Whether you celebrate the U.S. election results or not, the new administration and governance dynamics of the 118th Congress are sure to impact the trade show and business events industry in 2025 and beyond.
As the Exhibition and Conference Alliance (ECA) works to advocate for initiatives that strengthen the growth and resilience of the events sector to ensure it remains a vital part of the economy In the coming years, the organization is closely monitoring the implications of the election, said Tommy Goodwin, vice president of the CEA.
“(President-elect Trump’s) decisive victory, coupled with the Republican takeover of the Senate and House of Representatives, allows the ECA to understand the implications of the election for the industry in 2025,” Goodwin said.
What should event professionals keep on their radar? In an exclusive interview with TSNN, Goodwin shared insight into some of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for ECA in 2025.
Tax reform
With many provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 set to expire on December 31, 2025, tax legislation will be front and center on Capitol Hill next year.
“With Republicans controlling the House, Senate and White House, changes to the tax law will be reviewed quickly under “budget reconciliation” rules, which allows the Senate to bypass the 60-vote filibuster,” he said. he explained. “The new Trump administration and leaders on Capitol Hill would like to address tax reform within the first 100 days.”
ECA tax priorities for 2025 include:
- Corporate tax rates: The ECA opposes any increase in the federal corporate tax rate because rate increases not only impact small businesses in the industry, but they also directly impact the number of exhibitors and participants in trade shows. This negatively impacts stand construction, venue staffing levels, contractor hiring, union work schedules, etc.
- Private equity tax regime:The ECA also opposes changes to the tax treatment of private equity profits and interest deductibility to avoid cutting off a vital source of industrial investment. Case in point: Clarion Events’ recent acquisition of Eaton Hall and PE firm Truelink Capital’s purchase of GES.
- Taxation of associations:Additionally, the ECA opposes any changes to the tax-exempt status of nonprofits or their conferences and trade shows. According to the American Society of Association Executives, associations host more than 272,000 events each year that attract nearly 52 million attendees and generate $42 billion in spending nationally.
- 529 expansion of spending:The ECA supports tax law changes that would allow 529 economists to also pay for postsecondary degrees such as the IAEE Exhibit Management Certified designation and the PCMA Digital Event Strategist certification. This policy change would transform 529 college savings plans into work savings plans and help the industry attract and train its next generation workforce.
International travel
Although progress has been made on visa wait times in 2024, a second Trump administration could inject uncertainty into the industry’s ongoing efforts to bring all international event exhibitors and attendees back to the United States. United, Goodwin warned.
“The ECA hopes that the Trump administration will succeed in reducing visa wait times to acceptable levels at all US embassies and consulates around the world,” he said. “That said, visa wait times skyrocketed early in the pandemic in 2020, and the first Trump administration issued executive orders restricting international travel from certain countries and suspending certain classes of visas.”
Sustainability
As Trump vows to pursue a deregulatory agenda, climate legislation will likely shift from Washington, D.C. to state capitols and other major cities across the country. Goodwin cautioned that the ECA and the industry will need to be particularly mindful of new efforts in Democratic-controlled states where the industry has a large presence, including California, New York and Illinois.
“Adopting different traffic rules in different markets could result in increased complexity and compliance costs for various industry stakeholders, including exhibition organizers, general service contractors and venues,” he said. -he declared.
Future workforce
CEA’s two next-generation workforce policy priorities, expanding 529 plan spending (mentioned above) and repurposing Pell Grant to high-quality job training, are getting a boost. broad bipartisan support and could benefit from the election results, Goodwin said.
“During his first term, President-elect Trump prioritized expanding career opportunities for those without a four-year college degree,” he explained. “If this priority continues in his new administration, the Pell Grant expansion, supported by the CEA, would likely receive strong support from the White House and Capitol Hill.”
The full ECA public policy program for 2025 will be published in early 2025.
Want to know more? Listen to our recent podcast with Goodwin here.
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