DALLAS — This year’s Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) Legislative Action Day—formerly the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Expo Day—on June 1-2 will focus on a single goal: passage of the Hospitality and Retail Jobs Recovery Act of 2021, currently before Congress.
The bipartisan bill, first unveiled in October and reintroduced in February, provides a temporary tax credit for businesses that would cover the cost of attending a convention, business meeting or trade show in the United States between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024. The bill would also temporarily extend the employee retention tax credit, restore the deduction for business entertainment expenses and create an individual tax credit to stimulate non-business travel to the United States through the end of 2023.
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Trade Fair Manager spoke with Tommy Goodwin, ECA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, to learn more about this year’s event and what industry members can do to help with advocacy efforts.
EAST:What is your main goal for 2021? ECA Legislative Action Day?
Goodwin: Our primary goal is to encourage Congress to pass and pass the Hospitality and Retail Jobs Recovery Act to help revive the business events industry. Our industry is a cornerstone of commerce in the United States and the sooner we get business events up and running, the sooner the economy will begin to rebound.
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EAST:What is the key message our industry needs to convey to external audiences?
Goodwin:As an industry, we support more than 6.6 million jobs in the United States and 1.7 million exhibitors nationwide. This bill will put millions of people back to work and help jumpstart America’s economic recovery.
EAST:What is the best way for our readers to support ECA Legislative Action Day?
Goodwin: Register for virtual meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill! Members of Congress and their teams need to know how you and your organization have been impacted by the shutdown of business events.
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EAST:Are you adding any new features to your advocacy/social media toolkit this year?
Goodwin:We will provide key talking points that anyone can use on social media to amplify the message for those hosting virtual meetings in Washington. We will also offer videos on how to be an effective advocate and training for those with meetings scheduled on how and what to say during calls.
Learn more and register here.