

The ESCA Badge is a national Worker Identification & Security Program that allows entry into participating facilities by the workers who have been registered with the Program. Nationwide, 20 venues are part of the Program, and the list is growing each year.
Larry Arnaudet, Executive Director of ESCA: “We are excited to bring The ESCA Badge to the OCCC. This rollout will allow for additional security measures at the convention center and increased consistency and ease of use for the 19,000+ event industry personnel already registered in the ESCA Badge program.
“The OCCC continues to prioritize the safety and security of our employees, customers, and service contractors,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “To uphold this commitment, we have partnered with ESCA to implement its Worker Identification & Security Badge Program, The ESCA Badge, for all vendor and contract staff. We are confident that this partnership will further assist the Center in delivering a safe and secure experience for all of our contractors, suppliers, and vendors.”
ESCA and the OCCC are very excited about this partnership and continuing the core mission of the Program. It is known that the Program has helped fill the void between the event and building security, which helps the facilities participating in the Program for future growth.
1. ECA WELCOMES PCMA TO THE ALLIANCE
This week, ECA was pleased to announce that PCMA has joined ECA as our 10th alliance partner!
Go deeper: Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance Welcomes PCMA as its Newest Alliance Partner.
2. ADVOCACY EFFORTS RAMP UP IN KENTUCKY
In Kentucky, on-the-ground work is accelerating to clarify the state’s new sales tax on meeting space.
ECA thanks Louisville Tourism and the Kentucky Travel Industry Association for their leadership in Frankfort on behalf of the entire face-to-face business events industry!
3. VISITOR VISA APPOINTMENT WAIT TIMES UPDATE
In China, visa appointment wait times for would-be U.S. visitors remain within a reasonable range. Beijing 30 days (no change)
Shanghai |
22 days (-6 days) |
Guangzhou |
22 days (+1 days) |
Shenyang |
2 days (no change) |
Despite this good news, wait times remain unacceptable in many countries including Brazil (average wait: 425 days), Mexico (444 days), India (626 days), and Columbia (872 days).
4. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
As the unified advocacy voice of the face-to-face business events industry, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) works to ensure that policymakers understand and support the important role that our events have on driving economic growth, supporting job creation, empowering small businesses, and helping to solve our most urgent societal challenges. ECA’s 2023 public policy priorities will support the advancement of the industry by working to ensure a favorable operating environment, the full return of international exhibitors and attendees, a strong future workforce, and a more sustainable industry in the future. |
Ensure a favorable operating environment for the industry going forward
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Fully welcome international exhibitors and attendees back to the U.S.
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Support industry efforts to address sustainability and climate change
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Promote government involvement in developing the industry’s future workforce
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1. MIDTERM ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY
On November 8, voters will go to the polls to decide which party will control Congress in 2023.
Go deeper: Brownstein (ECA’s lobbying firm) recently hosted an expert panel discussion on what to expect after the midterms. You can listen to excerpts of that conversation here.
2. BUSINESS EVENTS ON THE AGENDA AT COP27
Next week, the face-to-face business events industry will be front and center at COP27 in Egypt.
In September, a task force released a report identifying key areas of focus for the industry’s transition towards a more sustainable, low carbon economy in the U.S. and Canada.
Sign up: You can register to watch the official roadmap release event online here.
3. MUSIC LICENSING ISSUES TAKE CENTER STAGE IN COURT
Last week, a court case about concert royalties kicked off that will shape the future of music licensing.
ECA strongly opposes this effort and supports the MIC Coalition’s work to increase music licensing transparency around (1) who owns what, (2) where the money goes, and (3) PRO billing practices.
Read more: Check out the latest MIC Coalition blog post on the complex and opaque music licensing system here.
4. ECA VISA ADVOCACY PROFILED BY TSNN
Earlier this week, TSNN highlighted ECA’s advocacy efforts to address the unacceptable delays that international exhibitors and attendees face in obtaining a visa to come to the U.S. for business events.
Bottom line: The restoration of visa interview and processing capacity to pre-pandemic levels remains a top priority for ECA.