An Analysis of Key Services Provided by Event Management Associations

As the event management industry grows and consolidates worldwide, event management associations play an increasingly significant role in professional support to the industry and its managers. Event management associations provide newcomers and existing practitioners with the necessary skills to ensure the continued growth and success of event management professionals. This paper reviews the literature on professional associations and specifically explores the services that event management associations offer to members. While there is a growing interest in the concept of services, especially in the tourism and leisure industries, there are no prior studies that investigate the services that event management associations offer. The study concludes that event management associations have a strong record in offering a variety of professional services to members as part of their operational framework. The services offered by these associations have been ascertained by examining the significant themes that emerge from an analysis of their services. The key services that were identified were in the educational, communication, business, community, advocacy and buying power categories