EACA News
CARES Act Signed on March 27. An economic stimulus package was signed into law at the end of March. The Cares Act highlights include:
- $377 billion in loans and loan forgiveness for small travel businesses
- $454 billion in federally backed financial assistance for impacted businesses
- Tax relief to mitigate losses and allow businesses to use cash to pay employees and keep the lights on.
- Grants for impacted tourism businesses and airports.
Navigating the CARES Act Webinar. On April 2 the EACA hosted a webinar on the CARES Act which was presented by Employco USA. This program provided details on what kind of stimulus and relief is in the CARES Act passed by Congress on March 27, 2020 and how you can, hopefully, take advantage of its offerings. The program contained a short presentation of the provisions in the act, including the Payroll Protection Loans it provides.
More than 75 EACA members attended this live event, but if you were unable to attend the Navigating the CARES Act Webinar can be viewed on the EACA web site.
The CARES Act Experience Panel Discussion. On April 10, the EACA hosted a panel discussion on members experience with the CARES Act. Jim Wurm, Executive Director of EACA, conducted an interview with David Holloway, COO of Eagle Management and current EACA President, Chris Griffin, President of TS Crew and President Emeritus of EACA, and Dan McFarland, COO of Nth Degree, and current EACA Director.
Jim also shares results from a pulse survey of EACA members taken after the rollout of the CARES Act. The CARES Act Experience panel discussion can be viewed on the EACA web site.
EACA Member Support
SBA Disaster Relief Fund. We are being told Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program has $300 billion in small business loans as part of the recent stimulus proposal. The SBA will offer businesses access to up to $2M in emergency loan capital with rates capped at 3.75%. Click the link above to learn more about the programs in your state. If you’d like to correspond directly to leaders of the Small Business Administration here are their names and email addresses:
Small Business Administration Administrator: Jovita Carranza [email protected]
Small Business Administration Chief of Staff/COO: Pradeep Belur. [email protected]
Buddies Matter launches in the United States. Buddies Matter, a free peer-to-peer support program for the meeting, events and exhibitions industry is launching in the United States. The service will be free for all and whilst aimed at reducing the isolation freelancers/independents can feel, all are welcome. .
The programme, run by events industry workplace well-being organization, Stress Matters, is a free program to support the industry’s mental health and has been piloted in the United Kingdom since January 2020. Built on 3 pillars – insights, accountability and support – Stress Matters supports organizations to improve their culture towards well-being. This new support program runs alongside this pledge scheme.
Recent research has found that 63% of people who have at least one person at work that they can talk to are 40% less stressed than those who don’t believe anyone else will be able to help. The Buddies Matter scheme is aimed at supporting those that don’t have that one person at work to talk to. To be matched with a Buddy, please complete the Buddies Matter form and contact will be made when a suitable Buddy has been found.
EACA to Host Panel Discussion on Converting Convention Centers to Field Hospitals. On Friday, April 17 EACA will host another informative webinar on the impact of COVID-19. This program will feature a panel discussion on convention facilities being converted to field hospitals. This session will be recorded and posted to the EACA web site.
Industry News
US Convention Centers Converted to Field Hospitals. <Exhibit City News> As the doors close on public events, convention centers across the nation have been reopening to provide beds and workspaces to support the huge influx of patients needing care. The first to do so was the Jacob Javits Center in New York City on March 27. Where once there were double-decker booths and pop-up meeting rooms, now sit 1,000 beds and room to treat up to 2,000 patients. The conversion was undertaken by the New York District of the Army Corps of Engineers and took a week of around-the-clock working to complete.
Partial List of other Convention Center Field Hospitals:
- McCormick Place
- TCF in Detroit
- BCEC in Boston
- Dallas CC
- Ernest Morial CC in New Orleans
- Baltimore CC
- Colorado CC in Denver
- Los Angeles CC
- Miami Beach CC
ExhibitorLive is Re-Scheduled. If you haven’t already heard, ExhibitorLive has now been rescheduled for August 16-20 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Complete List of Other Rescheduled Events