U.S. Events Industry Takes Advocacy Push to Washington with Expanded 2026 Policy Week

The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry, has announced that its annual ECA Legislative Action Day will return to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

Bringing together industry leaders, advocates and policymakers from across the United States and internationally, the initiative has increasingly positioned itself as one of the sector’s key advocacy moments — reinforcing the growing political and economic relevance of exhibitions and business events.

The 2026 edition will once again see participants gather on Capitol Hill to meet directly with Members of Congress and congressional staff in support of ECA’s public policy priorities.

Last year’s edition attracted 170 industry stakeholders from 30 U.S. states for a full day of advocacy meetings, policy engagement and cross-sector networking.

“ECA Legislative Action Day is more than a day on Capitol Hill — it’s a live demonstration of the power of in-person events and what can be achieved when our industry comes together with a shared purpose,” said Fernando Fischer, Chair of the ECA Board of Directors and President, Americas for RX.

“Exhibitions and conferences fuel economic growth, support millions of jobs, and strengthen small businesses nationwide — and when we bring our industry to Washington, D.C., we’re not just telling that story, we’re showing it. This event gives us a powerful opportunity to bring that story directly to our elected officials and help inform the policies that will shape our future.”

The advocacy programme will once again align with Lippman Connects’ Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), taking place the previous day on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, ECEF has become a long-standing platform for association and independent event executives, offering C-level insights, strategic networking opportunities and technology showcases for senior industry leaders.
 

As part of its continued collaboration with ECA, Lippman Connects will serve as one of the platinum sponsors of the 2026 Legislative Action Day.

Sam Lippman, President of Lippman Connects, said, “Lippman Connects and ECA share the same interest in the continuing prosperity of the event industry. As a platinum sponsor, we will make every effort to encourage the ECEF community of leaders to participate in ECA Legislative Action Day.”

The week’s agenda will begin even earlier with an invitation-only executive roundtable hosted by mdg, A Freeman Company, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Moderated by Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes and Vincent Polito, the closed-door discussion will convene senior event leaders to address some of the most pressing strategic, economic and geopolitical issues currently shaping the future of exhibitions and conferences.

Expanding the international dimension of the week, ECA will also partner with UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and MAD Event Management to launch the inaugural Global Policy Forum on Friday, May 29, 2026.

The invitation-only forum will convene leaders from across the global business events ecosystem alongside senior government officials and diplomatic representatives to exchange best practices and explore future cross-border policy cooperation around the key challenges impacting international events.

Registration for ECA Legislative Action Day 2026 is now open and free of charge for industry leaders and advocates via ECALegislativeActionDay.com.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.