The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry, recently announced the launch of ECA 2.0.
by 
The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry, recently announced the launch of ECA 2.0. Through this initiative, the alliance will advance its advocacy impact, expand engagement across the industry and build a more sustainable platform for long-term value creation.
Since its launch in 2021, ECA has helped secure several important public policy wins for the industry, including advances in international travel, workforce development, scam prevention, tax policy and more.
Building on ECA’s success over the past five years, ECA 2.0 represents the organization’s next phase of growth. Throughout 2026 and beyond, the ECA will double down on its advocacy work in Washington, D.C., while introducing new opportunities for industry leaders and advocates to engage in support of the ECA’s public policy priorities. At the same time, ECA will launch new programs, services and tools that more closely connect stakeholders across the industry to the action inside the Beltway, to the policy issues that matter most and to one another.
This next phase highlights the ongoing critical need for a strong, unified public policy voice for an industry that drives more than $400 billion in economic activity annually and employs 2.6 million Americans.
“The ECA has made significant progress in a relatively short period of time, and ECA 2.0 is about building on that foundation with purpose and ambition,” says Fernando Fischer, chair of the ECA board of directors and president of the Americas for RX. “As our industry continues to navigate a complex policy environment, this effort will help ensure that the ECA remains responsive, strengthens its connection to the industry and expands its engagement with policymakers at all levels of government.”
As part of this next chapter, the ECA also announced that Tommy Goodwin has been appointed the alliance’s first president and CEO. Goodwin, who joined the ECA at its founding in 2021, most recently served as executive vice president.
“From day one, Tommy has helped build the ECA from the ground up and consistently delivered policy wins that matter to the industry,” according to Hervé Sedky, secretary of the ECA board of directors and president and CEO of Emerald. “He has effectively brought together event and meeting organizers, exhibitors, venues and suppliers to create a strong advocacy voice in Washington, D.C.”