The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has announced that veteran trade show executive Laurie Lutz will join NBAA as senior vice president, events, succeeding Chris Strong, who will retire after more than 14 years of exemplary service to the association.
Lutz formerly served as a longtime operations executive for CES, the influential tech event produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In her new role, she will oversee NBAA’s full roster of regional, national and international industry gatherings, including NBAA’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), business aviation’s premier global event.
Lutz joined CTA in 2001 and has led as vice president of CES operations since 2012. In that role, she drove the strategic development of event operations, infrastructure and customer experience for CES, the largest annual trade show in North America, and among the world’s most prominent events.
She is an advisory board member to the upcoming 90th UFI Global Congress, a committee member for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and a member of Women in Exhibitions Network North America and the American Society of Association Executives.
“I am pleased to welcome Laurie to NBAA,” said association President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Her expertise will be key in ensuring that NBAA’s events continue to deliver amazing value for attendees and exhibitors, while being defined by innovation, passion and excellence.”
Bolen also lauded Strong’s contributions to NBAA from the time he joined the association in 2009 as vice president, membership marketing. In that role, he developed many of NBAA’s member services, member acquisition and retention programs and database-management solutions.
In 2014, Strong was named NBAA’s senior vice president, events, responsible for all aspects of planning, implementation and promotion of NBAA-BACE, as well as the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) and the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE).
Strong also led the organization and development of NBAA conferences, including the Schedulers & Dispatchers, Maintenance, International Operators and Leadership Conferences, as well as the association’s Regional Forums. In 2018, he was profiled as a leader in the event industry by Trade Show Executive Magazine.
“Chris’s tremendous dedication to continually growing and evolving NBAA’s conventions, forums and conferences has set a standard not just for business aviation events, but for meeting production in any industry,” Bolen said. “We wish Chris only the best as he begins what will surely be an exciting next chapter.”
Lutz will join NBAA on May 1 and transition to her new role throughout the year, working with Strong on NBAA’s upcoming calendar of events, including the 2023 edition of EBACE, taking place May 23-25 in Geneva, Switzerland; NBAA’s June 14 Regional Forum in White Plains, NY and NBAA-BACE 2023, coming to Las Vegas, NV from Oct. 17-19.
