7 Must-Read Publications for Top Event Planners

To grow professionally, event planners and organizers need to keep up with trends in their industry. Publications and newsletters devoted to the meetings and events are an excellent way to stay on top of trends, developments, and available resources.

Whether you run your own business, are employed by a corporation, or work on-site for a hotel or resort, understanding changes in the world of hospitality, weddings, and corporate culture is essential to planning and executing successful special events.

Top Seven Event Planning Magazines

1. BizBash is a quarterly magazine that includes news and features on every aspect of the event planning industry. Subscriptions are free to qualified event professionals, and their annual National Venue and Supplier Guide is a comprehensive resource. The magazine also offers a calendar of exclusive fundraisers and major events around the country.
2. Meetingsnet is geared toward meeting organizers, with a free interactive magazine app that lets you keep up with the latest in meeting management while on-the-go. Its news and resources focus on meetings in multiple industries and styles, including medical, association, and corporate, as well as event design. 
3. Special Events magazine is a comprehensive resource for all aspects of special event planning. Its content is geared towards event planners who need information about weddings, venues, event rentals, and special event accessories like lighting, tents, and linens.
4. Meetings & Conventions is a monthly magazine aimed at meeting planners and event planners working with corporations and associations. This free magazine has a destination tool for finding hotel venues around the globe. For many locations, it provides information on their conference facilities, event guidelines, and more.
5. Catersource is the free magazine of Catersource Conference and Tradeshow, one of the largest industry events in the United States. The free publication provides up-to-date industry trends and predictions, as well as ideas and inspiration for design, food, and managing your business.
6. Smart Meetings magazine is both and print publication and a highly-regarded online content hub, with a blog that covers topics ranging from event trends to how to pack for a business trip. The digital subscription is free for qualified event planning professionals and offers networking opportunities.
7. Event Marketer provides content on all aspects of event branding and event marketing. It is also a comprehensive publication for business-to-consumer and business-to-business events. In addition to regular articles, the magazine publishes an annual "It List" of the top 100 event marketing agencies worldwide.

Finding Niche Magazines for Event Planners

Along with publications that focus on the overall meetings industry, event planners should monitor news and trends in their specific niche. Look for magazines and newsletters that relate to the types of events that you specialize in.

A wedding event planner, for example, should keep up with major wedding publications such as Brides or Town & Country Weddings. An event planner who specializes in working with eco-conscious companies might need to read publications such as Inhabitat.

And don't forget about local magazines and newsletters, which can be valuable for event planners who focus on regional clients or locations.

To find out what publications will be most helpful to your career, talk to other event planners in your industry. They'll be able to share tips on which industry magazines and event planning newsletters are professionally valuable, and which you can skip without getting left behind.