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Talk to anyone in the meetings industry and you’ll hear again and again: “It’s a relationship business.”
It’s all about connections. Planners rely heavily on their relationships for recommendations on new hotels and suppliers, as well as leads on clients or jobs.
Creating industry relationships can be difficult to do when so many planners work remotely. For those who can’t get to live events, many industry groups meet virtually, and some have What’sApp groups or Slack channels. The major industry associations also have local chapters, which is a great place to start building a network of fellow planners and suppliers located in your area. In addition, there are also informal networking groups that meet online and in person and are known for their strong communities.
Following are industry associations, online groups, and communities where you can get started building your network.
Industry Associations
- Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
DallasOne of the largest global associations for meeting and event professionals, MPI has 17,000 ‘engaged’ members in 24 countries, with 90 chapters and clubs. Its major convention, the WEC, rotates among different cities each summer. Online, planners will find a member directory, information on its several certificate programs, a career center, and more.
- International Live Events Association (ILEA)
McLean, Va.ILEA’s 2,000 members are creative event professionals from 35 countries. It hosts an annual convention, regular webinars, and is known for the Esprit Awards for the most outstanding live events in the industry.
- Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
ChicagoPCMA bills itself as ‘the world’s largest community for business events strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry,’ with 8,400 members in 59 countries. In 2020, it acquired the Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), the premier community for B2B event marketers.
- Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)
Alexandria, Va.GBTA is the business travel industry’s largest member-focused organization, with 8,500 travel manager members, some of whom plan meetings. The association offers a Fundamentals of Strategic Meetings Management online course, and its Meetings and Events Committee is known for its thought leadership.
- Association of Meeting Professionals
Washington, D.C.AMP is an intimate group of 250 meeting professionals who come together for local meetings, community outreach, and an annual golf tournament.
Niche Associations
- Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)
ChicagoSITE’s members are 2,900 incentive travel professionals located in 90 countries, working in corporations, agencies, airlines, cruise companies, and across the entire destination supply chain. In addition to its annual conference, the organization is known for incentive industry research, spearheaded by the SITE Foundation.
- Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP)
Clifton, Va.Dedicated exclusively to serving individuals who plan and execute government meetings in the U.S., SGMP has nearly 1,500 members across 18 chapters and 3 satellite chapters.
- National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP)
Alexandria, Va.NCBMP is dedicated primarily to the training needs of African American meeting planners, with 1,500 members. A partnership with MPI offers special benefits to members, including access to MPI’s network and resources.
- LGBT Meeting Professionals Association (LGBT MPA)
Alexandria, Va.LGBT MPA is the leading voice for the LGBTQIA2+ global events community. It has a community of 2,200 members.
- Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals
ChicagoFocused solely on the insurance and financial services industries, FICP has more than 700 meeting professional and 650 hospitality partner members.
- Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA)
IndianapolisRCMA is the only multi-faith, not-for-profit, international association whose members are exclusively religious meeting planners.
1. LinkedIn Groups
Though LinkedIn groups are not as popular as they used to be, there are still some in the events industry that are worth checking out. Some groups are private, and planners need to apply to join. A couple of active groups are Event Pros, Who’s Who in Events, and Event Planners and Coordinators.
2. Facebook Groups
Popular planner groups on Facebook are Event Integrity, moderated by long-time meeting industry leader Joan Eisenstodt; the National Meeting Planners Group; SPIN Planners (Members Only); and the U.K.-based group The Delegate Wranglers (which also has a Facebook for planners in the U.S. and Canada). All are private and require that planners apply to join.
Skift Meetings is also active on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
Communities
1. Club Ichi
Club Ichi bills itself as ‘the #1 place for B2B event marketers to connect.’ Free membership offers access to ‘content and conversation.’ Upgraded membership adds year-round access to a Slack channel and live events.
2. Event Leaders Exchange (ELX)
ELX is a community of senior event leaders from global Fortune 500 brands. Membership is
by acceptance only. The group offers roundtables, benchmarking reports, and leadership
lsummits.
Focused on independent planners, the TEN Collective offers Meetups, Masterminds, and
other resources, such as a template library and a contract clause database, to its 200
members. Meetings are not sponsored and have no sales agenda.
4. Event Pros Circles from The Vendry and Groupize
The Vendry and Groupize’s ‘Circles’ Slack channel has free, curated discussions for event
professionals on topics ranging from jobs to speakers to venues and vendors. (As of
publication, acceptance is on a waitlist only.)
Many industry associations also have their own online communities for members. For
example, MPI has communities for small business owners, women, administrative
professionals, and other niche groups.
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