2025 Trade Show- Equip Exposition Update Ms. Shomers gave a preliminary budget for the 2025 Equip Show. Mr. Kiser reported that they anticipate being sold out again for booth space. Then highlighted the new features for the 2025 show with Jessie Cole as the opening keynote, Block Party with the Crashers on 4 th Street, return of tree care education in Freedom Hall, Thursday concert with Big&Rich and Gretchen Wilson at the Kentucky International Convention Center, and a Creator Space. Ms. Williams gave an update on the sponsorship sales where they sold $482,500 and project $642,000 for the 2025 show. We continue to collect data from a variety of areas, especially tracking the response to advertising placements and influencer activity to increase attendance. Mr. Kiser shared the latest renderings and plans of phase one of the expansion to the KEC. It will open up 300,000 sq and HNA will be in a new location. Mr. Kiser reported that he had been appointed to the board of advisors of Kentucky Venues, which operates the KICC and the Exposition Center. In addition, Mr. Kiser highlighted how the investment in Louisville has elevated TurfMutt and the Show. The Equip Exposition earned the cover story in the Trade Show Executive magazine. Mr. Kiser and Equip Exposition will be awarded the inaugural Louisville Tourism Impact Award at the Kentucky Derby Festival. The Turf Mutt Lawn continues to receive recognition with podcasters and social media influencers as well as a candidate for the best Waterfront Park. Hearst will be filming three Mission Unstoppable episodes to feature Equip and the great lawn. Mr. Kiser was appointed by the Louisville Mayor to the Waterfront Development Corporation Board of Directors. Trade and Tariff Matters Mr. Mustico introduced Mr. Robert DeFrancesco, a partner in the DC office of Wiley Rein, who gave an update on the significant trade actions, and their purported legal basis, of the new administration. Most notable is the broad intent to replace the Most Favored Nation (MFN) framework with a more transactional and reciprocal approach which prioritizes “America First”/”Made in America” objectives through bilateral agreements. This trade policy is aimed at questioning and moving away from the WTO and rules-based order begun with the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944. The most significant existing agreement under scrutiny is the U.S.-Mexico- Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), which under the agreement’s terms is up for reevaluation in 2026. OPEI expects to have Mr. DeFrancesco meet again with the board in June as these developments are highly fluid and uncertain. EPA Battery Guidance and EPR Policy Mr. Martin gave an update on the growth of battery extended producer responsibility legislation that is being developed. With the industry's continued growth within this segment, a battery "take- back" program was launched in 2024 and a joint press release, with Call2Recycle®, announced the program on February 20, 2025. The OPE industry is a model representation of how to implement such circular economies without being regulated to perform. The EPA recognizes these efforts and is working with OPEI directly to better understand the challenges that lay ahead of any federal battery recycling guidance or even future policy development. An OPEI-BEPC Task Group has been actively engaged, from Board member organizations, to ensure manufacturer input is involved in their regulatory framework developments.
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