What the Trump Administration Means for the Meetings and Events Industry

When Michael Hart attended International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Expo! Expo! in December and the Professional Convention Management Association's (PCMA) Convening Leaders conference in January, he noticed something missing from conversations: President Trump. "No one is talking about it," said Hart. Hart, a former editor of Trade Show Week and Expo Magazine who now works as a consultant for trade shows and meetings, added that politics aren't usually big topic of conversation at industry events: "It's not relevant for what they're there for, and my personal experience is, there is a real mix of political beliefs. They're worried about antagonizing clients or saying the wrong thing." Fair enough. However, with President Trump's agenda including a number of issues that could significantly impact the industry, not talking about the elephant in the room has created questions and tension. So far, President Trump has signed four executive orders, including on