WASHINGTON, D.C. — This year promises to be a busy one for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), which has announced its 2024 public policy agenda and the date of its annual Legislative Action Day: Thursday, May 30.
ECA will be on the ground once again this year in Washington, D.C. with a mission of restoring visa operations to pre-pandemic levels while modernizing visa processing; supporting government policies to help attract and train the industry’s next generation workforce; bringing back communicable disease coverage to event cancellation insurance; increasing music licensing transparency and stopping anti-competitive behavior by rights holders; promoting industry-led sustainability and decarbonization efforts that ensure the industry remains in control of its path to Net Zero; and amplifying efforts to raise awareness of the business events industry to the future talent pool.
“The business events industry has the best and most passionate advocates around, hands down!” Tommy Goodwin, FASAE, CAE, PMP, CMP, ECA Vice President, said. “In 2024, ECA is going ‘all in’ to give them the opportunity to make sure that elected officials hear them loud and clear, whether that’s in Washington, DC on ECA Legislative Action Day or on the show floor in their local communities year-round.”
Once again, the May event will be held in conjunction with the Lippman Connects Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), which will take place on Wednesday, May 29. Last year, it attracted nearly 100 industry leaders and advocates from 24 states, who set 100 meetings with their elected officials to advocate for ECA’s policy priorities.
Throughout 2024, ECA will also be introducing new advocacy capabilities that will allow industry leaders and advocates to share their stories and make their voices heard in the political and policymaking processes.
Among ECA’s wins in 2023 were the overturning of Kentucky’s tax on exhibition and conference exhibitors and sponsors; the repealing of California’s state-funded travel ban; and the amendment of Chicago’s new paid-leave law to exclude business events visitors. In regard to visa wait times, the ECA’s efforts have seen a reduction at U.S. embassies and consulates in India by 60% and Brazil by 77%.
Reach Tommy Goodwin at tommy.goodwin@exhibitionsconferencesalliance.org
