It’s safe to say that most of us in the trade show and meetings industry know someone whose job was affected by the pandemic. After all, the events industry was one of the first to shut down when COVID-19 took hold in the U.S., and will be one of the last to fully reopen. The need for immediate action is great; according to recent travel, hospitality and trade show industry reports, 65% of all lost American jobs came from the travel and hospitality industries, with 2020 seeing an almost 80% decline in exhibitions. 

To help get the industry back to business and restore those lost jobs, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance has launched a grassroots campaign to empower event organizers, vendors, venues, destination marketing organizations, exhibiting companies and more to advocate for the survival of the events industry: the 2021 Legislative Action Day. 

Set for June 1-2, the event’s focus will be the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act, which provides comprehensive relief and recovery measures for the convention, trade show, entertainment, travel and hospitality industries and its workers. 

The bill aims to add 1.5 million jobs back to the economy and shorten the timeline for recovery and rehiring (from five to three years). Specifically, Section 2 of the bill helps bring jobs back by providing recovery measures for the convention and trade show industries and their workers through restart credits.

To learn more about what HCJRA means to the business events industry, visit the ECA site to hear from Herve Sedky, CEO of Emerald Events and chair of the ECA, and Tommy Goodwin, vice president of government affairs for ECA.

Whether you’re new to advocacy or a seasoned pro, all industry members are invited to participate in these important meetings. Here’s what you can expect:

•  On June 1, the ECA will host a program designed to give event industry members the tools needed to effectively advocate on behalf of the industry, including who to contact, how to contact and what to say. 
•  On June 2, participants will break into smaller groups for in-depth video conferences with key legislators. Each group will have designated spokespeople and training will be provided. 

 The free program will be hosted online and is open to all. Register here by May 21. 

Once registered, a scheduler from DC Flyins will arrange meetings based on each person’s needs. Those already signed up are encouraged to share with colleagues and encourage their participation, as the goal is to create one strong, unified voice that legislators will hear loud and clear.

Don’t miss this important opportunity to make your voice count and help ensure the future of our beloved industry – register today! 

For more details about the ECA, go here.

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