The statement issued by the event industry organization defended the importance of the conference and events after the Trump administration announced a $2.5 trillion tariff on imports of items used in conferences such as aluminum, paper and copper.
The message coincides with the Global Conference Industry Day on March 3, and the annual construction of the American Travel Association’s Capitol Hill advocacy for modernization to unlock a new Golden Age trip ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Worry about rising incident costs
Tommy Goodwin, executive vice president of the Exhibition and Conference Alliance (ECA), issued a statement saying the executive order introduced new reciprocity tariffs from U.S. trading partners, which led to a “significant concern” in the U.S. business and professional event industry.
“These tariffs will increase the cost of organizers, exhibitors and attendees for commercial and professional events. They also signal international exhibitors and attendees that the U.S. has closed businesses.”
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He noted that tariffs would particularly harm small businesses, accounting for 99% of industry companies and 80% of all exhibitors. He then shared the economic impact of the event industry – 2.63 million U.S. jobs and $426.1 billion in spending in the U.S. is estimated to be 2025. “That’s why the ECA opposes these new tariffs, which will negatively impact our collective ability to drive economic growth, support work creation, empower small businesses and help address our most urgent social challenges,” he said.
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Ask to consider the overall impact
During the pandemic, the Live Events Alliance (LEC) advocates for the well-being of various regions of the industry, including corporate events, sporting events, fairs, festivals and performances, to address the latest threats to all of the above issues.
The second day of GMID arrived, LEC President Nancy Shaffer emphasized the importance of working together to support LEC VIC Chairman and Government Affairs Wendy Porter in working with Al Mercuro, Director of Marketing and Communications, Dwayne Thomas, and Treasurer Russ Russ Callahan.
The LEC issued a statement creating a face for 12 million people to keep 1.2 million small businesses alive. “These are not faceless numbers – they are planners, producers, AV technology, stagers, rigs, exhibition halls, lighting designers, scenic builders, display callers, rental companies, decorators, catering service providers, catering teams, transportation teams, translators, musicians, musicians, photographers, photographers, photographers and thousands of freelancers, which bring life to every day.
It called the newly announced tariffs “another blow to the on-site incident ecosystem” – a 38% increase in costs since 2019.
It noted that tariffs on imported goods increase the cost of everything from installments, signage to food, entertainment technology equipment and travel. “When these costs go up, we see the effect of dominoes: corporate travel is frozen, marketing budgets are tightened, sponsorship shrinking and internal and external activities are the first to be carried out.”
The statement stressed that these business losses not only harmed the conference industry. It damages every industry that relies on events to drive brand awareness, thought leadership, lead generation, employee engagement and revenue. “The downstream impact is real. Events are not line items for cutting down, it is a key leverage for growth,” Shaffer said.
“We urge policymakers to understand the full impact of this decision. The disruption of the live event industry not only threatens employment, but also threatens the platform that helps U.S. businesses grow, connect and thrive,” the statement concluded.
What can a single planner do
Goodwin vows to work with the Washington, D.C. Member Association, alliance partners and other stakeholders to advocate for trade policy to enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. business and professional activity industry and allow us to continue as the growth engine of the U.S. economy.
He recommends aligning with the ECA Advocacy Network’s Email Action Center and focusing on the ECA Tariff Resource Center on the ECA website and affecting the latest news in the industry.
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