Update from the Live Events Coalition
Hello, and Happy Friday, friends:
We hope this finds you well. Wanted to share a few updates from our calls this week with the Live Events Coalition. You can catch founding member Michelle Durpetti on their FB live from yesterday, here. They also had a really great read in the New York Times this week, “Party Planners on Pause: How do you function when there are no Social Functions.” You can read it here.
The Live Events Coalition is a great group who we continue to partner with and learn from. This week they had quite a few updates to send our way regarding legislation and we wanted to share those with you.
There will be two bills which should be introduced in the Senate this week or next and will be key in jump starting the return of events with tax credit incentives. As the vote comes up in July, we will pick up efforts in reaching out to our elected officials, having our supporters send letter and a social media call to action. The Illinois Events Coalition continues to reach out to our Senators and House of Reps staff. We have a call scheduled with Senator Durbin’s office next week and continue to talk with our congressmen and women in Illinois. We would like to share the bills here with you for your review.
But first, they would like for all of us to participate in this anonymous survey that is providing them needed information to assist with their lobbying efforts in D.C. Take the survey here
In conjunction with US Travel & Meetings Mean Business - the Travel America Act is something that the LEC is supporting. You can find details below:
The LEC has also signed on in support of moving the Restart Act forward in the Senate, to have future direct aid to our industries workers and small business owners. You can find details on the Restart Act below:
Last, in an effort to continue to share resources and information that we are finding to be educational and informative, we are sharing IEC member Akeshi Akinseye’s podcast episode: “Diversity & Inclusion in the Events Industry”
“Let’s Talk About It”, is a podcast by author, designer, mentor, wedding planner, business coach, author and IEC supporter Akeshi Imogie Of Kesh Events, Inc.
“Diversity and Inclusion in the wedding & events industry” is an episode that we encourage you to listen to. Akeshi has been sharing episodes each day this week, and they are insightful, educational, thought provoking, heartfelt - and very candid. We appreciate the opportunity to listen, and continue to learn through these episodes. I hope that you will too.
Featured in the episode is Marc Wilson of The Style Marc, Inc., fellow IEC supporter Desiree Moore Dent of Dejanae Events, and Nana Annan of Nana Annan Photography
Included in the episode is a candid conversation about the state of the wedding industry, lack of diversity and a way forward.
We very much appreciate and thank each of them for creating this episode and conversation so that we all may continue to learn.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-about-it-with-akeshi-akinseye/id1493037623#episodeGuid=4c67c47a-7b16-492b-9940-727296dc871b
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gN5raWgUTkMnWBeY5UoPH
Thank you so much, enjoy your weekend. Sending love.