When you think about the future of the tradeshow industry, do you think about Washington, D.C.? Probably not, but maybe next time you should.
In recent years, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) has been working overtime in our nation’s capital to advocate for public policies that will help the industry attract and train our next-generation workforce.
Last year, that advocacy resulted in two big workforce development wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Section 529 education savings program expansion
For 30 years, families have used 529 plans to help their children save for higher education. Sometimes, there would be money left over in the 529 account after college. At other times, college was not the right option for the beneficiary. Until last year, that money was stuck and could not be withdrawn without a big tax penalty.
That money can now be used for processional licenses and industry certifications. This has transformed 529 plans from college savings plans into career savings plans that can help workers secure in-demand good-paying jobs in the tradeshow industry.
Workforce Pell Grants
This year, the federal government will spend $35 billion on Pell Grants to help lower income students afford college. On July 1, the U.S. Department of Education began accepting applications from students for high-quality short-term career-focused training programs.
These new Workforce Pell Grants will help us close the skills gap on show floors nationwide and help ensure that our future workforce will have the job training and credentials that they need for successful careers in the tradeshow industry.
While these two developments will help, ECA is not stopping there. As part of Legislative Action Day in May, more than 200 industry leaders and advocates called on Congress take further action to grow the pool of Americans with the skills necessary to have great careers in our industry.
Pell Grant funding
In April, President Donald Trump called on Congress to increase funding for the Pell Grant program by $10.5 billion next year. This funding would help cover a funding shortfall while ensuring ample funding for the new Workforce Pell Grants in 2027 and beyond.
Jumpstart Savings Act
While there are great careers to be had in the skilled professions, there can be many costly barriers to entry: tools, equipment, certifications, licensure, apprenticeship expenses, and more. This can keep many hard-working Americans from pursuing this important career path.
Introduced by Rep. Riley Moore from West Virginia, the Jumpstart Savings Act would let individuals and families save money in tax-free accounts for careers in the trades, skilled labor, and apprenticeship-based professions. ECA believes that this legislation will help reduce barriers and further expand opportunities for workers to become part of the tradeshow industry.
Every day, the tradeshow industry creates one-of-a-kind experiences from coast to coast. Our ability to continue this work in the future depends on our collective ability to attract, train, and retain our nation’s next-generation skilled workforce. ECA will continue to do its part on Capitol Hill to make sure that policymakers join us in this important effort.
Tommy Goodwin is President & Chief Executive Officer for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry.
This story originally appeared in the Q3 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, with the original magazine layout available here.
