by Tommy Goodwin, ECA
On Capitol Hill, the late Sen. Mike Enzi from Wyoming was fond of saying, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
That’s why the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) makes sure that the business and professional events industry is represented at the policymaking tables that matter in Washington, DC 364 days a year.
“What about day 365?” you ask. Well, that’s where you come in. Yes, you!
Each year, ECA brings industry leaders and advocates from across the country and around the world to Capitol Hill for ECA Legislative Action Day. They meet with their members of Congress in support of ECA’s public policy priorities.
This year, ECA Legislative Action Day will take place on Thursday, May 29, and this is your invitation to join us in our nation’s capital as we advocate on two issues critical to the future of the industry: tax reform and workforce development.
Tax Reform
With large parts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring at the end of 2025, the tax reform debate is already taking over Capitol Hill. Extending these tax breaks will add at least $4 trillion to the U.S. deficit, and Congress is looking at the entire tax code for new sources of revenue.
On Legislative Action Day, the industry will remind our elected officials to look elsewhere for that money. After all, we collectively already pay $51 billion in federal taxes and $79 billion in state and local taxes in communities across the U.S. every year.
Last fall, ECA adopted a tax reform agenda focused on maintaining a competitive business tax rate, retaining the current tax treatment of private equity profits and interest deductibility, and refraining from taxing nonprofit associations and their events. This will allow us to continue driving economic growth, supporting job creation, and empowering small businesses nationwide.
Workforce Development
Exhibit City News readers know that our industry has a skilled workforce shortage. For this reason, ECA is championing two bills in Congress that will get the federal government involved with helping us attract and train our next generation of talent:
The JOBS Act would help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants to pay for short-term job training programs for the first time. Last year, our country spent $24.5 billion on Pell Grants. If just a small fraction of that spending went towards building up our future skilled workforce, it would be a game changer for the industry.
In addition, the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act bill would transform 529 plans from college saving plans into career savings plans by covering tuition, exam and training costs associated with obtaining post-secondary workforce certifications and licenses.
Both of these important measures will be front and center on ECA Legislative Action Day.
If you have been watching the news, you know that 2025 is already shaping up to be a pivotal year for the business and professional events industry in our nation’s capital. That’s why it’s critical that everyone in the industry joins us for ECA Legislative Action Day on May 29. Please help make sure that we’re at the table and not on the menu!
To learn more and register for free, please visit ECAadvocacy.com.
This story originally appeared in the Q2 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 84. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_apr_may_jun_2025/84.
