Since it is Sunday and a day that a lot of people use to catch up on reading, I am sharing some of my favorite blogs. Most of these are written by friends who influence me. There are so many blogs out there to read and so little time to do it. If I read everything that I wanted to then I would be looking at blogs all day and not get anything done. So the purpose of this is to share with you what I consider my “must reads.” If you think I missed one, let me know. I am always trying to find more sources for great information.
Rather than listing every blog that I love, I am going to share my suggestions based on topic. This week I am highlighting my favorite event/meeting/association blogs because these are the ones nearest and dearest to me.
Velvet Chainsaw’s Midcourse Corrections This is the blog of Jeff Hurt and Dave Lutz, both thought leaders in events and associations. This blog is bold and edgy and I don’t always agree with their position. However, they bring up important issues and they aren’t afraid to speak their mind. When I think of Jeff, I think “Educator.” When I think of Dave, I think “Connector.” This is how blogging should be done. If you aren’t already reading it, you are missing out.
McCurry’s Corner Michael McCurry is one of the most passionate people around. He loves events and is a self-proclaimed nerd. His blog shares his thoughts on events, being a leader and a little bit of technology. Mike has been known to stir the pot on occasion; sometimes he turns the pot completely upside down. His blog is from the heart and it is thought provoking. Read it or lose.
Ready 2 Spark Lara McCulloch-Carter is an event professional and a marketer. Her blog focuses on events, branding, social media, design and sometimes general business stuff. Lara is the founder of #Eventprofs, an online community of event professionals. She modestly says that she simply created a hash tag, but what she did was so much greater, she brought a community together. I love how her blog is focused and broad at the same time. She is a wise woman. If you want to be smarter, take a look at Ready 2 Spark.
Event Manager Blog This is the only blog on this list where I haven’t met the blogger face-to-face. This blog belongs to Julius Solaris who is a social media type living in the events world. This blog is smart and heavily technology focused. Personally, I learn about a lot of new tools and gadgets from Julius. Julius is based in the UK and I appreciate the European view of things. I look forward to meeting Julius one day, but until then I will read Event Manager Blog. You should too.
Acronym Soup Okay, I admit, I might not read this one every day, but I love Kiki and I love the name of this blog so I wanted to mention it. Kiki L’Italien rocks. She is an association maven who understands technology and is very creative. Her blog is sometimes personal which makes just makes it better. Kiki has a unique energy that comes through in her posts. She also has great shoes. If you are in the association world and want a fresh perspective, check out Acronym Soup.
Social Fishing Two lovely ladies, Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer blog at Social Fishing. Focused on associations and social media, there is a lot of solid advice in this blog. As the authors of Open Community, Maddie and Lindy understand the association mindset and are dedicated to helping associations stay fresh and innovative. I learn from them, so can you.
I realize that it would be cool if I have seven suggestions, but today I only have six. I read my own blog most of the time, so you can add that as number seven if you have a desire to be as campy as I do. I hope that you take a look at these amazing blogs and please share your own favorites or let me know if you have a blog that should become a “must read.” Happy reading, happy blogging.