Here is a riddle for you? What is the biggest industry you’ve never heard of where it is now illegal to work? If you said the events industry, you would be correct. Since prohibition there hasn’t been an area of the economy where it’s illegal to work – until now. With hundreds of tradeshows and events shut down, we have been at a standstill in our industry since March and the impact and ripple effect has been devastating.
From all the missed connections, fewer product launches, less innovation, little business growth, companies has been forced to figure out how to move forward without live events.
Over 1.7 million companies rely on exhibiting at business events to drive revenues. And, do you know the impact that the events industry has on our GDP? From agriculture to healthcare to technology, every major sector relies on conferences and exhibitions as a platform to accelerate commerce and innovation. Events are critical to fueling growth and to restarting the U.S. economy.
While championing short-term needed relief via more PPP that we wrote about in our last blog, we are also a member the Go LIVE Together coalition. The group represents a coalition of leaders and businesses that comprise a diverse, valuable, and vibrant live events ecosystem. And the impact on our economy by the events industry is impressive. The live events industry contributes over $1 trillion to the U.S. economy, driving and supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, ingenuity, and job creation. It employs millions of people too from union workers, entertainers, and independent contractors. It generates $1.1 trillion in U.S. gross production, 6.6 million jobs and contributes $130 billion to federal, state, and local taxes yearly.
Hundreds of companies and partners in our industry are working to gather the facts to help inform government officials and create an understanding about the true impact that events have on economies and job creation. Attendees spend money traveling to the location, filling hotel rooms, utilizing local transportation options (taxis, ride sharing, car services, public transportation), and filling local establishments like restaurants and bars.
So spread the word! Events create opportunities, accelerate innovation, and connect people to one another. Everybody goes to work when events happen. Learn more and join us as we try and #GoLIVEtogether! http://ow.ly/3ZOO50zjcPH