Tommy Goodwin was named president and CEO of the Exhibitions
& Conference Alliance (ECA) on the same day that the organisation launched
ECA 2.0 – an initiative designed to expand the group’s advocacy efforts in
Washington D.C. and increase industry engagement.
Launched at the Society of Independent Show Oganisers’ SISO CEO Summit in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, this week, the alliance said ECA 2.0 marked the next phase of growth
and would introduce new opportunities for
industry leaders to support its public policy priorities.
The organisation said the business and professional events
industry drives more than $400bn in economic activity annually and employs
roughly 2.6 million Americans, and said a stronger, unified public policy voice
remained critical.
ECA credited several policy wins since its 2021 founding,
citing progress on international travel, workforce development, scam prevention
and tax policy. The ECA said the development of ECA 2.0 was supported by SG
Strategy, including Christoph Schedl and Jakob Kjeldsmark, who worked with the
ECA board and member associations.
Fernando Fischer, chair of the ECA board and president,
Americas for RX, said ECA had made “significant progress in a relatively short
period of time,” and described ECA 2.0 as an effort to build on that foundation
“with purpose and ambition.”
Goodwin, who joined ECA at its founding in 2021 and had been
executive vice president, was elevated to lead the alliance through the next
phase.
Hervé Sedky, secretary of the ECA board and CEO of Emerald,
praised Goodwin’s role in building the organization and delivering policy
outcomes, saying, “From day one, Tommy has helped build ECA from the ground up
and consistently delivered policy wins that matter to the industry.”
Sedky
added that the board was confident Goodwin was the right leader for the
organization’s next chapter.
ECA said the initiative would be rolled out through 2026 and
beyond, with an emphasis on strengthening ties between industry stakeholders
and the policy work conducted inside the Beltway.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
