by Tommy Goodwin
In recent years, AI has transformed the business and professional events industry.
No, not that AI. I am talking about an even more transformative AI: advocacy involvement!
For the past five years, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) has been the voice of Exhibit City News readers on Capitol Hill, inside the White House, and in city halls and state houses from coast to coast.
From reopening events and bringing back international attendees and exhibitors after COVID to leading the charge against tariffs and getting the government to help us attract and train our future workforce, ECA has been on the frontlines making sure that policymakers hear your voice.
And they have! With your support, ECA has repealed state taxes on exhibitors and helped secure $50 million to reduce visa wait times for would-be attendees and exhibitors. Just last year, the industry’s advocacy led to Pell Grants being expanded to provide skilled workforce training.
But in 2026, there is still more to be done. Much more.
ECA’s 2026 public policy agenda has identified several priorities that would move our industry forward, help us create new jobs, reduce economic uncertainty, safeguard affordability for our small businesses and those we serve, and increase the competitiveness of the U.S. as the premier global destination for exhibitions, meetings, conferences, conventions, tradeshows, and more.
What does that mean for you?
ECA will continue to fight back against tariffs, which are taxes on event organizers, exhibitors, suppliers, venues, and attendees alike. We will also oppose state and local tax bills that unfairly target the industry and proposals that would make our sustainability efforts even more tangled.
ECA will support federal and state efforts to invest in our next generation of skilled workers, who are critical to our industry’s collective future. You will also find us supporting free trade agreements, government-backed terrorism insurance, and eliminating fees and policies that keep international participants away from U.S. events.
But we need your help. That’s where more AI—advocacy involvement—comes in.
Nobody tells the industry’s story better than you do. The ECA Advocacy Network has programs where you can contact your members of Congress, write an op-ed or letter to the editor of your local media outlet, and even host policymakers on the show floor for a behind-the-scenes tour.
That said, everybody knows there’s nothing like face to face. So why not come to Washington, D.C., and get involved?
On May 28, ECA will host our annual Legislative Action Day, which will bring industry leaders and advocates from across the country to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected officials about the issues that matter.
Last year, 170 industry stakeholders from 30 states joined ECA for a full day of advocacy, direct engagement with federal policymakers, and cross-industry networking opportunities.
As Fernando Fischer, Chair of the ECA Board of Directors and President, Americas for RX, puts it: “Legislative Action Day is more than a day on Capitol Hill—it’s a live demonstration of the power of in-person events and what can be achieved when our industry comes together with a shared purpose.”
Now that’s AI that can truly transform the industry!
Visit ECAadvocacy.com today and make plans to join us in Washington, D.C. this May.
Tommy Goodwin is Executive Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry.
