Industry Blogs

The following list contains blogs that we feel would be useful to the associations community. Because these are external links, the views shared on these blogs are not necessarily the ones shared by Columbia Books and Information Services.

General Association Information and News

Acronym

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) hosts this blog, taking a comprehensive look at the associations industry. Recent posts have focused on social media’s impact on associations, but the topics run the gamut. Features guest posts and is updated daily.

We Have Always Done it That Way

Subtitled “101 Things that Associations Must Change,” the authors of this blog challenge the status quo by asking questions and suggesting better ways to accomplish tasks in the associations industry. Updated frequently.

Association Inc

Kevin Holland takes his association management experience and relates it to tips involved in increasing membership, putting out successful marketing campaigns, and other general association advice. Updated on a semi-frequent basis (once a month).

Association Inc

Dear Association Leader

Leipper Management uses the letter format to tell executive directors and chief executive officers how to make their associations better. DAL covers everything: finances, communications, membership, and general leadership tips. New “letters” are posted on Fridays.

Beyond Certification

Mickie Rops, who maintains an association consulting firm, discusses different aspects of association management. Updated weekly.

Principled Innovation

Jeff DeCagna, who is also a contributor for “We Have Always Done it That Way,” focuses on innovation in associations as well as the little quirks that appear in life (eco-hangers and the game Second Life as examples). The blog also includes podcasts and interviews. Updated a few times a month

The Big Picture

Based out of the Mississippi Hospital Association, The Big Picture looks at associations from a business aspect and also looks into communications issues impacting the industry. Updated on a relatively infrequent basis.

Diary of a Reluctant Blogger

Maddie Grant writes on her association experience, especially its social media and web aspects. Updated frequently.

CAE Weblog

Updated news in the associations industry. Updated infrequently.

BlogClump—Blogging About Associations from a Gen Xer

Matt Baehr writes on all sorts of issues related to associations. Somel of the most recent entries involve interactions in his daily life (going to the bank) that relate to associations and the technology issues. Updated several times a week.

Association 2020

Stuart Meyer’s blog, launched in August 2008, focuses on the future of associations with a strong emphasis on innovation. Recent entries focus on management, business models and association participation.

Thanks for Playing

Elizabeth Weaver Engel blogs daily on issues that impact associations, with a little personal flavor thrown in. Her entries on associations generally focus on social media and technology, but she also discusses the business aspects that impact associations, and also devoted several entries to thoughts on presentations at the ASAE annual meeting

Young Association Professional

Many of the blog entries on YAP focus on social media’s impact on associations and its role in marketing. Some recent entries focus on the impact on social media on association members and how it differs from the impact on the association and its staff from a business perspective.

A-List Bloggers

Several of the blogs listed on this site (Diary of a Reluctant Blogger, Beyond Certification, among others) have their blog entries posted from RSS feeds on this network site. Along with providing a “one-stop” source for association news, dialogue and debate abounds in the comments, and the top of the web site lists the featured posts.

The NonProfit Times blog, like its publication, focuses on nonprofit management. Topics covered include fundraising, technology, human resources, among other management aspects. Some entries highlight work being done by nonprofits in order to reduce poverty, and others also focus on news impacting the nonprofit sector.

Marketing

Association Marketing Springboard

Lindy Dreyer’s blog focuses on marketing from the association’s standpoint. Recent entries discuss Google Grants, social media – with a heavy emphasis on Twitter, and biweekly idea bounce posts with links to what other association executives are saying about marketing.

Meetings

Face2Face

Sue Pelletier of MeetingsNet covers everything meeting-related under the sun, including “unusual venues,” economic impacts on meeting attendance, and marketing. Updated frequently.

Tradeshow Startup

Tim Bourquin of TNC New Media relates some of his experiences and gives tips on putting together a trade show. Updates happen in bursts every couple of months.

Connfab

Blog with a focus on conferences and social media. Updated frequently.

MeetingsBlog

The editors of Meetings: Minnesota’s Hospitality Journal write about travel, hotels, and the nuances of association office life. Updated frequently.

Plan Your Meetings Blog

A comprehensive look at all of the aspects which go into planning meetings. The authors offer many helpful tips and advice to pull off a meeting. Updated several times a month.

Trade Show Promotion News

Tips, news, and advice for trade show planners. Updated frequently.

Convention Insider

While the most recent blog entries focus on the author’s experiences at a Las Vegas trade show, the blog also focuses on tips and advice for making a trade show exhibit or a convention a success. Updated frequently.

My Las Vegas

A Las Vegas resident and hospitality expert discusses her favorite restaurants and things to do in Las Vegas. Updated daily.

Membership

Membership Marketing Blog

Marketing expert Tony Rossell writes on increasing and retaining membership in associations and marketing techniques to do so, using examples from different organizations. Updated weekly.

Technology

NTEN Blog

This blog, hosted by the Nonprofit Technology Network, covers many different topics related to technology that are encountered by nonprofit organizations. Posts on mobile advocacy, the latest Web 2.0 developments, and creative ways using technology for fundraising provide practical tips for nonprofits in how to use technology effectively. Updated daily.

Wild Apricot

The main focus of this blog is on technology and the Internet, and how to use it in associations. Although many of the entries are geared toward blogging in the non-profit sector, there is also information on online fundraising, social media, and other non-profit related issues. Updated frequently.

MemberFuse

While NFI Studios is behind the networking software for associations called MemberFuse, the blog focuses specifically on social media and Web 2.0 and their links to the association world. Updated several times a month.

Commnunication

Blog that focuses on various aspects of associations—meetings, technology—with an overriding theme on communications. Updated several times a week.

Tourism and Hospitality

The Tourism and Hospitality Diaries

Although many of the entries on the blog focus on Dubai, there are also entries on the hospitality industry elsewhere. Job listings and links to articles on hospitality are also included. Updated frequently.

The CVBlog

Although the CVB has not been updated since May 2006, each entry contains a review of a city’s Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

Tourism Central Florida

Written by the staff of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel, this blog focuses on all aspects of the tourism industry with a local angle in Orlando, home of Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Updated several times a day.

Resources for Hospitality

Patti Shock, a professor at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, writes about everything related to hospitality and meetings. Updated frequently.