The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) announces its former president, Steven Hacker, has received the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) 2012 Profile and Power award. The prestigious award was given in recognition of his work in the exhibitions and events industry and specifically for his dedication to advocacy efforts on behalf of IAEE’s members and the industry as a whole.
“I am very honored and proud to receive the Profile and Power award,” said Hacker, CAE,
FASAE, CEM. “During my term as IAEE president, it was very rewarding to work with lawmakers in many branches of the U.S. government to reinforce the value of face-to-face events and the positive effects they continue to have on the global economy.”
Hacker effectively raised awareness about the significant economic impact to U.S. exhibitions due to difficulties that so many international visitors have had securing a U.S. visa to participate in U.S.-based exhibitions. He was invited by lawmakers and federal organizations to present information on the value of international participation not only to the event itself, but the host community as well. He advocated allowing visitors from foreign nations to obtain visas through the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in a timely fashion to attend exhibitions and events to meet with industry colleagues to learn, network and grow their businesses.
Making the argument for the exhibitions and events industry to government officials, Hacker noted:
• Visa issues prevent 116,000 international visitors from attending U.S. exhibitions each year including 78,400 buyers and 37,900 exhibitors.
• The average spending by each international buyer and attendee is more than $13,600, and the spending by international exhibitors averages more than $36,100.
• By reducing visa barriers, the U.S. economy would realize increases in business sales of about $3 billion a year just from U.S. events.
|• This would create over 17,500 jobs directly and 43,000 jobs indirectly.
• It would generate $750 million in state and federal taxes.
As a result of his efforts and working in conjunction with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), Hacker provided valuable information to IAEE members, urging them to contact Congress to collectively communicate the messages for the betterment of the industry.
As a direct result of these efforts, the USTA reports:
• Nearly 90 percent of visa applicants worldwide are interviewed within three weeks of submitting their applications.
• A 40 percent increase in visa processing capacity has been achieved in Brazil and will be met in China by December.
• Facilities’ staffs are increasing.
• Efforts are being made to expand the Visa Waiver Program and expand Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry Program and the USTA’s PreCheck program.
The JMIC Power and Profile award recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to advancing the awareness and influence of the meetings industry in their respective communities. The winner is selected each year based on the efforts of an individual or organization in increasing industry profile and bringing about structural or policy change that reflect a better appreciation.
The JMIC was established in 1978 to create a forum for the exchange of information and perspectives amongst international associations engaged in various aspects of the meetings industry. It has met annually each year and served as a link between its member organizations as well as a means of reviewing industry conditions and strategies.
Since 1928, the IAEE has become the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, the IAEE delivers valuable industry research reports.
