Welcome to the latest edition of Snöcap.
This week’s spotlight is on the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, which marked a record-setting Legislative Action Day with 226 business and event leaders converging on Capitol Hill to press Congress on trade and tariffs, workforce development, and terrorism risk insurance. Among them was Snöball CEO Rachel Stephan, representing the events industry alongside some of the sector’s most prominent names. Scroll down for the full story.
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Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance Marks Record Participation at Legislative Action Day
The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance brought its largest-ever contingent to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, with 226 industry leaders and advocates meeting members of Congress to advance a three-point policy agenda covering trade and tariffs, workforce development, and terrorism risk insurance.
Participants arrived from across the country and internationally to push for conditions they say will allow the business and professional events sector to sustain job creation, support small businesses, and maintain the United States’ standing as a destination for global conferences and trade shows.
“ECA Legislative Action Day is a powerful reminder of what makes our industry so special,” said Fernando Fischer, President, Americas for RX and Chair of the ECA Board of Directors. “Business and professional events bring people together, strengthen small businesses, support jobs, and help communities grow. By showing up on Capitol Hill in record numbers, we ensured that our elected officials understand both the impact of our events and the policy choices that will help shape them going forward.”
The day’s agenda drew from ECA’s 2026 public policy priorities, with three issues at the center: trade and tariff policy, future workforce development, and the reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). Industry representatives framed all three as essential to the sector’s role as an engine of economic growth for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local communities.
“In just a few years, ECA Legislative Action Day has become the advocacy event for our industry,” said Mark Bogdansky, Vice President, Trade Shows and Community Engagement for the Auto Care Association and Vice Chair of the ECA Board of Directors. “With a who’s who of industry leaders on Capitol Hill today, we sent a clear message: the business and professional events industry is engaged, organized, and ready to work constructively with policymakers to support economic growth, job creation, and American competitiveness.”
The event also demonstrated that advocacy within the industry extends beyond Washington.
“Today proved that everyone in our industry can take action,” said Chris Griffin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crew XP and Treasurer of the ECA Board of Directors. “Whether meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, contacting Congress from home, or hosting elected officials on the show floor, the more we all get involved, the greater impact we can have.”
Among the industry leaders at this year’s Legislative Action Day was our very own Rachel Stephan, CEO of Snöball.
Rachel was there alongside a strong showing from across the events community, including Beth Cowperthwaite, Fernando Fischer, Gregg Vautrin, Jordan Tuchband, Liz Irving, Mike Carlucci, Amanda Gochee, and Kate Hawley, CEM, alongside Marie Browne.
ECA also acknowledged the sponsors and partners who supported the event: Freeman, Clarion Events, RX, Emerald, Informa, SG Strategy, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, CNTV, Lippman Connects, CustomReg, Encore, Hargrove by Encore, Candr Talent, Nteractive, Map Your Show, The Expo Group, CORT Events, Connections Housing, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, MGM Resorts, and Expo Convention Contractors.
IAAPA Expo Europe Returns to London After Four Years
IAAPA Expo Europe is returning to London for the first time since 2022, with registration now open for the Sept. 21-25 event at ExCeL London. The 2026 edition marks the show’s largest footprint to date, reflecting 50% growth since the event last took place in the city.
This year’s expo will feature:
- A show floor of 21,000 square meters
- More than 800 exhibitors
- 175-plus industry speakers
- Over 60 education sessions
“Returning to London after four years is both exciting and humbling. The UK is home to IAAPA’s largest European membership base and continues to be a market with influence on indoor entertainment trends within neighboring regions. This return reflects both the strength of the UK market and the continued growth of our event. We’re proud to come back with our largest Expo to date, creating even more opportunities for connection, collaboration, and inspiration,” said Peter van der Schans, Executive Director and Vice President, IAAPA EMEA.
The education program will address sustainability, leadership, safety, and young professional development. Special events include a Leadership Breakfast featuring Robert Dahl, CEO of Karls Erlebnis-Dorf, and Wouter Dekkers, CEO of Momentum Leisure, along with EDUTours to Chessington World of Adventures Resort and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.
