Tommy Goodwin is Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), an association dedicated to the advancement of the business events industry. He leads ECA’s advocacy and member engagement work on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, show and event organizers, suppliers, venues and destinations that comprise the global business events landscape.
Since taking office in January, one of President Donald Trump’s key initiatives has focused on making the U.S. federal government more cost efficient. One recent executive order calls for federal agencies to create a system “that centrally records approval for federally funded travel for conferences and other non-essential purposes.”
While the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) certainly supports efforts to safeguard taxpayer dollars by curbing non-essential travel, it’s equally important to recognize the essential role of business and professional events, especially for federal government workers.
In 2023, the federal government committed $759 billion on contracts with outside companies for products and services such as software, healthcare, aircraft, and much more.
Trade shows and conferences play a critical role in the U.S. government acquisition ecosystem. These events, such as Modern Day Marine, showcase cutting-edge innovations and technologies, enabling military and civilian buyers to identify the best of breed private sector solutions for government adoption.
McKinsey recently found that 70% of buyers prefer hybrid and in-person experiences, which provide a better environment for increased trust and deeper engagement. That’s why 72% of government budget owners planned to attend at least one conference or trade show last year.
Of those, 61% were seeking to learn about new technology and 55% were attending to find new vendors, with 62% of those attendees uncovering 1-3 new vendors to consider going forward.
Retirement-age federal employees outnumber younger employees two to one, with 29% of employees age 55 and above. While this creates a looming knowledge transfer challenge, it also creates an opportunity for the government to adopt private sector innovations and best practices.
Business and professional events such as the Consumer Electronics Show and the I/ITSEC Conference offer unparalleled platforms for long-term value creation through private-public knowledge sharing, collaboration, innovation, and relationship building.
To that end, 60% of executives surveyed by Harvard Business Review found that events, particularly in-person gatherings, led to significant knowledge transfer and long-term partnerships.
Beyond supporting the federal government and its workforce, conferences and trade shows are a massive growth engine for the U.S. economy.
In 2025, the U.S. business and professional events sector will employ 2.63 million Americans and drive $426.1 billion in local spending nationwide. In addition, these events drive demand for restaurants, hotels, travel services, and Main Street commerce every day from coast to coast.
Government involvement is critical for our industry, which is 99% small businesses, to continue driving economic growth, supporting job creation, empowering small businesses, and helping to solve our most urgent societal challenges.
Federal support also strengthens the competitiveness of the U.S. as the leading destination for international events, whether those are conferences and trade shows or major global events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.
For these reasons, and many more, business and professional events are essential to not only the federal government, but our country more broadly!
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