Event management associations are playing an increasingly significant role in the professional support to the industry and its managers. This paper reviews the literature on professional associations and explores specifically the goals and objectives of event management associations gleaned from an analysis of the goals and objectives of 147 professional associations worldwide. The study concludes that event management associations have a strong record in developing goals and objectives as part of their strategic planning framework. The key variables that emerge from the analysis are: information exchange, education and training, identity and recognition, ethical standards and networks and collegiality.