According to the Exhibition and Event Workforce Development Alliance (EE-WDF), the events industry generates more than $1 trillion in revenue annually and supports 5.9 million jobs in hospitality, tourism, technology and other related fields.
However, the events industry is not included in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and a group of event planners is trying to change that.
NAICS codes are updated every five years, and the deadline is coming soon. If the opportunity for revision is lost, the next revision will be in 2030.
why this is important
NAICS was developed as a standard by which federal statistical agencies classify business establishments. It is used to collect, analyze and publish statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
Currently, there is no umbrella category or “super-sector” to identify the events industry, only one “leisure and hospitality” super-sector. “Our recommendation is to update it to ‘Recreation, Hospitality and Activities.'” This would allow us to organize the disparate NAICS codes under one super-department.
Lack of classification becomes a problem when planners must identify the type of their business for government contracts, industry reports, or provide information to clients who require standardized codes. It has also led to a lack of government support during the pandemic.
“We are invisible when it comes to government tracking and support,” Club Ichi co-founder and chief community officer Liz Lathan said in a LinkedIn post.
“We are still being lumped into vague categories that don’t reflect the scope or impact of what we do,” said one event planner. “Without clear representation in the NAICS framework, we miss out on the resources, policy influence, and opportunities to optimize workforce development strategies that could take us to the next level.”
show your support
Event planners supported EE-WDF’s promotional efforts by posting on social media with the hashtag #ModernizeNAICSforEvents and sending letters to Palker.
“We have gathered economic data to submit this proposal,” Park said. “We need additional letters of support to demonstrate our industry’s commitment to this work by January 15.”
As of press time, Palk said she had received more than 200 letters; her goal is 2,000 “to show support for our work.”
EE-WDF provides a sample letter that people can copy and personalize. Letters must be sent in PDF format via email to [email protected] Or send her a direct message via LinkedIn.
