Experts & Opinions: One Big, Beautiful Opportunity for Our Future WorkforceExperts & Opinions: One Big, Beautiful Opportunity for Our Future Workforce
Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance EVP Tommy Goodwin celebrates the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for addressing the industry's workforce challenges through expanded Pell Grant eligibility for short-term training programs and 529 savings plan coverage for industry certifications.
July 8, 2025
In 2020, 2.8 million workers in the trade show industry were furloughed or laid off during the pandemic. Only 2.5 million of them came back. Since then, the industry has been working tirelessly to attract and train our next generation workforce, but we knew that we could not do it alone.
That’s why the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) has been calling for the U.S. federal government to help us expand the pool of Americans with the skills and training necessary to have great careers in our industry and grow our nation’s economy going forward. With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Donald J. Trump and Congress answered that call.
“Our industry’s collective future depends on having a highly skilled workforce to deliver the world-class business and professional events that our customers expect,” said Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM, president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). “The workforce policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will help equip our future workforce with the necessary training and credentials they need to have great careers in our industry.”
How? The new law contains two forward-looking policies that will help grow the industry’s workforce.
Pell Grant expansion: For the first time, lower-income students will be able to use Pell Grants to afford high-quality, shorter-term job training programs. Coupled with a $10.5 billion increase in program funding, this will help close our nation’s skills gap and ensure that workers have the job training that they need for careers in high-demand fields like trade shows.
529 program expansion: In addition, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act expands eligible expenses under Section 529 savings plans to include certifications like those offered by IAEE, PCMA, and the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). This will transform 529 plans from college savings plans into career savings plans and help workers get the credentials to help secure good-paying jobs like those that our industry offers.
“Expanding access to good skills-based training and development opportunities will help our industry’s employers find new skilled professionals that can be developed into high-value employees and enjoy a rewarding career,” said Chris Griffin, president of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA). “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will accelerate our collective ability to do just that.”
These two new future workforce policies are the latest example of the impact of our industry’s sustained advocacy efforts through ECA.
“The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a defining moment for the industry,” said Hervé Sedky, president and CEO of Emerald and Chair of the ECA Board of Directors. “It protects vital tax policies and invests in our future workforce by expanding Pell Grants and modernizing 529 savings plans. This bill reflects ECA’s mission to advance our industry through advocacy and smart policy.”
In short, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is one big, beautiful win for the trade show industry and our future workforce.
