In 2013, I had the honor of developing and launching the first Legislation Action Day (LAD) for the exhibitions industry. It is now organized by the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), which is a coalition of leading professional, industry, and labor organizations that represent the unified advocacy voice of the exhibitions and business events industry. Our industry generates more than $138 billion in direct sales and has supported more than 2.2 million jobs in the United States, which is why Exhibitor Group supports and sponsors the ECA.

This year, LAD took place on May 30. About 125 industry professionals went to Washington, DC, and participated in more than 150 meetings with members of Congress. Conversations focused on developing a favorable operating environment, growing seamless international travel and commerce, creating a welcoming environment for the industry, championing sustainability in the industry, committing to decarbonization efforts to ensure our path to Net Zero goals, and addressing our serious need for workforce development.

For more information about this initiative and how you can become an active advocate, either in our nation's capital or in your own community, go to exhibitionsconferencesalliance.org

Exhibitor Group has an exciting program happening this summer. Rather than holding several regional EXHIBITORFastTrak programs this year, we are holding one event in Las Vegas: Exhibitor Education Week, which will take place the week of July 14–19 at the new Fountainebleu Resort. More than 25 hours of educational offerings are available to CTSM enrollees and/or industry professionals who are looking for engaging educational opportunities. For more information, go to exhibitoronline.com/educationweek.

Have a safe and productive summer. The busier show months are ahead and thanks to your support and contributions, our industry continues to thrive.E