Bloggers are all the rage in any niche market these days, but do they really have anything useful to contribute? The simple answer: YES!

Some event bloggers provide a great way to stay updated on trends, news and discussions revolving the events industry, but the key to getting helpful info is choosing the right bloggers to follow! A lot of self-starters out there are trying their hands at blogging, but most of them just miss the mark when it comes to giving their audience current, on-point blogging.

The top bloggers are usually professionals who are in the industry themselves, and provide readers with insightful opinions and thoughts on a range of valuable topics.

Whether you’re planning a small-scale event of your own, or something much bigger, here’s a list of event bloggers that could offer you some real tips, advice and direction in 2014.

Shawna McKinley of Eventcellany.com – Events & Sustainable

Although Eventcellany.com has grown into a full-fledged website, we added them to the list because of their roots in the blogosphere (link: http://greendestinations.blogspot.ca/). If you’re interested in adding a sustainable aspect to your event (and why wouldn’t you be?!) then Eventcellany.com is the place to start. They have tons of tips in every aspect of event organizing and will keep you up to date with all the news and trends in 2014.

Follow Editor Shawna McKinley on Twitter (link: https://twitter.com/s_mckinley)

Jessica Levin and Midori Connolly of 7 Degrees Blog

These two have mastered the industry of event blogging and will even teach you a thing or two about social media and marketing while you’re at it. The 7 Degrees Blog is a wonderful place to get your event news from and to dive deep into the world of events.

Link: http://sevendegreescommunications.com/7-degrees-blog/

Virtual Events Hub

This one is more for the big time event planners. All the online event info you’ve been searching for, you’ll most likely find on virtualeventshub.com. If you’re into virtual or online events, then this is definitely the blog to check out.

Link: http://www.virtualeventshub.com/

Eventwist Blog

If you haven’t heard of Eventwist, you’ll be very interested to hear about their online services, but most importantly, their blog is a wonderful resource for event planners. They keep it updated regularly with a wide range of handy topics. Browse through their archive and find some awesome new ideas and tips.

http://www.eventwist.com/blog/

Another great source of event industry news, tips and insights is the Track 7 Events blog, and without tooting our own horn, we’d like to say that we can’t wait to be your number 1 stop for event-regulated content this year. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know! 

The TrackSevenEvents team is looking forward to an exciting 2014 ahead. With that in mind, we 

thought we’d have a look at some of 2014’s top event planning trends and show you exactly how to 

implement them at your event. So let’s get start! 

5. Fast Check-ins

2014 is all about getting in fast and with ease. A big factor in creating faster check-in systems 

is making use of technology. Using tablet-based tools to register your guests and get them 

into your event in a flash will keep your guests happy and even catch the attention of 

companies you’re looking to impress. 

4. Social Seating 

Leaving seating arrangements to chance is never a good idea. If you’re planning on having 

a seated event, make sure to seat your attendees in accordance to their social connections. 

Now you can never make every guest happy, but the more conversations sparked will create 

a better atmosphere at your event. 

3. Charity 

We noticed a lot of events adding a charity aspect to their events in 2013 and this trend will 

only grow further this year. Whether you’re involved in a corporate function, convention or 

personal event, you can always find space to add an element of good doing. Of course, it’s 

important to check with the client beforehand, but chances are they’ll love the idea. The rule 

with charity is that everything makes an impact, so even if you’re providing a food donation 

station, or raffling off something shiny, it’s all going towards a good cause and even the 

smallest efforts help. 

2. Hashtags

It’s true that hashtags are so 2013, but it looks like they’re going to be so 2014 as well. 

There’s no better way to get your event of the internet than creating a hashtag and (subtly) 

asking attendees to tweet, share and snap to their heart’s content. This is almost equivalent 

to hiring an event full of photographers who love social networking, so don’t hesitate. 

1. Live Analytics

Finally - a way to really track what’s happening at your event in real time. With the pressure 

of everything running smoothly daunting over your head, getting all the information you 

need through a live analytics capturing software will help your entire team do their job. It 

may also provide great info for your attendees, so think about running things like live check-
ins and hashtag feeds during your event in 2014. It’s the business!