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Event planners share new challenges brought on by the Trump administration’s rapid-fire changes.
“Is anyone else starting to see cancellations in registrations from attendees whose travel has been cut off?” Kim Connolly, assistant director for programs and conferences at the Virginia Military Institute, asked the PCMA Catalyst community on March 6, referring to the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts, firings of federal employees, and more. “It is also affecting some presenters at our upcoming conference.”
Seven Catalyst community members responded in less than 24 hours, sharing their own challenges brought on by the new administration’s rapid-fire changes, as well as concerns among attendees about air traffic safety following several plane crashes and near-misses in recent weeks. Here’s what they had to say:
“We held our conference last week and were affected by it. We also had attendees who were afraid to fly and canceled.”
— Tracy Breithaupt, Events Director, Evergreen Education Group
“We are hearing from long-time faculty that they are not submitting meeting content (sessions and abstracts) because they are adhering to the communications ban for federal employees or are no longer an employee. On the attendee side, the whispers are getting louder by the day, with many members saying their institutions have started travel freezes because their grants or federal funding has been cut. We haven’t opened registration yet but I’m keeping an eye on it and anticipate that our scholarship and speaker support budget will get fully used up.”
— Rhea Beddoe, Director of Community Engagement & Experiences, Society of Family Planning
“Yes, two of our big events have been affected by a similar pattern.”
— Sandra Collier, CEO, Event Dynamics LLC
“I have multiple groups that are holding off in signing their contracts. One is medical research and works off of funding from the NIH. Others are government-related associations and don’t know what to expect. We’re in wait-and-see mode.”
— Marilyn Atchue-zuill, Global Account Director, HPN Global
“In a Facebook group for industry professionals, we began to see this all occur shortly after 1/20/25 when the ‘edicts’ were given. The more confusing part is that in some cases, federal employees were let go and now are being called back. Few know what to do. As noted, those impacted by grants are in similar positions. Many of the cases are before courts and it’s all a nightmare for the U.S. Federal Government employees, contractors, and those who [work for] NGOs that receive grants.”
— Joan Eisenstodt, Principal, Eisenstodt Associates LLC
“I’ve just returned from our smaller annual conference on the West Coast. Unfortunately, several speakers had to drop out at the last minute because their work involves topics related to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Additionally, some attendees, which included individuals that work in the local, state, and federal government, were unable to attend, which forced us to adjust programming that typically provides best practices for helping attendees navigate funding processes in critical communities of need. We had to get creative to fill the gaps left in our programming, especially as we work toward ending homelessness.
“My bigger concern right now is the Bird Flu. It’s hard to know if this is a real threat as we gather in large groups. We will not consider adjusting contracts, if necessary, until after our larger July conference, once we can assess the effects more clearly.”
— Jeania Davis, Director, Meetings & Events, National Alliance to End Homelessness
“Recent policy changes have significantly impacted many nonprofit conferences we work with. One conference from Johns Hopkins University had to revise its expected attendance from 2,500 to just 1,000. Similarly, we work with Encompass LLC, which worked directly with USAID, and recently closed its doors due to a lack of funding to support its employees and contractors. It’s disheartening to see these challenges unfold, especially for organizations dedicated to meaningful causes.”
— Irshad Reyaz, CMO, Dryfta Corporation
To which Joan Eisenstodt responded:
“I strongly concur. In-bound international meetings are facing those who do not want to come to the U.S. because of programs being cut or can’t come because funding is gone. I live in D.C. and am watching to see the impact on the WorldPride events that begin in May and go through June 8. The Kennedy Center is canceled for a major program during this event. The closing two days are on the Smithsonian Mall with an outdoor concert with Cynthia Erivo. They were expecting a million people over the weeks it all occurs. A great concern is that much is on federal land and permits could be pulled given the anti-LGBTQIA policies being enacted. It would hurt many, including Destination DC and the district if this were to be canceled or even more greatly curtailed.”
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.