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...670 words
🥶 Welcome to a very chilly edition of the ECA Public Policy Update!
Congratulations to EDPA on another record-setting EDPA ACCESS conference. Thanks to Dasher Lowe, Chris Griffin, and the EDPA team for inviting ECA to share the latest news from Washington, D.C., and why it matters to experiential designers and producers.
Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up today to get the ECA Public Policy Update sent directly to your inbox every two weeks.
1 big thing: Groups call for “visa integrity fee” implementation delay
ECA recently joined IAEE, PCMA, SISO, and 17 others in calling for the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security to indefinitely delay implementation of the new $250 “visa integrity fee.”
Why it matters: The U.S. Travel Association estimates that this new fee will result in 990,000 fewer international visits each year and $2.9 billion in lost annual visitor spending.
While the $250 fee took legal effect on October 1, it has been delayed due to ongoing agency coordination issues.
What they’re saying: The letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of State Kristi Noem suggests further delaying implementation and working “with Congress to enact legislation limiting its application to countries and applicants who have a high likelihood of visa overstays.”
“This measured approach would preserve the security objectives of the policy while avoiding disruption to international visitation.”
Thanks to the U.S. Travel Association for leading the charge on this letter!
Read more about the visa integrity fee and its potential impact on business and professional events from TSNN and Associations Now.
2. Copyright Office weighs in on PROs
The U.S. Copyright Office recently issued a report on the proliferation of new music performing rights organizations (PROs) and the resulting burdens on licensees, including event organizers, venues, and exhibitors.
The report affirms one of our industry’s biggest concerns over the years:
The growing number of PROs and their lack of transparency and reliable ownership data are driving up costs and increasing legal risk for industry stakeholders.
Go deeper: Earlier this year, ECA, IAEE, SISO and 30+ business and professional event leaders wrote a letter to the Copyright Office outlining today’s broken music licensing system and its impact on the industry.
These comments were referenced 5 times in the Copyright Office’s report back to Congress.
What’s next: ECA will continue to support the MIC Coalition’s advocacy efforts to make it easier for all of us to legally play music at events.
Earlier this fall, GMR and SESAC, the 3rd- and 4th-largest PROs, agreed to join ASCAP and BMI in an expanded Songview database that promises more transparency going forward.
Thank you to Elizabeth Frazee and Greg Barnes for their ongoing leadership on this important issue!
3. ECA going to the “show for shows”
Next week, ECA will be down in Houston, TX, for IAEE’s Expo! Expo!.
If you will be attending #OneEpicEvent, please join the Executive Program Experience on Wednesday, December 10, at 9:15 AM CT.
As part of that session, ECA’s Tommy Goodwin will present “Exhibitions and Events in a Politics-First World,” a quick 15-minute preview of what to expect from Washington, D.C., in 2026.
In addition, several wonderful friends of ECA will be recognized as part of the IAEE Awards Program:
Pinnacle Award: Dennis Smith
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob Priest-Heck
Chapter Merit Award: Kristin Martinez
Distinguished Service Award: Robyn Davis
Congratulations to all the deserving IAEE award winners!
4. In case you missed it
The new episode of the Trade Show Talk podcast features an interview with the Consumer Technology Association’s Kinsey Fabrizio and a Washington, D.C., update from ECA.
ECA is a coalition of leading industry associations comprising the unified advocacy voice of the business and professional events industry.