EACA News
EACA Member Open House. The EACA will host our monthly Open House for all members on Friday, April 26 to gather, chat and catch up on all the important information that is needed to successfully navigate the COVID pandemic until our event industry re-opens.
The Open House begins in the Main Zoom room as Jim Wurm, Executive Director, provided an overview of the current state of affairs in our industry. Jim will also share insights on the brightening 2021 event schedule based on news reports and recent conversations with show organizer clients. The Open House will also contain briefings from facility management on the entry safety protocols to expect when events re-open and from union leadership on the status of their convention workforce.
EACA Webinar Schedule
- Las Vegas Chapter Zoom Call. The next Las Vegas Chapter Zoom call will take place on Tuesday, April 20 at 11am PT. Use this link to attend. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81774914356
- EACA Member Open House. On Friday April 26 at 1pm ET, 12pm CT, the EACA will host its monthly Open House for all Members.
EACA Has Relocated. The EACA has moved its HQ office recently and would like to remind everyone of the new address of our headquarters. You can now find us at:
EACA
4879 SW Zenith Ave.
Redmond, OR 97756
EACA Member News
Member Alert. As we saw happen after business event interruption on 9/11 and the recession of 2008, it has come to our attention that GCs at some show kits are publishing extended EAC notification deadlines as industry events re-open. Some deadlines have been extended as much as 90 days. If you come across any notice of that kind please contact EACA HQ at [email protected] so we can be in touch with show management to correct the situation.
SBA Adjusts Policy on EIDL. If you received a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help your business weather the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic you may be able to request additional funds. These loans were previously limited to six months of economic injury up to a maximum of $150,000. The SBA recently announced a policy change that significantly increases loan limits up to 24 months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.
Follow these instructions if you wish to request a loan increase:
- Send email to [email protected]
- Use subject line “EIDL Increase Request for [insert your 10-digit application number]”
- Be sure to include in the body of your email identifying information for your current loan including application number, loan number, business name, business address, business owner name(s), and phone number.
- Important: Do not include any financial documents or tax records with your initial request. You will receive a follow up email notification if we need additional documents.
Local 631 Reaches Agreement on new CBA. Teamsters Local 631 has reached agreement with contractors for a one year renewal of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with a small increase to the benefits package. The new agreement has not yet been ratified by the members as they have until Friday, April 16 to vote.
Eagle Management Adds Emma Christen to Sales Team. Eagle Management Group, Inc. is excited to announce the sales team’s newest addition, Emma Christen. Emma graduated from Bemidji State University in Northern Minnesota with a Bachelor’s of Science in Design Technology with an emphasis in Exhibit, Print, and Electronic Design and a minor in Business Administration and Visual Arts.
Upon graduating, Emma joined beMatrix at the start of 2014 and began working in the CAD department. As she proved her hard work ethic and brilliance, she was promoted to Marketing Coordinator and Business Development Executive on the West Coast.
Industry News
Sisolak Announces Las Vegas Open as of June 1. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak on Tuesday announced that he expects every county in the state to be able to fully reopen at 100% capacity by June 1.
The original plan to turn over mitigation efforts to the counties on May 1 remains the same, he said. As of April 13, Sisolak said 40% of Nevadans over the age of 16 have started the vaccination process, and about 25% are fully vaccinated.
Choose Chicago Prepares for Event Industry Recovery <TSNN> The city of Chicago is getting ready to lure back meetings and convention business in 2021 with a little help from digital technology. Launched Jan. 21 by Choose Chicago in collaboration with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Healthy Meetings Chicago is an interactive digital platform designed to showcase the health and safety advantages of hosting events at the McCormick Place Campus.
Currently available in Phase 1 for desktop or laptop viewing, the new platform illustrates the extensive new protocols and processes put in place by the city’s convention center and hospitality industry to ensure the safety of its guests, according to CVB officials.
MGM Re-Opening Plans Include New Technologies <Las Vegas Review Journal>. MGM Resorts International is expanding its Convene With Confidence program, a health and safety plan meant to help reintroduce meetings and conventions to the company’s properties. The program leverages biometric identity company Clear’s Health Pass, a mobile app that shows users’ various health insights, including temperature check results, COVID-19 test results and soon COVID-19 vaccination records. The app is also used to screen attendees with a health questionnaire before they enter a venue.
Clear has also partnered with Las Vegas Sands Corp. to help expedite the return of conventions with its Health Pass technology.
HIMSS to Pay $2.8 Million Settlement Over Unrefunded 2020 Tradeshow Fees <Exhibit City News> HIMSS20 was scheduled to start March 9 in Orlando last year and organizers announced March 5 that the show would be canceled after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Chicago-based HIMSS originally announced no refunds, which drew a lot of ire from exhibitors and registrants. HIMSS then adjusted its policy and announced last April that it would provide partial credits for the HIMSS21 and HIMSS22 events. Instead of refunding exhibitors and sponsors, the organization offered a deal where 15 percent of a company or individual’s 2020 fees would go toward their participation in the 2021 conference and 10 percent in 2022.
During a remote hearing, U.S. District Judge Martha Pacold said the parties had presented an “extensive” and “thorough” argument for granting the deal preliminary approval on March 12. The court will hold a final approval hearing remotely on June 24. Under the settlement, HIMSS will set up a $2.8 million fund to pay members of the settlement class for exhibit space, meeting space or sponsorships at the 2020 show.
CEIR Studies Impact of COVID on Business Events <TSNN> The Center for Exhibition Industry Research revealed its findings from last year’s final quarter. According to CEIR, all but 3% of originally scheduled events (regional and small-scale, in general) were cancelled — a decline worse than in 2009, the nadir of the Great Recession. For the year, there was a 78.8% decline in exhibitions for 2020.