Even as executive vice president of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), Tommy Goodwin rarely meets anyone who says they always dreamed of working in the tradeshow construction industry.
Let’s face it, driving a forklift, laying carpet and building exhibit booths falls galaxies shy of becoming a TikTok sensation.
Filling entry-level tradeshow construction jobs has been a perpetual challenge, selling someone on a physical occupation that can require frequent travel and a crazy schedule, and it’s getting tougher as aging workers hang up their toolbelts.
The industry lost an estimated 2.8 million workers during the COVID pandemic, either through layoffs, furloughs, or retirement, according to Goodwin. So, what’s it going to take for Millennials and Gen Z workers, estimated at 42 percent of the U.S. population, to fill that void?
“We’re going to have to get out and tell them why this industry matters,” Goodwin says from his lobbyist office in Washington, D.C. “We’ve got to go to them. They’re not coming to us. Nobody knows about us. These jobs, whether it’s electrical, construction, or rigging, these are pretty darn good-paying jobs, and very exciting careers because they go all across the country, all around the world.”
A key element of an ECA initiative to recruit the next generation is to have industry professionals visit schools and talk about working in exhibitions and events. By directly engaging with students, they can lay out diverse career paths and provide a roadmap for entering the industry, Goodwin explains.
“We’ve got to tell them about these opportunities, one by one, school by school,” he says.
TRAINING CENTERS
Nationwide, labor unions are developing training programs geared toward the tradeshow industry. The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EAS Carpenters Union) opened 17 training centers with instruction in a variety of specialties, including tradeshow carpentry.
Hands-on training is integrated with practical learning, producing well-rounded and job-ready journeymen. After four years, apprentices leave with valuable trade skills, free from debt, ready to earn a decent wage.
The training centers are like a college campus for carpenters, serving as a bridge between education and a lifelong career. They significantly contribute to the local economy by creating skilled labor, reducing unemployment, and enhancing local industry.
Members who show strong leadership characteristics can apply to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ (UBC) international training center in Las Vegas. They learn how professionalism, productivity, skill, and attitude contribute to their personal success, as well as that of their employers.
Goodwin credits the unions for creating tradeshow curricula, training a workforce with a defined set of skills. “If you’re on the floor, building a booth, driving cargo, you need hard skills to do that. At the end of the day, there’s a lot going on on the show floor, moving in and out. You need a safe work environment for everybody.”
EARLY EXPOSURE
Amy Barnes, senior manager of experiential learning programs at Tallo, an online career-building platform, agrees with the early exposure
“Current young adults have spent many more hours with a computer in their hands than power tools,” she points out. “Young people cannot choose or prepare for a career they don’t understand. They’re drawn to what they know. Conversely, students who have experienced hands-on learning activities in fields such as construction or manufacturing are much more likely to declare an interest in these fields.”
Encouragingly, Barnes notes that rising costs of college and a decrease in the perceived value of higher education have made trade jobs more appealing to some younger people.
Also, while she’s seen an explosion of young people exploring digital careers, new research suggests that the majority of people who entered the workforce between 2019 and 2024 actually prefer in-person work.
Working remotely from home, interacting through videoconferences and emails, leaves people feeling lonely and disconnected. In fact, 77 percent of employees worldwide do not feel engaged at work, according to a recent Gallup poll.
“Younger workers understand the value of human connection and experienced the first-hand impact of isolation during the recent pandemic,” Barnes says.
SERVICE WITH A SMILE
The Pennsylvania Convention Center opened a 1,000-square-foot training center in 2024 to present programs for its staff and labor contractors focused on safety, development of technical skills and customer service. It includes a conference room for hosting instructor-led training programs and two computer labs for online training.
The convention center made a long-term commitment that its labor force is not only skilled and focused on safety, but also strives for a high level of hospitality, says John McNichol, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority.
Training is coordinated with convention industry companies such as installation and dismantle (I&D) and decorators so workers can build the most efficient and economical exhibits.
