Arab British Academy for Higher Education Trade and Professional Associations
The Association market offers tremendous opportunities for event and meeting
planners. Any group of people with a common interest may form an association. For
example, there are professional associations of doctors, lawyers, managers,
administrative assistants, public relations professionals, and many other
occupations. Likewise, there are trade (or industry) associations for people who
work in particular industries, such as banking, fashion, construction, travel,
insurance, and many others.
Among the thousands of associations are local, state and provincial, national and
international groups. Many of these groups hold an annual convention (which may
be called an “annual meeting” or “conference”). They may also hold a variety of
other events for their members, ranging from awards banquets to seminars.
The American Society of Association Executives site has links to over 6,500
associations (on their website, search the left-hand column to go to directories, then
associations):
American Society of Association Executives http://www.asaenet.org
You can find a list of Canadian professional associations at:
CharityVillage Directory of Professional Associations
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/profas.asp
The Professional Convention Management Association is an excellent resource
for anyone in North America who plans conventions.
Professional Convention Management Association http://www.pcma.org
Not-For-Profits
These groups are also a huge market for event planners. Non-profits host
fundraisers, galas, awards ceremonies, community festivals or other special
events. Many times the development (fundraising) department or communications
department handles the work, in conjunction with a volunteer committee.
More than 1.5 million non-profit organizations are listed at Guide Star. If you click on
“Advanced Search” you can search by your city, state, and non-profit category (e.g.
1 www.abahe.co.uk Arab British Academy for Higher Education Arts, Environment, and Health). CharityVillage has a similar database of Canadian
non- profit organizations.
GuideStar http://www.guidestar.org
CharityVillage.com http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/index.asp
Government
Event planners for cities organize festivals and other events for the community
and to showcase the area. Event planners also work for many departments in
state, provincial, and national governments. Their work is similar to that of
meeting planners in corporations or associations. For example, they may plan
conferences, training seminars, or public events.
To find U.S. and Canadian government departments, visit these sites:
Directory of U.S. Government Websites http://www.govspot.com
Directory of Government of Canada Websites
http://canada.gc.ca/depts/major/depind_e.html
Universities
Event planning for universities includes homecoming events, fundraising events
and alumni activities. Event planners work in many different departments on a
university campus, including the alumni association, student association, faculty
club, and for large faculties. You can also search for colleges or universities at:
GoCollege http://www.gocollege.com
Peterson’s Education Portal http://www.petersons.com
Hospitals
According to Wendy Spivak, the most common events in the medical field are
community-oriented events such as blood drives, health fairs, free blood
pressure testing and educational programs. The American Hospital Association
provides information to help hospitals plan events for the annual National Hospital
Week (held in May). To find hospitals anywhere in the world, see:
Hospital Web
http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/hospitalweb.shtml
American Hospital Association http://www.hospitalconnect.com
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