Will Pro-Union Executive Orders have an impact on Trade Show Industry?
I’ve blogged ad nauseam regarding the effect that union-controlled show services has upon our industry - high prices that fly in the face of underlying costs and economic principles. I am fairly certain that my griping is exactly that - griping about a reality that will not change anytime soon. On that note, will it be getting worse soon?
That question struck me when I noted that the new executive administration ushered in a set of executive orders supporting/strengthening unions in America. The executive orders are aimed at hindering the efforts of non-unionized businesses trying to resist unionization of their labor force. Now when a business is working under federal contract they are no longer required to post a notice informing employees that they may opt-out of financially supporting a union; they will not be reimbursed for expenses associated with dissuading employees from unionizing; and they must offer new jobs to existing employees first.
I don’t proclaim to understand the finer points of how these orders affect practices currently in place for employers. I have gleaned that this clearly does not apply to every employer - just those working under federal contracts. Convention centers like McCormick Place in Chicago are actually funded and owned by the municipalities or states - is that outside of the grasp of the executive order? Is that an extension of executive orders or legislation yet to come?
In any business it’s important to keep ears open for lawmaker actions with effects on the economic environment. In this case, it may appear that my “sounding the alarm” about these orders is a bit of a stretch - but I think this is indirect linkage that will lead us to yet higher costs for show services. Am I sounding off prematurely? Will this have zero effect and I’m just paranoid?
How about a $800,000,000,000 stimulus package invested solely in trade show exhibit spending? Anyone in favor of that? Call your congressmen NOW!
I was recently at the Detroit and it seems to me that the auto makers, especially Ford, Spent their bail out money on Trade show Exhibits. They had this fantastical booth of epic proportions. As a member of the industry and a fan of the trade show culture, I kind of had a little tear well up in my eye as I held my hand to my heart an looked at that booth. (The preceding was a dream sequence) But I can say that in a way the bail out money is being spent on marketing, including Trade show exhibits…. Keep it up Ford. That Booth was “Built Ford Tough!”
Comment by Richard — February 3, 2009 @ 4:38 am
As long as their booth is actually going to help them improve sales in this economic muck, I’m all for that!!!
Maybe EDITS could be the name of legislation that would get pushed through congress: Exhibit-Display-Investment-for-Trade-Shows.
This guy is voting Yea.
Comment by Catalyst — February 5, 2009 @ 10:32 am
[...] rigging is - a reality faced by many exhibitors when they display at major convention halls [in forced-unionism states and municipalities]. That same investment can be put into a more dynamic, and taller, [...]
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