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List of Trade Associations & Trade Shows

This list of trade associations and trade shows will help you choose your niche and find your target market so you can network with the right people -- the ones who value your services.

Also, for a complete overview on how to do networking once you've chosen your niche, check out "It's Who You Know:  The Ultimate Networking Kit."

Advertising/Communications/Marketing/Media

• American Advertising Federation 
• American Marketing Association 
• Association of National Advertisers
• Business Marketing Association
• Canadian Marketing Association 
• European Assoc. of Communication Agencies 
• International Association of Business Communicators
• National Association of Broadcasters
• Marketing and PR Sources On-line 

Animal & Pet-Related

• Association of Zoos & Aquariums
• American Pet Products Association
• Global Pet Expo
• National Wildlife Federation
• Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada
• Sea Turtle Conservancy
• World Association of Zoos & Aquariums
• Zoo Chat Forums
• SuperZoo Trade Show

Architect/Engineering Firms 

• American Institute of Architects www.aia.org
• U.S. Green Building Council www.usgbc.org
• Industrial Designers Society of America www.idsa.org
• Architectural Engineering Mgmt. Assoc. www.aema.biz
• Boston Architecture Firm-Directory www.architects.org/directories
• Boston Architects-Events www.architects.org/news

Arts & Culture/Museums

• American Alliance of Museums
• Association of Children's Museums
• Florida Association of Museums
• MuseumsUSA.org

Business

• US Chamber of Commerce http://www.uschamber.com/
• BCNY: Business Council of NY http://www.bcnys.org/
• Chamber Alliance of NYS http://www.canys.org/
• American Chamber of Commerce Execs http://www.acce.org/
• Mass. Trade Associations (+National too)  www.buzgate.org/
• Women in Consulting www.womeninconsulting.org/ 
• Institute of Management Consultants http://www.imcusa.org/

Children's

• Children's Book Council http://www.cbcbooks.org/about/
• American Specialty Toy Retailing Association www.toyassociation.org
• Women in Toys http://www.womenintoys.com 

Design

• American Institute of Graphic Arts 
• Graphic Artists Guild
• Graphic Designers of Canada
• HOW Design Live
• ICOGRADA
• Spark Design Professionals
• Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario
• National Association of Schools of Art & Design
• Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design

Entrepreneurs

• Women Entrepreneurs www.women2.org/entrepreneurship-book-swap/
• Nat'l Assoc. for Community College Entrepreneurship http://member.nacce.com 
• Global Network of Entrepreneurs http://sv.tie.org

Fashion

• Fashion Trade Shows www.apparelsearch.com/trade_show.htm
• StyleMax www.stylemaxonline.com/attend_show/

Specialty Foods and Restaurants

• Restaurants Canada
• Council of State Restaurant Associations
• Directory of Food Associations (from Careersinfood.com)
• International Hotel & Restaurant Association
• National Restaurant Association
• Specialty Food Association (also Fancy Food Shows)

Finance

• Financial Planning Assoc. www.fpanet.org
• Financial Mgmt. Assoc. www.fma.org
• Assoc. for Financial Professionals www.afponline.org

Gaming Industry

• American Gaming Association
• Global Gaming Expo
• Las Vegas Visitors & Visitors Authority
• National Indian Gaming Association
• Nevada Gaming & Hospitality Association

Greeting Cards/Crafts

• Greeting Card Association www.greetingcard.org 
• Craft & Hobby Association-CHA www.craftandhobby.org 
• Gift and Home Trade Association www.giftandhome.org 

Healthcare

• American Academy of Pediatrics 
• Association of Healthcare Resource & Materials Management
• Digital Health Summit
• eHealth Initiative (list of members)
• Healthcare Informatics
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
• Healthcare PR and Marketing Association 
• Healthcare Financial Management Association
• Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development
• Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (list of associations)
• http://www.medicalspaassociation.org

Higher Education (Universities & Colleges) 

• Assoc. of American Universities www.aau.edu
• Nat'l Assoc.of College & University Business Officers www.nacubo.org
• American Assoc. for Higher Education www.aahea.org
• American Distance Education Consortium www.adec.edu 
• www.educationmarketplace.com/browseall.php?cid=20001 

Hospitality and Hotels

• List of Hospitality-related Associations
• Calgary Hotel Association
• Las Vegas Hospitality Association

Law

• Boston Patent Law Assoc. www.bpla.org
• Internat'l Lawyers Network www.iln.com  
• www.bostonbar.org 
• www.womensbar.org  
• Mass. Assoc. of Women Lawyers mawl.org
• HG.org, Worldwide Legal Directors.  http://www.hg.org/bar-associations-massachusetts.asp

Natural Resource Management (clean tech) 

• http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byB/trade/trade.shtml 
• http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byB/trade/byN/byName.shtml 
• http://www.cleantech.com/ 
• http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org/     
• http://www.iisd.org/natres/ 
• http://web.worldbank.org
• http://professional-services.greenbiz.com/ 

Non-profits and Foundations

• Directory of Top Private Foundations (Foundation Center)
• Foundation Directory Online
• www.Guidestar.org

Outdoor Industry

• www.outdoorretailer.com
• www.americaoutdoors.org
• www.sportsonesource.com/news/boss/boss_main.asp
• www.outdoorfoundation.org
• www.snewsnet.com/
• www.gravitydex.com
• www.directoryoutdoor.com

Publications

• Advertising Age http://adage.com/ 
• AdWeek www.adweek.com 
• Crain's Detroit Business www.crainsdetroit.com/ 
• Photo District News www.pdnonline.com/ 
• Florida Magazine Association www.floridamagazine.org/ 
• BNP Media www.bnpmedia.com/

Publishing

• AAP: Assoc of American Publishers http://www.publishers.org/ 
• Digital Book World
• IBPA: Independent Book Pub Assoc https://www.ibpa-online.org/
• www.publishingcentral.com
• Association of Educational Publishers www.aepweb.org

Retail/Merchandising

• Cosmetics www.icmad.org
• Groceries www.nationalgrocers.org 
• Int'l Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Assoc. http://www.licensing.org/
• Cosmetic Industry Buyers and Suppliers www.cibsonline.com
• New Jersey Packaging Executives Club www.njpec.com

Technology

• Silicon Valley American Marketing Association http://www.svama.org/ 
• Technology Assoc. of Georgia http://www.tagonline.org/

Wine

• http://www.winesandvines.com
• http://www.womenforwinesense.org/
• http://www.wineinstitute.org/
• http://www.napavintners.com/about/
• http://www.lvwine.org/winegrowers.php
• http://www.cawg.org/

Trade Groups & Trade Shows

• http://www.buzgate.org/8.0/ma/fh_trade.html
• International Trade Shows http://10times.com/tradeshows