Exhibition and Convention Alliance unveils 2025 policy
Washington, D.C. — with 119th 2025 is shaping up to be another big year in politics as Congress and a new U.S. President take office. The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the political voice of the events industry, has released its 2025 Public Policy Agenda outlining its priorities for the coming year. trade show director Speak with Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of ECA, to learn about the important issues and potential developments that are of concern to ECA. Taxation, workforce development and more ECA’s top priorities for 2025 include enacting pro-growth, pro-impact and pro-workforce development federal tax reform and preventing harmful state and local tax policies that unfairly target the trade show industry. With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of the year, lawmakers are looking for ways to offset the cost of expanding the policy, which could be about $4.6 trillion. ECA works to prevent these decisions from having a negative impact…
Learn about ECA with Tommy Goodwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Exhibition & Convention Alliance (ECA) Vice President Tommy Goodwin is a tireless advocate for the events industry. trade show director Sit down with Tommy to learn about his start in the events industry, the benefits ECA brings to trade shows and how professionals can get involved. ANDREW: How did you get into the events industry? What keeps you there? Tommy: I'm a relative newbie - I've been in this industry for about three and a half years. I've been working in the advocacy and association world for about 25 years. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the business events industry decided it needed to get more involved in promotional efforts. Before joining ECA, my expertise in this area was creating new projects or reinventing them. I met David Dubois, who was in charge of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® at the time, and connected with some of the people who were responsible for forming ECA…
ECA explores how the 2024 election could impact events
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the 2024 election, Republicans control the White House and the U.S. Senate. They may also win a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Reuters reported. In the Exhibition & Convention Alliance's (ECA) ECA post-election review webinar, ECA Vice President Tommy Goodwin and Aristotle Vice President of International Communications Austin O'Boyle discussed how these results impact the events industry and how you can Join the conversation. international trade barriers Goodwin noted that the Trump administration's foreign policy proposals could make it more expensive to import supplies from abroad. "The president-elect has been very vocal about his interest in resetting the international trade environment, using tariffs and non-tariff barriers to ensure more goods are produced in the United States," Goodwin explained. "But there are also adverse effects. , making goods imported from abroad more expensive. For example, I'm thinking now of our experienced designers, some of the things they import from abroad - such as aluminum…
What you need to know about industry advocacy ahead of elections
CHICAGO — It’s been a busy year for the Exhibition & Convention Alliance (ECA), which celebrated a record number of legislative action days in 2024 and won policy wins for the industry. The Federal Trade Commission has finalized a new rule on counterfeit fraud that targets scammers targeting the industry. Instead of issuing a cease-and-desist letter, people can now report this fraud directly to the FTC for follow-up and enforcement. In March, ECA helped the State Department secure $50 million to address long visa wait times and has since reduced interview wait times in Mexico by 60%, reinforcing the link between advocacy and what happens at the show. On the future workforce, both ECA bills successfully passed House committees this year. As America prepares for Election Day on November 5, trade show director caught up with ECA Vice President Tommy Goodwin to find out what policies and regulations the industry should be paying attention to in the coming months, as…
What this means for the business events industry » Exhibitions
By Tommy Goodwin, Exhibition and Convention Alliance Although the 2024 campaign hasn't unfolded the way anyone predicted, Election Day is just around the corner. While policy issues have taken a back seat on the campaign trail, what happens at the ballot box on November 5 will shape the industry in 2025 and beyond. Here's how. tax In 2025, taxes will be an issue on Capitol Hill. With much of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 set to expire next year, the battle for tax reform is already underway. Experts say keeping these popular tax breaks in place would cost the country $4.6 trillion, and political pressure is growing within the Beltway to offset at least some of that amount. what does that mean? Everything in the tax code is on the table. This includes increasing corporate tax rates, changing the way private equity profits are taxed, and even taxing association activities. Any one of these could have a…
How employee advocacy improves brand reputation
Your brand reputation and engagement are critical. With customers having so many choices, you need to stand out, and a great way to do this is through employee advocacy. By encouraging your team to speak positively about your company, you can amplify your message and create a more authentic connection with your audience. This article explores how employee advocacy can improve your brand reputation and increase engagement, helping you stay ahead in the business world. Also Read: Importance of Educating Gen Z on Employee Benefits to Retain Top Talent What is employee advocacy? When your employees share information and talk about your business with their networks, it's called employee advocacy. Whether on social media, blogs, or in casual conversations, employees can have a huge impact on a company's public image. The key here is authenticity. People are more likely to trust recommendations from people they know or follow rather than direct advertising. When your employees advocate for your brand, they…
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…
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