Across the country, advocacy efforts that impact the business events industry are heating up.
In Iowa, momentum is growing for legislation that would improve the landscape for event organizers, exhibitors, and venues that license music for their events.
The legislation, HF 2260, has passed the Iowa House of Representatives and has been advanced by the Senate Committee on Commerce.
On Wednesday, the MIC Coalition, which includes ECA, IAEE, IAVM, and SISO, sent a letter to Iowa Senate calling on them to take up and pass the bill. (Thanks to Elizabeth Frazee and Greg Barnes for their great work here!)
In severalstates, ECA is pushing back against efforts to tax digital advertising services, which would unfairly raise the costs of meeting and event marketing.
ECA and its Ad Tax Coalition partners are actively opposing legislation in Nebraska, Maryland, California, and Tennessee, while also keeping an eye on possible bills in New York and the District of Columbia.
State digital ad taxes have been previously stuck down in the courts for violating The Internet Tax Freedom Act and the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, but state legislatures continue to propose them (and ECA continues to fight back accordingly!).
On May 29, the Lippman Connects Exhibitions & Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) will bring together association and independent organizers to exchange insights, trade opportunities, and develop top-to-top relationships.
 
3. Capitol Hill policy updates
The authors of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, legislation that would allow Pell Grants to fund short-term skills training, are working to find a funding mechanism that will allow the bill to pass the House of Representatives under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority.
Work continues on 6 government funding bills, including the State-Foreign Ops bill where ECA is pushing for supplementary funding for the State Department to help deal with ongoing visa processing delays, in advance of a possible government shutdown next Friday, March 22.
ECA celebrated International Women's Day by recognizing the alliance's women board members, alliance partner CEOs, and on-the-ground leaders who are driving the advocacy work of the the business events industry.
ASAE successfully delivered its Legislative Fly-In, where ECA joined 100+ association leaders to advocate for the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act, which would expand qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include certain training and credentialing programs. Congratulations to Mary Kate Cunningham, Jeff Evans, and Burcu Sahmali on a great event!