NCBMP, AAMA Join Forces to Advance Tourism Investment and Economic Development
The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals and the African American Mayors Association have formalized a national strategic partnership aimed at helping cities compete for conventions, tourism investment, and workforce opportunities tied to the visitor economy. The agreement was executed through a Memorandum of Understanding.
“This partnership represents a new model for how cities, industry leaders, and association professionals can work together to drive measurable economic growth, expand workforce pipelines, and create broader access to opportunity. The meetings, conventions, tourism, and hospitality industries are among the most powerful economic engines in the country, generating billions in economic activity and supporting millions of jobs nationwide. Through this collaboration with AAMA, we are ensuring more communities, professionals, and businesses are positioned to participate in and benefit from that growth. This partnership is rooted in access, opportunity, and economic competitiveness,” said Jason Dunn, Chief Executive Officer, NCBMP.
“America’s cities are competing aggressively for investment, conventions, tourism dollars, talent, and economic opportunity,” said Phyllis Dickerson, Chief Executive Officer of AAMA. “This partnership reflects a practical, results-oriented approach to ensuring our communities are positioned to compete and thrive in the future economy. By connecting municipal leadership with industry expertise and strategic partnerships, we are creating pathways for job creation, economic mobility, entrepreneurship, and long-term community resilience.”
Under the MOU, NCBMP and AAMA will jointly develop and implement:
- National policy forums and executive convenings focused on tourism growth, convention attraction, and destination investment
- Economic impact research, benchmarking, and accountability reporting
- Public-private partnership models connecting municipalities, destination organizations, and industry stakeholders
- Workforce initiatives designed to expand participation across the visitor economy
The organizations said outcomes will be measured across hotel room night generation, local spending impact, workforce participation, convention attraction, vendor engagement, and small business inclusion.
The partnership is positioned as one of the first coordinated national efforts to connect municipal leadership directly with Black meeting professionals, destination organizations, and hospitality industry stakeholders at scale.
Rosa Greul takes helm at NürnbergMesse Austria
NürnbergMesse Austria is set for a leadership transition, with Rosa Greul stepping into the role of branch manager on Aug. 1, 2026. She succeeds Inge Tremmel, who has led the Vienna-based operation since its founding, a tenure spanning a decade.
During her time at the helm, Inge built the branch from the ground up, establishing its first Vienna office, assembling a team, and positioning NürnbergMesse Austria as a partner for Austrian companies and trade visitors at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg and at events worldwide. Her work included organizing national pavilions in partnership with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce at trade fairs such as BIOFACH, it-sa, and VietnamWood.
“Inge Tremmel built NürnbergMesse Austria from the ground up and, thanks to her considerable expertise, established the Nuremberg exhibition venue and our international locations as key destinations for Austrian exhibitors and trade visitors. We want to express our gratitude for her many years of dedicated and successful service. At the same time, we extend a warm welcome to Rosa Greul, an experienced exhibition manager with an excellent network within the company,” said Peter Ottmann, CEO of NürnbergMesse Group.
Rosa joined NürnbergMesse in 2018 as Senior Sales & Project Manager. In the years since, she has contributed to operations on multiple fronts, overseeing the Austrian Pavilion at Enforce Tac 2025 and 2026, and driving customer communication and retention through marketing and social media initiatives. Her work has spanned clients ranging from startups to multinational corporations.
“We are confident that as new branch manager, Rosa Greul will seamlessly build on the successful track record of ‘NMA’, and we wish her every success in her new role!” said Dr. Martin Kassubek, Senior Vice President Business Development at NürnbergMesse Group and member of the Executive Board.
Who is hiring?
ACA Global | Director of Events | Marketing/Events Coordinator
IGM Financial Inc | Senior Event Specialist
Ritz Carlton | Director of Meetings and Special Event Planning
Stova | Director of Marketing
Blackthorn | Field Marketing Manager
Okta | Strategic Event Marketing Manager
Parloa | Corporate Events Manager
MuckRack | Event Manager (Contract)
