By Jody Long

In an earlier post this year (http://institute-of-event-management.com/event-management-resources), a list of event management resources was provided on this blog. Wether you are an experienced event coordinator looking to sharpen your skills, or a newbie to the industry, it’s always a good idea to know where to look to find tools you can use for your job and career. If you found the previous post helpful, hopefully these additions will be of use to you as well.

Webinars:

– Constant Contact offers both recorded and live webinars that discuss strategies and ideas on various event topics. Here is a link to one, and you can find more once your on their website. http://www.constantcontact.com/learning-center/webinars/recorded/details/Filling-the-Room-Simple-Strategies-for-Maximizing-Event-Registration.jsp

Seminars:

If live and in-person learning is more your style, consider a local seminar. Here are two nationwide companies that provide workshops on a variety of topics, including event planning. Check out their websites to see if a seminar is coming to your area.

“Event Planning – One Day Workshop”, by Fred Pryor Seminars. This is a great one if your just entering the event planning business. They promise to give you the secrets behind planning great events, and give you confidence after leaving the seminar.

http://www.pryor.com/mkt_info/seminars/desc/EV.asp?zip=80254

“Event Planning Made Simple”, by National Seminars Training. This seminar focuses on the details of event planning, and learning to anticipate things that could go wrong at an event. Again, another seminar that is great for the planner who’s been putting on events for yeas and just wants to brush up, or for the newbie just getting their feet wet.

http://nationalseminarstraining.com/SeminarTopics/Management_Leadership/Event_Planning_Made_Simple/YEVNT/index.html

Books:

If reading is more your style of learning, check out these books. Remember, if you don’t plan to keep the books as references, check to see if your local library has them for you to borrow.

– Here is a list of 20 suggested books that BizBash.com says every event planner should read. I have read “Strengths Finder” and “Getting Things Done” and would personally recommend both. http://www.bizbash.com/20_books_every_event_planner_should_read/new-york/story/25229/

– Check out “Meeting & Event Planning For Dummies”, a great book for both experienced and beginner planners, and great to keep on hand to use as a reference guide. http://www.amazon.com/Meeting-Event-Planning-Dummies-Friedmann/dp/0764538594/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398639341&sr=1-5&keywords=event+planning

– The Complete Idiots Guide also has a similar book: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Meeting-Planning-ebook/dp/B00AR181AI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398639446&sr=1-1&keywords=complete+idiots+guide+event+plan

Last but not least, learn to get creative when seeking other resources. Check in with other co-workers or peers to see where they get their inspiration from. Make use of social media; LinkedIn and Facebook have very educational groups within the event planning industry that could be very useful to you.