How will Washington, D.C., impact tradeshow costs in 2026?
by Tommy Goodwin, Exhibition & Conferences Alliance (ECA)
If you ask anyone in the tradeshow industry what is top of mind these days, almost everyone will give you the same answer: rising costs.
From lingering inflation and labor shortages to economic uncertainty and trade wars, it has rarely been more expensive to organize, host, attend, or exhibit at a tradeshow.
At the same time, customer expectations have never been higher and are often unmet. Recent Freeman research found that 78 percent of event organizers say they are creating standout experiences that are immediately memorable, but only 40 percent of attendees say they have had one.
While the industry continues to focus on managing costs, one group far beyond the tradeshow floor will have a big impact on costs in 2026: Washington, D.C. policymakers.
The key question: Will they choose to make things better or worse this year?
2025 in review
Last year, results were mixed. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act provided several tax-policy wins for the industry—sustaining a competitive business tax rate, providing tax certainty for private investment capital, and safeguarding the tax-exempt status of association events.
It also made investments that will help us attract and train our future workforce. Section 529 savings plans will now cover licenses and certifications, while new workforce Pell Grants will pay for high-quality skills training with $10.5 billion in additional program funding.
At the same time, new tariffs raised costs across the industry on everything from aluminum and steel to lumber and furniture. In its 2025 fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, the U.S. federal government took in $195 billion in customs duties, more than double the prior year.
Tariff backlash, combined with persistent visa processing challenges and new restrictive travel policies, reduced international exhibitor and attendee participation in many tradeshows. This deprived the industry of critical revenue and increased cost pressure across the board.
2026 outlook
The Supreme Court will set the tone with its ruling in V.O.S. Selections v. Trump, a case challenging whether President Trump’s “emergency” baseline, reciprocal, and fentanyl tariffs on U.S. trading partners around the world are constitutional.
While a positive Supreme Court decision would not eliminate all tariffs and their associated rising costs, it would provide for more planning time and greater certainty going forward, which will help the industry better navigate ongoing tariff changes after a topsy-turvy 2025.
Meanwhile, a new $250 visa integrity fee will increase costs for international customers if it is not further delayed or scaled back. With surveys of international travelers frequently citing cost as a deterrent to visiting the U.S., this fee could make existing international travel headwinds worse.
For the Exhibitions & Conference Alliance (ECA), it is simple: we oppose tariffs that increase costs for industry stakeholders and travel policies that make it harder and more costly for international exhibitors and attendees to come to U.S. tradeshows. That’s our focus for 2026.
Beyond the Beltway
ECA will be looking for other ways to help the industry to manage costs in the year ahead.
As Exhibit City News wrote about last summer, in their article Addressing the Guideline Overload, the overload of sustainability guidelines adds complexity and expense to tradeshows. ECA will continue championing a single U.S. framework that aligns the current tangle of standards to accelerate decarbonization while reducing costs.
Are you ready to support ECA’s “dollars and sense” agenda? Visit ECAadvocacy.com and get involved today!
Tommy Goodwin is Executive Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, the unified government relations and public policy voice of the tradeshow industry.
Image credit: Adobe Stock
This story originally appeared in the Q1 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 36. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_jan_feb_mar_2026/36.
