Anticipating the return of Congress next week, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, an events-industry advocacy group, has released its 2024 public policy agenda. The coalition's partners and board of directors identified five areas to focus on for the new year: ensuring a favorable industry operating environment, growing seamless international travel and commerce, creating a welcoming environment for the industry in states and cities nationwide, championing industry-led decarbonization efforts, and developing the industry's future workforce.
"In 2024, ECA will be laser-focused on advocating for policies to uphold the role of the business-events industry in propelling economic growth, fostering job creation, and empowering small businesses nationwide and globally," said Hervé Sedky, president and CEO of Emerald Holding Inc., and chair of the ECA board of directors.
Six other issues were highlighted as top priorities, including restoring visa operations to prepandemic levels while modernizing the process of awarding visas, and supporting government policies to help attract and train the industry's next generation.
"From ensuring that all international exhibitors and attendees can return to conferences in the United States, to supporting public-sector involvement in developing the industry's next-generation workforce, ECA will be actively engaged in Washington, D.C., and beyond on the issues that matter for the industry in 2024," said Vinnie Polito, CEO of the Society of Independent Show Organizers and ECA's copresident.
Looking back on 2023
The organization will continue to build on last year's successes on Capitol Hill and in state houses, such as overturning Kentucky's tax on conference exhibitors and sponsors, repealing California's state-funded travel ban, and supporting legislation in the House of Representatives that would provide additional funding to help alleviate visa-processing backlogs.
"ECA has had a very successful 2023, but its work on behalf of our industry is just beginning," said Marsha Flanagan, president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and CEO and copresident of ECA. "In the weeks and months ahead, ECA will continue to amplify the advocacy voice of the business-events industry, including show organizers, exhibitors, suppliers, venues, and hard-working men and women who deliver powerful events."
Throughout the year, ECA will be introducing new advocacy capabilities, allowing industry leaders to make their voices heard in the policymaking processes.
"In 2024, ECA is going all in to give [advocates] the opportunity to make sure that elected officials hear them loud and clear, whether that's in Washington, D.C., on ECA Legislative Election Day [on May 30], or on the show floor in their communities year-round," said Tommy Goodwin, vice president of ECA.
The full public policy agenda can be viewed here.
