The best way, of course, is to spend Exhibitions Day on Capitol Hill June 9 and tell Congressional leaders that Exhibitions Mean Business. Can’t join your industry peers in Washington, DC? 

Here are 4 more actions that can help support the mission of Exhibitions Day, shares Megan Tanel. She’s 2015 chair of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), and vice president exhibitions & events for Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). 

The goal: Educate legislators on the economic impact of the exhibitions and events industry and advocate for specific legislation that increases business, on issues such as streamlining visa approvals and easing U.S. government travel restrictions. 

Go local and connect with your Congressional representatives during the year, as well as local media and business and community groups to tell the industry’s story

Go personal and share the Exhibitions Mean Business message in the context of what it means to your company and community 

Use the campaign’s economic-impact reports, fact sheets and related resources to highlight the value of face-to-face events 

Get involved in the campaign; for example, share your experiences and success stories to help bolster its messaging
Tanel notes some impressive figures for industry scope: 1.8 million jobs generated across the country, nearly $45 billion spent by attendees at U.S. events, $88 billion in tax revenue from meetings to support communities.

While in Washington, Tanel will also participate in U.S. Department of Commerce discussions on manufacturer export-boosting strategies and meet with universities to promote more emphasis on exhibits and events in marketing and business curriculums.  

More than 90 percent of attendees at the inaugural Exhibitions Day in 2014 rated their experience as excellent. IAEE leads this industry-wide effort to give a unified voice to the exhibitions and events industry to promote its value for business growth and economic development.