The EDPA is committed to driving sustained advocacy efforts to support the exhibitions and events industry.  As part of these efforts, we proudly partner with the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) and the Exhibitor Advocate

The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) is a coalition of leading professional, industry, and labor organizations that comprise the unified advocacy voice of the business events industry. The exhibitions, conferences, and trade shows delivered by ECA's alliance partners and their members attract exhibitors, attendees, and buyers from around the world to conduct business in the United States. This dynamic industry employs 2.6 million Americans and drives $399 billion in spending annually.

Click here to learn more about the ECA


The Exhibitor Advocate amplifies the voice of exhibitors to ensure the enduring success of exhibitions and events by collaborating with all stakeholders to promote and cultivate open communication, consistent standards, and industry best practices.

Click here to learn more about The Exhibitor Advocate


Legislative Action Day

ECA Advocacy Update

🙏 Thank you for reading the latest edition of the ECA Advocacy Update!

  • Along with the news below, ECA continues to be actively involved “Inside the Beltway” on several issues related to the White House Executive Orders that you have seen in the news recently.

  • If you have any questions about those Executive Orders, please reach out to ECA’s Tommy Goodwin or just reply to this email.

1 big thing: #ECALAD coming May 29!

Registration opens soon for ECA Legislative Action Day, which will take place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 29, 2025!

Legislative Action Day will bring business and professional events industry leaders and advocates to our nation’s capital to meet with their elected officials in support of ECA’s top public policy priorities including:

  • Tax reform 💸

  • Workforce development 👷

Once again, ECA Legislative Action Day will be held in conjunction with two great industry events:

In addition, as part of our efforts to support the advocacy engagement of our industry’s future leaders, ECA is partnering with The George Washington University School of Business to welcome graduate students from Dr. Stuart Levy’s “The Art and Practice of Business-Government Relations: Advocacy in the Events Industry” course to Legislative Action Day.

What’s next: Interested industry leaders and advocates can register for free starting next week by visiting ECALegislativeActionDay.com.

2. Ad tax bills introduced in 6 states

With budgets tightening, six states have introduced legislation to start taxing digital advertising:

  • New York

  • Massachusetts

  • Hawaii

  • Tennessee

  • Rhode Island

  • Montana

Why it matters: Digital advertising taxes would be passed onto organizers who market their business and professional events online, thus raising costs. A similar Maryland law has been struck down as unconstitutional, but remains under appeal.

Fighting unfair state taxes is one of ECA’s top priorities for 2025, so we will be working with our Ad Tax Coalition partners on the ground in these states to defeat these harmful proposals.

3. ECA Advocacy Network corner

ECA is relaunching its Social Influencer Program next month, and we would love for you to get involved!

Why it matters: The Social Influencer Program lets you become a year-round advocate for the industry.

  • How? By sharing and engaging with ECA’s advocacy-related posts on social media to educate your network, the general public, and policymakers on the issues that impact our industry.

  • Advocating for our industry online not only helps educate policymakers, but it also ensures that industry stakeholders and the general public understand the issues that we face and how the work of ECA drives the industry and country forward.

To sign up and join the Social Influencer Program, please click here.

4. In case you missed it

ECA founding board member Yancy Weinrich highlighted her advocacy leadership on the latest episode of The Dan Assor Show.

  • Trade Show News Network published the latest column from ECA’s Tommy Goodwin on the “Super Bowl of Tax” and ECA’s 2025 tax reform priorities.