CHICAGO – THE Alliance of exhibitions and conferences (ECA) has announced its 2023 public policy agenda, identifying four key areas to focus on in the year ahead.
In 2023, ECA will focus on welcoming international visitors to the United States to attend and exhibit at trade shows, support industry efforts to address sustainability, help ensure a favorable operating environment, and promote government involvement in developing the future workforce.
To achieve priorities in key focus areas, the ECA Board has identified key issues for 2023: preventing growth-killing state taxation of the trade show industry; restoring communicable disease coverage in event cancellation insurance; restoring visa operations to pre-pandemic levels while making the process more modern and efficient; encouraging government decarbonization efforts that balance industry sustainability and feasibility; and supporting government policies and programs that develop and retain the next generation in the workforce.
““The trade show industry’s ongoing recovery is all the more impressive when you consider the headwinds facing the industry, from supply chain challenges and historic inflation to evolving COVID-related policies and the lack of communicable disease coverage in event cancellation insurance,” said Tommy Goodwin, ECA’s vice president of government affairs. “In 2023, ECA will advocate for policies that attempt to facilitate our ongoing rebound, including ensuring states do not enact taxes that harm the recovery for the industry and its stakeholders, supporting efforts to establish a public-private partnership that restores communicable disease coverage in event cancellation insurance, ensuring a welcoming environment for our events in cities and states across the country, and more.”
Action in progress
Currently, the ECA, as well as SISO And Tourism in Louisvilleexpress their opposition to the new 6% tax on meeting and convention rental space in Kentucky, which began January 1, 2023, which aligns with the ECA 2023 public policy agenda to prevent state-level taxes on the trade show industry.
“At this time, the industry is looking to the Kentucky Department of Revenue to provide clarity on several issues related to the new tax,” Goodwin said. “In addition, ECA strongly encourages the Kentucky Legislature to address the industry’s concerns during its 2023 legislative session.”
“We are working closely with our new and existing clients to document and share information regarding the change with policymakers,” said Ian Cox, a spokesman for Kentucky Venues. “Our operations will be compliant. Kentucky remains a profitable place to do business and we continue to discuss with each client their specific needs and expectations to help grow their event.”
Related: Industry Mobilizes to Improve Visa Wait Times
The issue of visa wait times, which was a central focus of debate during the June 2022 Legislative Action Week, remains an issue in 2023 and has been identified as a major concern for the new year.
The ECA endorses five visa recommendations made by more than 50 bipartisan members of Congress, including prioritizing resources to key markets, reducing wait times to 10-15 days in key countries for incoming U.S. travelers, developing a videoconference interview pilot for low-risk applicants, allowing some U.S. visa holders to renew without first leaving the country, and introducing group appointments for applicants wishing to come to the United States for major exhibitions and events.
“ECA will continue to actively work alongside industry leaders and advocates on issues that matter to the industry in 2023, including preventing anti-growth taxation of our industry at the state level and restoring visa operations to pre-pandemic levels,” Goodwin said. “This will include the return of in-person ECA Legislative Action Day 2023.”
Contact Tommy Goodwin at [email protected]; Ian Cox at (502) 367-5186 or [email protected]