WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two exhibition industry events took place in Washington, D.C., this week, bringing together a record-breaking number of business events leaders for information-sharing, networking and advocacy efforts in the nation’s capital.
ECEF Provides Actionable Data and Inspiration
Lippman Connects’ annual Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on May 27-28, bringing together a record 270 leaders in the events industry for the program, with 98 of those being first-timers.
“Each ECEF’s program is created to have a variety of topics that will interest and engage everyone in the audience,” said Sam Lippman, President of Lippman Connects. “We always include voices from outside the industry — this year it was Dr. Farmer — case studies, and actionable data. I wanted everyone to leave ECEF 2025 with the tools and inspiration to continue to create relevant and profitable shows.”
ECEF Program Highlights
Kicking off the programming was Lippman’s iconic “5 Key Data Points in 5 Minutes,” where he shares the latest findings from Freeman’s research and what the significance is to organizers. This year’s session focused on exhibitors’ desire for packages that include WiFi, booth elements and lead retrieval, as well as encouraging organizers to focus on helping exhibitors measure the impact of their participation to prove its value. Another key point from Lippman’s opening was that show organizers can capture more information from people as long as there is a new benefit for them to give that information, such as personalized experiences and better measurement of ROI.
In a keynote from Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association® (CTA), titled “Pivot or Die: How to Navigate in a Changing Environment,” leaders were encouraged to not only be open to but embrace change. Shapiro emphasized the power of influence that event organizers have in shaping industries and businesses, highlighting their role in identifying and promoting what’s new and good to drive progress.
In “Will Rising Exhibitor Costs Backfire?” a session with Julie Kagy, Executive Director of the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association, and Jeannie Henson, Director, Exhibit Management at Siemens Healthineers, the continuing rising costs to exhibit and travel were discussed candidly. One major takeaway from Henson was that if costs aren’t contained, companies may begin looking to participate in events as attendees rather than make the larger investment of exhibiting. She also advised show organizers to send out their exhibitor kits at least six months in advance of the show to ensure exhibit managers can accurately plan for their costs and make their orders.
RX’s Group Vice President of Sales Indiya Okam provided attendees with an update on the company’s value-based selling strategy, which is shifting toward defining “return on value” rather than a return on expectations, to help drive more growth and loyalty. She shared that structured discovery enhances value alignment, and that customer segmentation is critical to success, because not every customer is an ideal candidate for value-based selling. One of Okam’s final points was that ROI is table stakes now, with there being a focus on the overall business impact for customers.
In a session titled “Good News from Davos for Your Show,” featuring Dr. Charlotte M. Farmer, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UL Research Institutes, the ways success is measured at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was explored. Dr. Farmer explained that numbers are not enough for KPIs. Through the “power plays” of purposeful design, seamless logistics, elevated experiences, measurable impact and sustainable and scalable event design, the World Economic Forum is able to view its impact through the partnerships, conversations and progress made at the exclusive event.
Then, in a panel focused on headwinds, moderator Hervé Sedky, CEO of Emerald, spoke with Kevin Hinton, CAE Managing Director, Group Travel at the U.S. Travel Association; Isabelle Icso, Executive Director, International Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Rich Scarfo, President of HLTH, about the challenges arising from economic disruptions — and how they can be turned into opportunities.
When it came to the topic of tariffs and trade, Icso shared that surveys have shown that tariffs have already been negatively impacting business, both from a cost standpoint and a reputational one as well. She also said that it is imperative for show organizers and other industry stakeholders to understand their supply chains to be able to respond to the fast-changing policies.
Hinton shared his expertise on the travel industry, citing concerns about international travelers feeling a sense of being unwelcomed in the U.S. He emphasized the importance of positioning the U.S. as open for business by addressing concerns about visa entry and travel policy to help attract international visitors to the country, and to business events taking place.
Talking about the challenges facing the healthcare industry, Scarfo addressed the impact of the immediate halt in government travel and the shift in government leaders paying out of pocket to attend healthcare events. Scarfo shared that health events need to focus on bespoke activations, all-inclusive packaging and innovation to adapt to the changing environment and continue providing the industry with the networking, education and inspiration needed for progress in the sector.
In the final session of ECEF, Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes, President of mdg, a Freeman Company, and Ken Holsinger, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Freeman, shared key findings about the differences between innovators and conventionalists in the trade show industry. Freeman’s research revealed that only 27% of event organizers are “Innovators,” who focus on generations and trends, and are influenced by non-attendee and potential exhibitor feedback, among other qualities.
Holsinger and Hardcastle-Geddes were then joined on stage by Nicole Hallada, Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Marketing at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and Tom Gattuso, Vice President of Events at the Specialty Equipment Market Assocation (SEMA), to discuss how they are embracing an “Innovator” mindset through piloting new formats to drive attendance, extending their flagship event’s value through shoulder events and making data-driven decisions.
Another aspect of ECEF is TechDemo kiosks where attendees can check out solutions that drive value at their events.
“The TechDemo kiosks are designed to give the ECEF 2025 executives insight into the latest tools and platforms to help their staff provide greater value to their attendees with fewer resources,” Lippman said.
This year’s TechDemo program included 42Chat, ASP, Backtrack, CNTV, ELI™ by EXPOCAD, eShow, Map Your Show, MatchPoint, mdg, a Freeman Company x Tag Digital, Personify A2Z Events, ShowCycle, Swapcard and the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
The 2026 Lippman Connects ECEF will take place May 27 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.
ECA Legislative Action Day 2025 Sees Record-Breaking Attendance
This year’s Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) Legislative Action Day experienced another record-breaking year, with 170 business events industry professionals from 30 states convening on Capitol Hill to bring awareness to the industry’s policy interests.
“This year’s Legislative Action Day was so important because politics has truly become one of the driving forces across the industry in 2025,” said Tommy Goodwin, Executive Vice President of ECA. “That’s why policymakers need to hear from the industry face-to-face about how they can increase our competitiveness going forward rather than create headwinds for us.”
Aligned with the ECA’s public policy agenda for the year, industry advocates focused on taxes and talent while in discussions with more than 130 representatives, and had the chance to share the harmful impacts of tariffs on the live events industry.
“Attending ECA Legislative Action Day in Washington, D.C., was a vital opportunity to meet directly with policymakers and advocate for our industry — we discussed pressing issues including the impact of tariffs, tax reform, and workforce development all current challenges that have an impact on the future of the exhibition and business events industry,” said Chuck Grouzard, Executive Vice President of Business Development at GES and IAEE’s 2025 Chair. “It was a productive and inspiring day and truly a highlight for me. Having a seat at the table ensures our voice is heard and helps shape policies that support long-term growth and innovation.”
For those who didn’t attend Legislative Action Day but want to be involved in industry advocacy efforts, Goodwin suggests visiting the ECA Advocacy Network to make sure their voice is heard.
ECA’s 2026 Legislative Action Day will take place May 28, following Lippman Connects’ ECEF.
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