The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance is headed to Capitol Hill. On June 1, leaders from the face-to-face business events industry plan to convene in Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress to discuss legislative priorities and raise awareness of the economic value of the conference industry.
Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance is a partnership of international associations representing event organizers and suppliers. Among the group’s top issues are preventing anti-growth taxation of the events industry, including new exhibition-services and digital-ad taxes; improving visa processing operations; federal support for attracting international events; and improvements to the supply chain.
“Nothing beats meeting face-to-face, and that goes for advocacy, too,” says ECA Co-President Vinnie Polito. “That’s why it is so important for us to be in Washington, D.C. on June 1 to meet with our elected officials about the policy issues that matter.”
Legislative Action Day will be held in conjunction with Lippman Connects’ annual Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), a one-day information-sharing and networking event for leaders at associations as well as independent organizers. ECEF will happen May 31 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington.
ECA partners include the International Association for Exhibitions and Events, Center for Exhibition Industry Research, International Association of Venue Managers, Society of Independent Show Organizers, Destinations International, Exhibition Services & Contractors Association, Exhibit Designers & Producers Association, UFI, and Trade Show Labor Alliance.
