Nearly 100 industry leaders from 24 states — including representatives from event, venue and destination organizations including IAEE, Visit Orlando, Venetian Resort Las Vegas, PCMA, MGM Resorts International, Visit Anaheim and many more — gathered on June 1 on Capitol Hill for Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) Legislative Action Day. View the full list of attendees here.

During more than 100 meetings, Legislative Action Day attendees advocated for ECA’s federal public policy priorities and the vital role that the business events industry plays in helping to spur economic growth, support job creation and empower small businesses across the country.

“From fully bringing back international exhibitors and buyers to events in the United States to attracting and training our next-generation workforce, today’s conversations on the Hill were critical to the charting the future course of our industry and those we support,” said David DuBois, ECA co-president and International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) president and CEO.

Watch or listen to our Q&A with ECA Vice President Tommy Goodwin that was recorded on June 1 here.

ECA Legislative Action Day attendees focused on three policy areas where Congress can take on a leadership role to help advance the business events industry and support the small businesses who rely on our meetings, conferences and trade shows:

• Reduce visitor visa interview wait times
• Help build our future skilled workforce
• Support efforts to stop business impersonation fraud

“As advocacy continues to become part of the DNA of the industry, it was great to see so many leaders from coast to coast come to Washington, DC to meet with their elected officials about the issues that impact our industry,” said Vinnie Polito, ECA co-president and CEO of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO).

Next year’s Legislative Action Day will take place on May 30, 2024. Once again, the event will be held in conjunction with the Lippman Connects Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), the one-day information-sharing and networking event for leaders at associations and independent show organizers, which will take place next year on May 29.

“It was amazing to see so many folks on Capitol Hill today on behalf of the industry,” Goodwin said. “I hope everybody makes plans to join us next year in Washington, D.C. as we continue to share the story of how our business events are growth engines for small businesses across every major sector of the U.S. economy with policymakers.”

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE, listen to our latest podcast HERE and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!