WASHINGTON D.C. — The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance’s Legislative Action Day, to be held June 1 in Washington D.C., will bring the events industry together on Capitol Hill to advocate its needs to leaders and lawmakers.
“I’m excited to welcome the entire industry back to Capitol Hill for the first time in four years. The industry has done so much advocacy outreach over the last three years or so, and I’m excited for everyone to see how the issues that matter for the business events sector are front and center for their elected officials,” Tommy Goodwin, VP of Government Affairs, ECA, said.
For Legislative Action Day this year, there are three key areas of focus: Lower visa wait times, develop the future skilled workforce and stop business impersonation fraud. According to ECA, the long visa wait times will cause the U.S. to lose 2.6 million visitors and $7 billion in spending in 2023, and part of developing a skilled workforce includes the push to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and to support the Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act.
While the industry experiences business impersonation fraud in different forms, including scams such as fraudulent hotel offerings, it continues to push Congress to encourage the Federal Trade Commission to finalize the Trade Regulation Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses as soon as possible.
Last year during Legislative Action Week, which took place virtually in June, ECA coordinated 85 meetings with members of Congress, and Goodwin says he anticipates there will be more attendees and meetings than in 2022.
“It will be great to have our industry leaders and advocates back on Capitol Hill to talk about the vital role that our industry plays in helping to spur economic growth, support job creation, and empower small businesses across the country,” Goodwin said. “This year’s one-day program will combine meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill with a kickoff breakfast and policy briefing, plenty of opportunities throughout the day for peer-to-peer networking, and a post-event reception. It promises to be a day well spent!”
Reach Tommy Goodwin at tommy.goodwin@exhibitionsconferencesalliance.org
