A new coalition is bringing together associations and other producers of live events to push for legislation that will help the industry recover from the economic havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go LIVE Together officially launched April 22 by event management company Freeman and includes some 80 members, including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, Exhibit Designers and Producers Association, Events Industry Council and U.S. Travel Association. Members also include live events producers such as Emerald and Reed Exhibitions as well as venues like the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center and Javits Center in New York City.

According to its website, the goal of Go Live Together is "to drive local, state and federal legislative actions that will not only be critical to our ability to put millions of people back to work, but also for our country's economic recovery."

The coalition's members are bound together by the belief that nothing in the world will ever replace the power and need for trade shows and live events, IAEE said in a statement.

"The irrefutable value of the face-to-face meetings industry is reflected by its year-over-year growth in the U.S. and global economies," IAEE CEO David DuBois said. "The exhibitions and events industry is suffering a devastating se tback from the effects of COVID-19 but is poised to make a comeback once circumstances allow. In the meantime, our industry needs the support of the federal government so that we may mitigate the immediate impact of this crisis."

Live events contribute nearly $1 billion to the U.S. economy annually, according to IAEE. The events industry employed 3 million workers in 2019.

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