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.
Legislative Action Day
ECA Advocacy Update
By Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance ● Nov 21, 2025
Smart Brevity® count: 2.5 mins...635 words
🦃 Welcome to this pre-Thanksgiving edition of the ECA Public Policy Update newsletter!
The ECA Tariff Resource Center has all the latest trade and tariff developments that you need to know, including ECA’s comments on the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, news about the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations, and details on new trade deals with Southeast Asian countries.
ECA will be joining EDPA at ACCESS 2025 on Thursday, December 4, as part of the annual Business Ownership Forum to talk about what’s happening in Washington, D.C., and how it affects experiential designers and producers. EDPA members: ECA looks forward to seeing many of you in Florida soon!
1 big thing: Government is open again
Last week, the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history ended after a 43-day stalemate.
Why it matters: The shutdown had a significant impact on U.S. air travel, with more than 5 million travelers impacted by flight cancellations and delays, as well as reduced flight schedules. It also paused Department of Commerce event support programs.
Normal operations have resumed in advance of the Thanksgiving travel rush that begins this weekend.
By the numbers: Congress agreed to pass 3 appropriations bills (out of 12) and fund the U.S. federal government through January 30, 2026.
Yes, but: If Congress has not completed its FY26 appropriations work by January 30 and does not pass a continuing resolution before then, another partial government shutdown is possible.
2. Next-gen workforce wins recap
This past summer, ECA’s top future workforce development priorities were signed into law!
Pell Grant expansion that will allow students to use Pell Grants for high-quality, short-term training programs for the first time.
529 plan transformation from college savings plans to career savings plans by covering expenses associated with obtaining certifications like those offered by IAEE, IAVM, and PCMA.
What’s next: ECA continues to monitor implementation of these tools for helping the industry attract and train its future workforce.
In addition, ECA is preparing a 529 expansion FAQ and implementation guide for interested associations. Stay tuned!
Go deeper: Recently, Exhibit City News and CEO Update dug into these wins and why they matter. Click the links to read all about it.
3. Help ECA fight event scammers
Last year, ECA joined hundreds of organizations in successfully advocating for a new FTC rule targeting impersonation fraud. But the fight against scammers who prey on the industry and its customers continues.
The bottom line: ECA would like to learn more about the impact of “show dailies” that misrepresent themselves as official event publications.
Event organizers: Has your show been targeted by this form of impersonation fraud? Please contact ECA’s Tommy Goodwin today to share your organization’s experience. Thank you!
Don’t forget: You can always report hotel reservation scams and email list sale scams directly to the FTC by clicking here.
4. Global Policy Forum announced
On May 29, 2026, the inaugural business and professional events Global Policy Forum event will take place in Washington, D.C.
The big picture: This new invite-only event—a collaboration between MAD Event Management, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and ECA—will focus on the key public policy issues shaping events taking place around the world, including:
Sustainability 🌱
Talent 👷♂
International travel and commerce 🌎
Our thought bubble: “Many policy issues critical to the future of the industry are global in nature, and they will require global solutions,” said ECA’s Tommy Goodwin. “The Global Policy Forum will bring industry and government leaders together in Washington, D.C., to share best practices and identify future policymaking opportunities.”
Thanks to Trade Show News Network, Exhibition News, and Trade Show Executive for covering the launch of this new event.
ECA is a coalition of leading industry associations comprising the unified advocacy voice of the business and professional events industry.