ECA Advocacy Update

By Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance ● March 14, 2025

Click here to join the nearly 100 people who have already registered to be part of ECA Legislative Action Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 29.

1 big thing: Business and professional events are essential

President Trump recently signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to create a system “that centrally records approval for federally funded travel for conferences and other non-essential purposes.”

Why it matters: While ECA supports efforts to safeguard taxpayer dollars by curbing non-essential travel, it’s equally important to recognize the essential role of business and professional events, especially for federal government workers. These include:

• Connecting government buyers and sellers 🤝

• Knowledge sharing and innovation 💡

• Driving the U.S. economy forward 📈

Did you know? Last year, 72% of government budget owners planned to attend at least one conference or trade show.

• Government involvement is critical for our industry, which is 99% small businesses, to continue driving economic growth, supporting job creation, and empowering U.S. small businesses.

• Federal support also strengthens the competitiveness of the U.S. as the leading destination for international events, from conferences and trade shows to major global events like the 2026 World Cup.

Go deeper: Why Business and Professional Events are Essential [TSNN]

• ECA will continue advocating to the White House and Congress on this important issue. Stay tuned for future updates.

2. International travel ban forthcoming

In the coming days, the Trump administration will introduce new country-specific inbound entry restrictions for all travelers from specific countries, most likely to include:

• Afghanistan

• Cuba

• Iran

• Libya

• North Korea

• Pakistan

• Somalia

• Sudan

• Syria

• Venezuela

• Yemen

What’s next: The new entry policy will likely include three groups of countries where the administration has identified insufficient vetting and screening processes that present a potential national security threat:

• Red group: Countries where all citizens are barred from entry (initially including the countries listed above).

• Orange group: Countries where most citizens are barred from entry, but business visas may still be issued.

• Yellow group: Countries that must urgently correct security issues or risk being placed in the red or orange groups.

ECA will provide an update on this new travel policy once it has officially been implemented.

3. Sign ECA’s music licensing letter

ECA needs your help telling the industry’s music licensing story.

Why it matters: At Congress’s request, the U.S. Copyright Office is collecting information about music performing rights organizations (PROs).

• PROs like ASCAP and BMI have been a pain point for event organizers, exhibitors, and venues for many years. Now is your opportunity to advocate for change!

Get involved: ECA is submitting a letter on behalf of the entire industry to the Copyright Office, and we want your organization to join us.

• Sign your organization up before Thursday, April 10 here.

4. Industry visibility days coming soon