WASHINGTON, DC – The Exhibition and Conference Alliance (ECA))a coalition of event industry associations, hosted its first Small Business Advocacy Week from February 7-10. During this virtual advocacy effort, trade show industry members met with their senators and House members to advocate for the inclusion of the MUSIC Act (S.3325) and its House counterpart legislation in any broader financial relief package for hard-hit small businesses.
In 2019, face-to-face business events, which include conventions, trade shows, exhibitions and business meetings, supported 6.6 million jobs and contributed more than $396 billion to U.S. GDP, much of which was lost in 2020 when the industry was shut down.
THE Exhibition Industry Research Center It was recently reported that total trade event activity in 2021 was still 57.5% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This decline has been particularly hard on small businesses, which are the driving force behind conventions and trade shows nationwide.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the in-person professional events industry. Including the MUSIC Act as part of any COVID relief package for small businesses is critical to ensuring a strong convention and trade show industry post-pandemic nationwide,” said Tommy Goodwin, ECA Vice President of Government Affairs.
The MUSIC Act would expand access to the Shuttered Venues Operator Grant (SVOG) program to small businesses with fewer than 250 employees that were left behind by the original SVOG program, including those in the convention and trade show industry. The legislation, which has broad bipartisan support in the Senate, would provide much-needed short-term funding to help small businesses keep their doors open and accelerate rehiring.
“This will be a final push for additional relief, which we think will likely be tied to the U.S. federal budget vote,” said Chris Griffin, business leader at CREW XP, vice chair of the EDPA – Experiential Designers & Producers Association Executive Committee and chair of the Industry Advocacy Committee and member of the Future Workforce Committee. “What a lesson in how Capitol Hill works. In March 2020, the U.S. government told us we were non-essential, and they shut us down. They basically put us in a medically induced coma. Just like a patient coming out of a coma, we’re going to need rehabilitation support. You don’t leave a patient in that state and walk away. We are an industry that deserves to be saved and that will help restart the economy. Think about it. Every trade show is its own small business incubator. As an industry, we are helping global trade.”
What makes this effort particularly relevant is its focus on small businesses. “Supporting small businesses in the trade show and exhibition industry is important to me. About 80 percent of RX exhibitors are small businesses, as are many of our suppliers. We need to do everything we can to help the small businesses in our industry so they can come back strong,” said Steven Manzo, vice president of global government affairs for RELX Group, RX’s parent company. “Collaboration is key. Our industry has a much stronger voice in Washington if we work together.”
Industry experts agree that this effort must be ongoing. “If you’re not at the table, you’re at the table,” the old adage goes in Washington, and for too long, this industry hasn’t had a seat at the table,” said Tim Heffernan, CDO, Eventgineer, T3 Expo. “When the pandemic began to hit our industry in February 2020, we quickly began to bring together people from the industry and some of my past lives to get that seat. We did great work early on, helping to create the PPP program and then as a member of IFA Headquarters on the White House Task Force to Reopen the Country. However, as what was supposed to be a two-week event turned into months and now years, making our industry’s voice heard consistently can’t be accomplished with one annual flight.”
Robyn Davis, trade show strategist at Exhibitors WINH, said advocacy isn’t a one-time effort. “To me, advocacy isn’t a box to check. It’s an opportunity to build relationships that can ensure our best interests aren’t overlooked when making important decisions. With at least one trade show for every industry, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that our work truly impacts everyone, everywhere, to some degree, and I feel it’s our responsibility to do what we can for ourselves and everyone else.”
Davis participated in this inaugural Small Business Advocacy Week. “I love our industry and have a soft spot for small businesses, especially after growing up in a family of small business owners and working for myself for over a dozen years now, so this event was a perfect fit for me,” she said. “Having a special advocacy week focused on small businesses in our industry means a lot. I appreciate the ECA, its partners, and all the industry professionals who are helping to shine a light on what’s happening. I hope our collective efforts resonate enough to lead to more support and understanding, not only for now, but for the future.”
Rob Cohen, vice president of Display Supply & Lighting, agrees that advocacy must be a constant effort. “We have learned, and unfortunately not until we have gone through some difficult times, that advocacy must be a game we play 365 days a year. Building relationships with our elected officials at all levels of government must be an ongoing effort for our industry. This effort is most effective when our constituents are willing to tell their stories and engage as a community,” said Cohen, who has participated in numerous congressional calls and strategy sessions. “It has been very rewarding to see so many industry voices come together in this effort. As a member of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) advocacy team, we are grateful to partner with the ECA and to work with Tommy Goodwin with the shared goal of advocating for much-needed relief for our entire industry.” Our collective voices and coordinated efforts are being heard and we hope we can help get this legislation across the finish line – together!”
ESCA’s campaign highlights the many ways our industry is involved
Contact Tommy Goodwin at (703) 672-0780 or [email protected]; Tim Heffernan at (516) 810-0453; Steven Manzo at Robyn Davis at (614) 657-7412 or [email protected]; Rob Cohen at (508) 861-3119 or [email protected]; Chris Griffin at (407) 852-1910 or [email protected]