In a rapidly changing professional landscape, one of the largest obstacles our clients report facing is simply keeping up. With technology advancing at an unprecedented rate in a world that becomes more reliant on it by the hour – not to mention the need for constant attendee-pool growth, ever-changing expectations, as well as equally fickle cultural trends – the lone event planner can often find themselves on the back foot when it comes to creating a unique and engaging experience.
Whether you need to be pointed in the right direction for a new vendor, some recommendations on hot new technology, or simply a sympathetic colleague who can lend an ear, your network is the most reliable and powerful tool you have. Taking the time to maintain and grow your network is just as important a factor in your success as actually planning your events. That being said, it can be difficult to know where to look when you’re itching for some fresh faces – which is why we’ve compiled this handy list of top professional event planning associations our clients recommend:
MPI: Meeting Professionals International
Grenadine is a proud member of MPI, which is the largest meeting and event industry association in the world with a community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals. They offer certification programs as well as other educational resources.
APA: American Planning Association
APA boasts a hefty membership count at 40,000 as well as a plethora of networking events, webinars, and workshops designed to help members hone their skills and advance their careers.
NACE: National Association for Catering and Events
NACE is a non-profit organization for industry professionals dedicated to providing educational resources and networking opportunities to members in its 40+ chapters.
ESPA: Event Service Professionals Association
ESPA is dedicated to event service professional development. They offer a year-long educational webinar as well as knowledge forums and an annual conference where you can network alongside other industry professionals.
ILEA: International Live Events Association
With 50+ global chapters all over, ILEA is a diverse network of thousands of special event industry professionals.
IFEA: International Festivals & Events Association
IFEA is a non-profit organization that offers festival & event professionals many educational resources, certification programs, as well as an annual convention where you can network and collaborate with event professionals from all over North America.
NCBMP: National Coalition for Black Meeting Planners
NCBMP is devoted to providing education and networking opportunities to African American planning professionals. They hold an annual educational conference and numerous special workshops set up to assist with educational advancement and stimulate professional opportunity growth.
AMP: Association of Meeting Professionals
Grenadine recently joined AMP and it is a tight community of about 150 planner and service provider members from all over the US, with a strong presence on the East coast. The nice thing about AMP is that they keep a 50/50 planner-to-supplier ratio.
IAEE: International Association of Exhibits and Events
IAEE represents more than 12,000 international event professionals that plan, produce, and support exhibitions. They place a strong emphasis on their advocacy programs and offer the globally recognized Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) learning program.
ASAE: American Society of Association Executives
In addition to its 42,000 individual association professional members, ASAE boasts representing over 7,000 organizations across many association management disciplines. ASAE also offers advocacy initiatives as well as the Certified Association Executive (CAE) program.
The Grenadine Team – grenadine.co
