The exhibition industry's inaugural Exhibitions Day was a success, according to the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), which helped organized the event along with six other industry groups, including the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), the Exhibit Designers + Producers Association (EDPA), the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA), the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and the U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel).
Announced in April, the two-day event was the exhibition industry's first industry-wide legislative fly-in. It was attended by more than 100 industry professionals, who spent two days meeting with government officials on June 16 and 17. During their various meetings, industry reps discussed a number of issues, including:
• How to bring more international buyers to U.S. trade shows;
• How to communicate the exhibition industry as a career option to young people;
• The importance of attendance by government employees at events; and
• Why lawmakers should support pro-travel legislation, including the Jobs Originated through Travel (JOLT) Act and the Travel Promotion Act.
"We are thrilled with the initial success of the first Exhibitions Day," IAEE President and CEO David DuBois said in a statement. "The excitement among the state delegations was contagious as we visited with the elected officials, and I received many reports throughout the day that this first, collective effort among the industry organizations had a lasting and positive impact on the elected officials and their aides."
Exhibitions Day was part of IAEE's "Exhibitions Mean Business" campaign, a national public relations effort established in 2011 to promote the long-term benefits of face-to-face connections to business growth and development. Following from its time on Capitol Hill, IAEE has changed the campaign's name to "Exhibitions and Events Mean Business" and adopted it as the organization's official tagline.