The Future of the Events Industry Workforce Under the Trump Administration

How could the Trump administration impact the workforce supporting the events industry? Tommy Goodwin, vice president of Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, shares insights.

Author: Casey Gale       

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Many of Donald Trump’s plans for his second term as president are still taking shape, but the business events industry can get a sense of what to expect from his first term and immediate executive orders, as well as promises made during his 2024 campaign. In December, Convene asked Tommy Goodwin, vice president of Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) to break down Trump’s anticipated impact on events and ECA’s top priorities over the next four years of his term.

Tommy Goodwin headshot

Tommy Goodwin

According to Goodwin, there are several key areas he and ECA will be keeping an eye on as the second Trump presidency unfolds. Here is what Goodwin shared regarding staffing:

The Trump administration’s impact on the workforce supporting the events industry is an area of opportunity for Goodwin, in light of “every shortage that you find in the industry right now, from the planners all the way down to people doing rigging and electrical work on the show floor,” he said. In its 2025 public policy agenda, ECA is focusing on supporting government policies to help attract and train the industry’s future workers, including expanding 529 plans (tax-advantaged savings plans for education expenses) to cover certifications like Digital Event Strategist (DES) training and expanding coverage for Pell Grants.


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“Usually, you have to go and do a semester program at a college to get a Pell Grant. We’ve been pushing for a while, and I think it’ll probably get a bump this year, that [recipients] could do high-quality, short-term skills training with” Pell Grants to help fill much-needed positions within the industry, Goodwin said. “Basically, somebody could [take] a forklift driving class for eight weeks, get a license to be able to do it, go get hired at a convention center, and start making $30 an hour on day one,” he said. “Really just trying to fill the skill gaps we have, which is driving costs up throughout the industry.”

Casey Gale is managing editor of Convene.

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