ECA Advocacy Update: July 3, 2024
1. California approves forklift transition |
Last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved its proposal to phase out large-spark ignited (LSI) forklifts in the Golden State.
The big picture: The sale of Class IV and Class V LSI forklifts that operate using propane, gasoline, or natural gas is prohibited as of January 1, 2026. These models are widely used across the business events industry.
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- Starting in 2028, LSI forklifts in service must be swapped out for zero-emission forklifts (ZEFs) on the following model year (MY) schedule:
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Note: CARB defines large fleets as 25+ forklifts operating anywhere in California.
In addition, CARB included several compliance exemptions for infrastructure construction, site electrification, ZEF delivery, and certain operational issues if a ZEF cannot meet an operator’s needs. These may apply to the industry in certain circumstances (e.g., if a convention center lacks charging infrastructure).
ECA successfully advocated for changes to the new regulation that better aligned CARB's environmental aims with industry feasibility:
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- A 2-year phase-out delay from 2026 until 2028.
- Phase-out caps to help ensure a continuity of operations after the first phase-out date in 2028.
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Stay tuned: ECA will host a webinar later this summer that will go into additional details and what to expect during the upcoming transition.
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2. New CTE framework embraces events |
- Why it matters: Advance CTE is a national organization that represents state leaders responsible for secondary, post-secondary, and adult career technical education (CTE). Its National Career Clusters Framework is used in some form by all 50 states to organize CTE programs at the state and local levels.
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What's new? The updated framework redefines the current "Hospitality & Tourism" cluster as "Hospitality & Events." It also includes a new sub-cluster for careers in "Conferences & Events."
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- These important changes will help inform secondary and post-secondary education program development going forward, while also helping students discover future career opportunities in our dynamic profession.
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ECA strongly supports the elevation of the business events industry in this updated National Career Clusters Framework!
Congratulations to Laura Palker, Founder & President of the Exhibitions and Events Workforce Development Federation, for her leadership on this effort. She serves on the National Career Clusters Framework Industry Advisory Group for Advance CTE and is a tireless advocate for the industry and its workforce.
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3. ECA Legislative Action Day rewind |
On May 30, ECA Legislative Action Day brought together an incredible group of industry leaders to Washington, DC to meet with their elected officials.
Want to see highlights? Click the graphic below to check out this great video from CNTV that shows some of the advocacy that took place on Capitol Hill:
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Thank you to these great advocates for their "starring roles" in the video: Megan Martin, Mac Campbell, Chris Griffin, Rich Stone, Rachel Wimberly, Robyn Davis, Stephanie Selesnick, and Jeremy Adams.
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4. In case you missed it... |
- Exhibitions Industry Collective associations and their members talked about industry career opportunities with students at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference last week in Atlanta.
- Trade Show News Network and Exhibit News Now published ECA's latest blog post on advocacy around the world featuring insights Barbara Weizsäcker, Marsha Flanagan, and Martin Sirk.
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Thomas F. (Tommy) Goodwin
Vice President
tommy.goodwin@exhibitionsconferencesalliance.org
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