EACA News
EACA Writes Article on EAC Fees. Responding to the ongoing onslaught of EAC Fees the EACA has crafted an article that explains “Why the EAC Fee is Actually a Tax on Exhibitor Choice.”
The article, to be published this week in Exhibit City News, explains the punitive nature of the EAC Fee particularly when the fee is charged multiple times at shows when an EAC is serving more than one client. This onerous practice is particularly penalizing in an EAC registration process that only requires the EAC in question to be vetted once. Every event undertakes the EAC registration process for risk management purposes. The show organizer wouldn’t know who is servicing a particular client and whether they have the requisite licensing, union contracts (if required) and insurance coverage. That process has been in place for more than 40 years. But certain events, and some general service contractors have turned this process into a boondoggle by collecting multiple fees when a small nominal charge would adequately cover the administrative cost.
EACA at The Wet Chicago Randy. The Midwest Chapter of the EDPA scheduled their annual Chicago Randy to take place yesterday at the Itasca Country Club in support of the event industry professionals that has suffered severe tragedies or show face insurmountable medical expenses. And a number of EACA Board Directors and members were in attendance.
But Mother Nature had different plans.
The rain began about an hour before play was scheduled to begin and proceeded to become a full blown downpour. And, for trhe first time in the long history of this event, it didn’t stop until the course became unplayable – so the golf tournament was cancelled.But thanks to the terrirfc leadership of Nancy Virene and Jackie Hake, and their highly capable band of volunteers, the evening dinner celebration was quickly shifited to a luncheon with all the customary bells, whistles and raffle prizes.
A special shout out to the Chicago area recipients of the 2026 Randy was make to Pam Sandersfeld (who was in attendance), Joe Exposito (who was well representd with a strong contingent from Tru Service Group) and toe Drew Van Diggelen (although is based in Las Vegas has strong Chicago roots due to the career of his Mom, Katie.
There are additional Randy events coming up to help support our industry colleagues and friends in need. Registration is currently available for all events. To register just click on the appropriate link below.
Get Out of the Gutter Aug. 20 Bowlero Chamblee, Atlanta, GA
The Randy Sept. 28 Chateau Elan, Braselton, GA
EACA App Coming Soon Development of the new App for EACA is on the way and we expect to launch soon. The EACA App will include these features:
- Directory of Individuals in the EAC community
- Directory of Service organizations in the EAC community
- Local community networking – stay up-to-date on show needs and issues, reach out to the community to get informed, solve challenges or provide support to your industry colleagues
- EAC Forum – share ideas, provide alerts offer suggestions, discuss upcoming event challenges
- Industry Knowledge Base – includes Best Practices, guidance from industry experts
- Media Center – EACA courses, Panel discussions
EAC Registration Schedule EACA is supporting the following events with our EAC registration services:
NBAA Oct. 20-22 Las Vegas
RSNA Nov. 30- Dec. 4 Chicago
EACA Member News
Employco Celebrates its 30th Anniversary. <Exhibit City News>. Employco was established in 1996 by Bob Wilson along with his two sons, Rob and Scott Wilson. They had a clear, three-prong focus: helping companies reduce workers’ compensation premiums; streamlining payroll processing; and addressing human resource issues. At the time, most companies lacked their own human resources departments. Those responsibilities were usually assigned to someone in accounting or operations who did not have the time or training to handle them adequately. From the beginning, Employco set itself apart by asking clients what their biggest headaches were and then developing services around those needs. Employco set itself apart early by offering union fringe reporting in addition to standard payroll and tax services, something its competitors did not provide. That decision proved significant.
Over the past 30 years, Employco has navigated three major external events that fundamentally reshaped the business: 9/11, the 2009 recession, and the COVID-19 Pandemic—each forcing adaptation and, ultimately, strengthening the company’s long-term trajectory. The COVID-19 pandemic presented the most sudden and severe disruption. In the first 45 days alone, Employco’s clients laid off more than 7,000 employees, and company revenue declined by approximately $85 million from 2019 to 2020. Rather than focusing solely on its own recovery, Employco prioritized the survival of its clients, providing guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program, HR support, and practical, real-time advice, all at no charge. Read more.
Nth Degree Events Team Joins INVNT. It’s official, the Nth Degree Events team has joined INVNT. And as part of the Nth Degree family of companies, INVNT’s bringing even more operational excellence, event management, strategy, creative, production, marketing, and brand experience to clients around the world.
Las Vegas Parking for August. The LVCC has shared its Parking Lot Activity for August. Please share with your work crews.
Industry News
EDPA Award Entries Now Open The EDPA is now accepting submissions for the 2026 EDPA Awards. This year’s awards will be presented during the ACCESS 2025 President’s Gala on December 2nd, 2026, at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, AZ. The deadline for the awards is October 6, 2026. You must be an active EDPA member to participate. Click Here for your submission.
EIC Announces 2026 Hall of Leaders Inductees <Northstar Meetings Group>. The Events Industry Council has announced the 2026 inductees into its Hall of Leaders. The six honorees are being celebrated for their outstanding leadership and contributions that have helped shape the global business events industry during their careers.
The 2026 Hall of Leaders inductees are:
- Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC,
- Robert Priest-Heck, retired CEO, Freeman,
- David Kliman, CMM, cofounder, ELX, and owner of the Kliman Group,
- Kit Lykketoft, director of convention, Wonderful Copenhagen,
- WeeMin Ong, CMP, vice president of sales and MICE for the Marina Bay Sands, and
- Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CITP, CMP, president & CEO, Events In & Out.
Apollo Completes Acquisition of Emerald and Questex. <Northstar Meetings Group>. There’s major consolidation occurring in the B2B event space, as the private equity firm Apollo confirmed that Apollo-managed Funds has completed its acquisition of both Emerald and Questex. The companies’ B2B event portfolios are now being combined, accounting for some 160 events across what Apollo describes as complementary vertical markets, a combination of the exhibitions Emerald is known for and the varied events and digital engagement lineup that has been part of Questex.