MAD Event Management, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), and UFI have announced the launch of the Global Policy Forum, a new international dialogue platform focused on public policy issues affecting the business events and exhibitions industry.
The inaugural Global Policy Forum will take place on May 29, 2026, at the Army & Navy Club in Washington, D.C. It will follow two established industry gatherings: Lippman Connects’ Exhibition & Convention Executives Forum on May 27 and ECA’s Legislative Action Day on May 28. The timing is intended to align global policy discussions with ongoing US advocacy activities.
Designed as a think-tank style programme, the Global Policy Forum will bring together events industry leaders, senior government officials, embassy representatives, trade advocates, and US Department of Commerce personnel. The full-day programme will address issues shaping the future of international business events, with a focus on collaboration between policymakers and industry stakeholders.
The initiative draws on UFI’s global membership network, ECA’s policy engagement in the United States, and MAD’s industry relationships. Organisers stated that the forum aims to support dialogue on strategies related to industry growth, innovation, sustainability, and international market access.
According to Martha Donato, Founder and President of MAD Event Management and Regional Director North America at UFI, the forum represents the first coordinated effort to connect a global industry policy discussion directly with ECA’s US advocacy agenda. Chris Skeith, UFI’s CEO and Managing Director, said the forum will provide an opportunity to incorporate international perspectives into US-focused policy conversations.
