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.
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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 ● Oct 24, 2025
Smart Brevity® count: 2 mins...563 words
😢 Welcome to another government shutdown edition of the ECA Public Policy Update newsletter.
Thanks to the ESCA Rising Leaders Committee and the PCMA Capital Chapter for hosting ECA presentations earlier this week. If your organization is interested in a Washington, D.C., update session from ECA, please email Tommy Goodwin.
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1 big thing: Gov’t shutdown drags on
The U.S. federal government shutdown continues into its 4th week with no end in sight.
Why it matters: The shutdown continues to impact the business and professional events industry in 2 important ways:
Travel delays: TSA agents and air traffic controllers are still working unpaid, and flight delays and cancellations are mounting. Since October 1, more than a dozen air traffic control facilities have reported understaffing and controller absences, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to slow or reroute traffic to maintain safety.
Event support: The Department of Commerce’s Trade Event Partnership Program and Trade Event Menu of Services Program remain paused, as are other federal government programs used by U.S. exhibitors to grow internationally, such as the Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Program.
Our thought bubble: While political dynamics remain fluid, at this time it appears unlikely the shutdown will end until early-to-mid November.
Go Deeper: For more on how the government shutdown impacts the industry, check out these articles from Trade Show News Network, Trade Show Executive, and Prevue Meetings + Events.
2. Business visa processing continues
Despite the shutdown, U.S. embassies and consulates around the world continue to process business visa applications.
The bottom line: Since visa processing is largely funded by application fees, visa processing will remain operational as long as fee revenue allows.
As of Wednesday, 52 (of 243) U.S. posts have business visa interview wait times longer than 3 months. Long wait times continue in Mexico, India, throughout the Middle East, and elsewhere.
In addition, contrary to widespread media reports, the new $250 visa integrity fee is not yet being collected.
Industry-wide advocacy efforts continue to delay implementation of the fee and limit its scope going forward.
For more details, Trade Show News Network recently wrote about the fee and its potential impacts.
3. ECA to join 64th ICCA Congress
Next month, politics and policy will be on the agenda at the 64th ICCA Congress in Porto, Portugal.
The big picture: What happens in Washington, D.C., and capitals around the world will continue to significantly impact business and professional events taking place in 2026 and beyond.
That’s why ECA’s Tommy Goodwin will facilitate a political risk management workshop for ICCA delegates to help their organizations remain flexible and resilient to political changes.
This interactive workshop will be based on a political risk management article and model published in Boardroom last fall.
4. In case you missed it
IAEE will host an ECA update for their members on Wednesday, November 5: “Exhibitions and Events in a Politics-First World.”
Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit took place last week. ECA provided a Washington, D.C., update and moderated a SISO-organized panel on the strategic adoption of AI featuring Amy Allen, Kinsey Fabrizio, and Liz Irving.
ECA is a coalition of leading industry associations comprising the unified advocacy voice of the business and professional events industry.