By Mary Tucker | Senior Communications and Content Manager | IAEE
As we step into 2025, the exhibitions and events industry awaits major policy changes looming on the horizon. With a freshly inaugurated President and new leadership in Congress, Capitol Hill is buzzing with activity that could fundamentally reshape our industry. From evolving tax policies and international travel regulations to pressing issues like sustainability initiatives and workforce development, the decisions being made in our nation’s capital will reverberate throughout the events sector.
To help us navigate these shifting dynamics, we sat down with Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), for an insightful discussion on what lies ahead and a sneak peek at his upcoming webinar, Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) Update: How Washington, DC Will Impact IAEE Members in 2025 on 26 February.
Here, Tommy shares his expertise on the latest developments from both federal and state levels. He will explore concrete ways for industry stakeholders to make their voices heard in these important policy discussions as well as share what industry professionals need to know about the changing political landscape and its impact on events in the coming year.
The new Congress is taking on tax reform this year. What specific changes could we see that would impact event organizers, and how is the ECA working to ensure our industry’s voice is heard in these discussions?
Tommy: Tax reform will be the issue on Capitol Hill in 2025. As part of the tax reform debate, ECA will be laser focused on four key priorities for the business and professional events industry:
- Supporting a competitive business tax rate that enables the growth of the industry and ensures that we continue to provide value to our customers, stakeholders, and host communities.
- Opposing changes to the tax treatment of private equity that would negatively impact an important source of investment in our industry’s small businesses and future growth.
- Opposing any alteration to the tax-exempt status of nonprofit associations and their events that could disrupt the critical work of these organizations to the industries, professions, and communities they serve.
- Supporting transforming Section 529 college savings plans into career savings plans that help workers secure in-demand, good-paying jobs like those that our industry offers.
We are seeing various state and local governments exploring new revenue streams. Can you share some examples of concerning tax proposals you are monitoring that could create challenges for our industry’s events and venues?
Tommy: Two years ago, one state began taxing exhibitor space rental and sponsorships, but ECA quickly helped close that loophole. Since then, we have not seen any similar efforts, which is great.
That said, several state legislatures have already introduced bills that would tax digital advertising including New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Montana, and South Dakota. ECA opposes these efforts because those taxes would just be passed down to show organizers, venues, and exhibitors who take out ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and other similar platforms to get the word out.
With workforce shortages still affecting many sectors, how is ECA collaborating with policymakers to develop solutions for attracting and retaining talent in the industry?
Tommy: ECA is ‘all in’ on getting the federal government involved in helping us attract and retain our next-generation workforce. Specifically, we are working on two bills in Washington, DC that would help:
- Expanding Pell grants to cover high-quality shorter-term job training programs for the first time. This would allow Pell grants to be used for skills like rigging, carpentry, electrical work, and other skills that are urgently needed on the show floor.
- Transforming Section 529 college savings plans into career savings plans by letting them cover certifications, like IAEE’s CEM Learning Program. This will help early career professionals get the post-secondary knowledge they need to advance in their careers.
Visa processing delays have been a significant hurdle for international attendance. What progress have you seen in reducing wait times, and what innovations in the visa system could make a real difference for our events?
Tommy: Last year, ECA helped secure $50 million for the State Department to help with visa processing backlogs. Since then, average wait times in Mexico have gone down more than 70%. That’s great news, but we need to finish the job. ECA supports efforts to ensure that every U.S. embassy and consulate interviews business visa applicants within 90 days of submitting their application. Until then, there are key markets like India, Columbia, and more that cannot fully return to business and professional events here in the U.S.
There is ongoing debate about travel restrictions and border policies. How do you assess the current climate around international travel, and what potential changes should event organizers be watching for?
Tommy: ECA wants to ensure that the U.S. is ‘open for business’ when it comes to attracting international exhibitors and attendees to events nationwide. While we understand the need for strong border security, we oppose inbound international travel restrictions that would keep folks from certain countries away from U.S. business and professional events. This is especially important to ensure that the U.S. remains a competitive destination for international events, too.
For industry professionals who want to support the ECA’s advocacy efforts, what specific actions can they take to help advance these priorities in 2025?
Tommy: ECA encourages IAEE members and everyone in the industry to get involved with ECA and make sure your voice is heard! Anyone can sign up to be part of the ECA Advocacy Network where they can email their elected officials, join ECA’s social influencer program, and find out how to host local policymakers at events in their community. And, of course, we would love to have as many IAEE members as possible join us for ECA Legislative Action Day, which takes place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, 29 May 2025.
