ECA Partners with Exhibit City News to Advance Advocacy

New partnership brings important congressional updates and digital content to industry professionals

By: Exhibition City News Staff

Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) and Exhibition City News (ECN) has announced a new content partnership aimed at strengthening its outreach efforts to the business events industry. The partnership will focus on regular updates on public policy and legislative developments through magazine columns, online articles and short videos.

Founded in 2021, ECA represents a coalition of industry and labor organizations and serves as the voice for the exhibition, conference and trade show industry. In 2022, these events generated $138 billion in direct sales and supported 2.2 million jobs across the United States. ECNIt will mark its 30th anniversary in 2024 and aims to further expand the industry’s voice in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

Focus on advocacy

Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of ECA, stressed that this collaboration comes at a critical time for the industry.

“The pandemic has taught us that advocacy must be woven into the fabric of our industry,” Goodwin said. “What happens on Capitol Hill directly impacts what happens on the trade show floor. Through ECN, we have access to industry leaders who play an important role in shaping those outcomes.”

Goodwin noted that key issues such as workforce development and tax policy can have a direct impact on the industry’s growth, and this partnership will provide a platform for ongoing discussion on these topics.

Expand your influence through content

As part of the agreement, ECN ECA’s advocacy work will be showcased through quarterly columns, online updates and videos. This approach is designed to keep industry professionals informed of the latest developments affecting the world of business events.

Chris Kappes, strategic advisor at ECN, stressed the need for coordination between the two organizations.

“The ECN-ECA partnership brings together two important voices in the industry,” said Kappes. “By integrating our platforms, we can increase awareness and deepen understanding of the issues impacting the industry.”

Capes noted that cross-platform promotion, audience engagement and a comprehensive content strategy were key to ensuring the partnership’s visibility and success.

As part of the collaborative content strategy, readers can also read ECA’s first online article featuring a video produced by CNTV of four industry leaders – Chris Griffin, Megan Martin, Rich Stone and Mac Campbell – speaking about their participation in ECA’s Legislative Action Day earlier this year.

Digital Presence and Engagement

For ECN, the partnership is also an opportunity to increase its digital presence. Marlena Sullivan, executive editor at ECN, believes that adding short videos is an important step to attract a wider audience.

“Through this partnership, our goal is to educate industry professionals about legislation and policies that impact their work,” Sullivan said. “The addition of video will add life to our content and allow us to reach even more people online.”

Long-term vision

Donald Sverra, Publisher ECNsaid that the partnership is in line with ECN’s mission to keep the industry informed of the latest developments as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

“This collaboration helps ensure the voices of those working in the business events industry are heard,” said Svehla. “As we continue to report on key issues affecting the industry, collaborations like this will allow us to have a full picture of what’s going on.”

The ECA-ECN partnership will begin publishing content later this year, with a focus on delivering timely updates from Capitol Hill and insights into key issues impacting the industry. Both organizations see the collaboration as a way to ensure the business events industry stays connected to the legislation and advocacy efforts that are shaping its future.