“Builds are becoming more intensive and more elaborate and one of the major focuses of our skills training is ensuring our staff has the experience and know-how to construct the more complex builds, which reduces labor costs for our customers and exhibitors,” McNichol states in an email to Exhibit City News. “Beyond skills training, our program also focuses on hospitality and safety training for our labor personnel.”
It also provides the more experienced labor partners with tools and best practices to guide the younger generation of workers, he adds.
With the slogan “Safety, Skills, and Smiles,” the program is an outgrowth of the Hospitality Industry Advancement Trust (HIAT), a partnership between convention center management and unions responsible for providing show floor labor. Those unions include Laborers’ International Local 332, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8 (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98, and Iron Workers Local 405.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center and its tradeshow unions match donations based on manhours worked to ensure funding of the trust, about $250,000 to $400,000 a year, to meet the evolving training needs of its workforce.
LABOR SHORTAGE
The labor shortage is being felt by nearly all industries across the nation, a result of several factors, including low participation in the labor force, fallout from job losses during the COVID pandemic, early retirement, and less immigration.
The latest data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows roughly 8 million job openings and 6.8 million unemployed workers. Unable to be fully staffed, businesses struggle to grow, compete, and thrive.
“The longer this challenge exists, the more dedicated the industry needs to be to solve it,” Goodwin says. “How do you fill the top of the funnel? The industry’s future depends on how well we attract, train and retain our employees.”
The number of workers aged 65 and older has more than doubled over the past 20 years to roughly 11 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prior to the pandemic, the average age of a worker on the tradeshow floor was 56. “Once they’ve got you here three or four years, they’ve got you for life. It’s about getting more people into that queue. The work’s always going to be there, Goodwin says.
Labor shortage is a complex issue influenced by a variety of factors, Tallo’s Barnes explains. A significant number of workers were sucked into the “silver tsunami,” having reached retirement age.
About one-fourth of adults aged 18-24 fall into the NEET category, which means they’re “Neither Employed nor pursuing Education or Training,” the career manager notes. They represent a potential workforce that’s underutilized, further contributing to the labor shortage.
“Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, including better alignment of education with job market needs, support for vocational training, and policies that encourage workforce participation across all demographics,” Barnes says.
UNION BENEFITS
Tradeshow carpentry is not only a good-paying job, but also an essential part of the always-growing live events business that is “roaring back to life after the pandemic,” according to Carpenters Local 491, based in Maryland.
Union members start earning $30 an hour on the first day of their apprenticeship, and the benefits package outweighs that of most jobs in the gig economy and service workers.
The best part of the job for union carpenter Aaron Lewis is the sense of “giving back to the community,” he says in a website testimonial. It’s also a job that he loves to do, having helped his father with carpentry projects as a kid, and it comes with great benefits.
“I worked a lot of jobs but haven’t quite had these types of benefits, you know. I have my annuity, I collect my pension once I retire and I can take care of my family,” Lewis says.
The carpenters’ union offers job flexibility and access to unlimited free training for life, programs that lead to certifications and new skills, all of which can increase pay and promote a career.
PELL GRANT
The ECA is lobbying the government for assistance in solving the skilled workforce challenge, not just in the tradeshow business, but across many industries, Goodwin says.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced the Jobs Act of 2025 in February, a bill that would expand eligibility for a portion of the $24 billion in Pell Grants to be used for job training.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award a job training Pell Grant to a student who does not have a degree; attends an institution of higher education; is enrolled in a career and technical education program that provides 150 to 600 hours of instructional time over eight to 15 weeks and provides training aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors; and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant.
Clearly, the recruitment of new workers remains a challenge for the tradeshow industry. However, by offering a comprehendible path to professional success and personal satisfaction, the sector will thrive upon the ingenuity and resourcefulness of younger generations.
This story originally appeared in the Q3 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 70. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_jul_aug_sept_2025/70.
