app and we plan to use it again next year.
Comment by Donatella on
Have you ever try this: https://metooo.io?
Please let us know what’s you think, what’s your feedback 🙂
Thanks, have a nice day.
Comment by Zara Mirza on
Great links i found here for event management. Its my starting level of learning event management and these resources are very informative…
Comment by Laura on
You forgot to mention Social Tables! Great blog and a great resource for the busy event planner.
Comment by Adrian Segar on
Hi Hannah, thanks for including my website! I think it’s quite pretty on a big screen, but for mobile users a mobile-friendly version is being rolled out this month, just before the publication of my new book, “The Power of Participation “.
Comment by Katie A on
I am surprised you didn’t mention Stylevise! Love that site 🙂
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