By Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360
Keeping up with change in the meetings and events industry is a challenge for anyone. Even on Twitter, it’s hard to track all the news.
Hashtags simplify the process somewhat, but you still need to know where to look for the right information.
We’ve put together a list of 20 hashtags most relevant to meeting and event planners. The list is divided into the must-follow hashtags, associations, chats and inspiration.
You can click on any of the hashtags to see the most current results on Twitter.
The big three
Meeting and event professionals use these hashtags the most. If you are on Twitter, consider scanning the headlines at least once a day.
#eventprofs – The undisputed heavyweight champion of event professional hashtags and also a biweekly Twitter chat. See below for more details.
#meetingprofs and #meetingplanners should also be in your primary rotation.
Industry associations
The largest industry associations each have their own hashtags for their members, news and events.
#asae – American Society of Association Executives
#cmp – Certified Meeting Planners
#gmic – Green Meetings Industry Council
#hsmai – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International
#iacc – International Association of Conference Centers
#mpi – Meeting Professionals International
#pcma – Professional and Convention Management Associations
#sgmp – Society of Government Meeting Professionals
#smassn – News from and insights about small associations
Twitter chats
Twitter chats are Q&A sessions that happen at a specific time using a specific hashtag. Chats typically have a moderator who reviews questions submitted on Twitter and a featured guest who answers the questions. Chats typically last 30 minutes to an hour.
#assnchat – Tuesdays at 2 p.m. EST. for conversations among association professionals
#eventprofs — Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST and Thursdays at 12 p.m. EST
The easiest way to follow a Twitter chat is with a tool like Tchat.io that refreshes every time someone tweets with the proper hashtag. It’s otherwise hard to follow a Twitter chat in your timeline.
Inspiration
Hashtags are a great place to find inspiration for your next event. For best results, scan these conversations about once a week.
#bizbash – A great source of event planning ideas and resources
#engage365 – Conversations and insights about event management and audience engagement
#eventtable – What started as a chat has evolved into an ongoing conversation slanted toward event technology
#eventtech – The best hashtag about event technology
#eventtips – General meeting and event tactics to consider
#greenmeetings – An extension of #gmic and used for conversations about green meetings
#hybridevents – Strategies for planning and executing hybrid events that combine in-person and streaming content
#traveltuesday – A popular catch-all for travel enthusiasts
Hashtags aren’t just for finding news. They’re great tools for finding and connecting with industry influencers. And, most importantly, they’re a good tool for promoting your company and your brand.
