11 Essential Event Planning Resources That Every Professional Should Know About

Planning events is easier than ever today, thanks to the enormous array of event planning resources made accessible by the internet. But because there are so many resources available, it can be tough to sift through them all and figure out which of them are the best — and, even more importantly, likely to be most useful to you, with your particular needs and career area of focus. For instance, you might just be getting started on this career path and are looking for educational resources. Alternatively, you might be a seasoned event professional seeking inspiration and info about the latest trends in the field — each scenario will involve completely different kinds of resources. We’re here to make that search a lot easier with our list of the most essential event planning resources for just about any event professional. 

1. Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Incentives, and Other Special Events

We’re starting this list off with a total classic: a book on event planning. This bestseller by Judy Allen, founder of her own full-service event planning production company, is probably the best general guide to event planning out there. It truly is “the ultimate guide.” From selecting the best venue to preparing and managing your event budget, it will lead you through the process every step of the way, starting with planning and ending with execution and on-site management. The book includes forms, checklists, handy lists of tips and tricks, as well as case studies of successful and unsuccessful events.

2. Into the Heart of Meetings: Basic Principles of Meeting Design

If you’re a meeting planner, you’ll definitely want to read this book, which is an incredible overview of meeting design. With a clear description of the overarching principles, as well as perfect use of examples and case studies, it’s a must-read.

3. Whova

This is an all-in-one event management software that has the seal of approval from TEDx, IKEA, NASA, Lego, the Rockefeller Foundation, Harvard, L’Oreal, the American Heart Association, and many other leading companies and organizations across a total of more than 80 countries. Using Whova will save you an enormous amount of time when it comes to dealing with the logistics of your event. It incorporates the seamless combination of an event app, marketing, online registration, and management tools. There’s a reason it won the Event Technology Award three years in a row!

4. Peerspace

Throughout the United States, Peerspace is the go-to online destination for booking venues, whether you’re planning a baby shower, a wedding, a party, a corporate meeting, or just about any other type of event. It’s the internet’s largest marketplace for event spaces, with listings for thousands of event spaces across hundreds of cities. These aren’t generic venues like run-of-the-mill hotel ballrooms or conference centers, either. More often than not, they’re unique spaces that’ll breathe life into whatever event you’re planning.

Peerspace makes finding venues ultra-easy: enter the type of event you’re planning along with the city you’re planning it in, and you can browse hundreds or even thousands of detailed listings with high-quality photos, in-depth descriptions of the space, and transparent reviews from past renters. And to make this resource even better, Peerspace’s Concierge team can save you valuable time and energy by helping with catering, A/V rentals, furniture, and lots more. 

5. Plannerwire

Plannerwire fills a very specific yet necessary niche: they focus on providing guidance for the technical aspects of event planning. From a guide to creating easy conference time-lapse videos to a list of the best photo-editing apps for your event photos, you’ll find that the articles are easy to understand, providing the perfect balance between detail and readability. 

6. Hootsuite

Effective social media marketing is a crucial part of marketing your event. Hootsuite lets you control all your social media feeds and channels from a centralized location on their site, allowing you monitor everything that’s happening on them. It’s an enormously helpful tool.

7. The Special Event

The Special Event (otherwise known as TSE) is a massive events industry conference and trade show. Located in Las Vegas, it’s the best place to network with and learn from other industry professionals. In 2020, in collaboration with Catersource, the conference will host more than 8,500 professionals, as well as 500 suppliers and 300+ speakers.  

8. BizBash

As an event professional, you’re likely to be able to take advantage of a free subscription to BizBash, and you should definitely do so. Every aspect of the event planning world is covered in this magazine, and the articles are engaging and high-quality. They’re one of our favorite event planning resources by far.

9. Event planning tags on Twitter and Instagram

This might not be the first event planning resource that comes to mind, but when you’re looking for inspiration, Twitter and Instagram are two of the best places to look. Seeing what other event planners are doing is sure to spark your creativity and inspire you to try something new at your next event.

As you’re searching, try some of these tags: #EventTrends, #EventPlanner, #Catering, #MeetingProfs, #Events, #EventThemes, #WeddingThemes, #EventProfs, #EventPros, #MeetingPros, #EventInspiration, #EventMarketing, #EventManagement, #EventTechnology, #EventTips, #EventsChat, #MeetingProfs, #EventPlanning, and many more. 

10. Wedding MBA

For wedding industry professionals, this is the conference to attend. You’ll find more than 100 educational seminars, as well as more than 5,500 attendees to network with (the largest gathering of wedding professionals worldwide). Attending this conference is a great way to take your event planning business to the next level.

11. Meeting Professionals International’s Job Board

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is one of the world’s largest and best-known event associations. If you’re looking for a new event planning job, you’ll find tons of listings not just from the United States but from all over the world. They typically have hundreds of listings available at any given time, often offering more than a thousand. 

Find unique event venues on Peerspace