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The Exhibition & Convention Alliance, a coalition of eight professional and labor associations that coordinates advocacy efforts for the business events industry, expects to be as active in 2024 as it was in 2023, a year that saw a massive resurgence of in-person events. Conferences in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and their economic benefits to local economies.
Last year, ECA advocated on behalf of the industry on Capitol Hill and in statehouses and city halls across the country to help achieve several notable results:
- Overturn Kentucky’s tax on exhibit and conference exhibitors and sponsors
- Repeal California’s government-sponsored travel ban
- Ensure longer transition period for industry as part of California’s draft zero-emission forklift rules
- Chicago’s new paid leave law amended to exclude business event visitors
- Introduce and advance legislation in Congress to expand skills-based training and development opportunities for future industrial workers
- Testifies in support of FTC proposed rules to stop email list selling and restaurant reservation scammers
- Support passage of House appropriations legislation that would provide additional funding to help alleviate visa processing backlogs
- join a a friend Provides brief opinion in appeals court case to help keep music licensing rates reasonable
In early January, the ECA released its 2024 Policy Agenda. Its board of directors and member association leaders confirmed that the group will actively advocate “the business events industry’s role in driving economic growth and promoting job creation,” said Hervé Sedky, President and CEO of Emerald Holding Inc. and Chairman of the ECA Board of Directors:
The six major questions are:
- Restore U.S. visa operations to pre-pandemic levels while modernizing visa processing to revive international visitor numbers
- Incorporate communicable disease insurance into event cancellation insurance
- Improving music licensing transparency and curbing anti-competitive behavior by rights holders
- Promote industry-led sustainability and decarbonization efforts to ensure industry remains in control of the path to a net-zero carbon event.
- Support government policies to help attract and train the next generation workforce in the industry
- Strengthen and enhance the business events industry’s understanding of the future talent pool
In addition, ECA will support the efforts of other industry players to increase awareness of the business events industry among future employees.
“From ensuring all International exhibitors and attendees can return to the U.S. for exhibitions and conferences, supporting public sector engagement in developing the industry’s next generation workforce, which ECA will be actively involved in,” said Vinnie Polito, CEO of the Independent Exhibition Organizers Association and ECA co-chair.
Marsha Flanagan, CEM, ECA co-chair, new president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, added: “In the coming months, ECA will continue to amplify the advocacy voice of the business events industry, including That includes show organizers, exhibitors, vendors, venue operators and the hard-working men and women who put on great events every day from coast to coast.”
Throughout 2024, ECA will also introduce new ways for industry advocates to share their stories and make their voices heard in the policy development process.
“Through 2024, ECA will be ‘all in’ on providing opportunities for these individuals and ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear by elected officials, whether it’s at ECA’s Legislative Action Day in Washington, D.C. or at local community year fairs. on-the-round,” said Tommy Goodwin, FASAE, CAE, CMP, ECA, vice president.
You can view ECA’s entire 2024 Public Policy Agenda here.
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