WASHINGTON, D.C. — Laurie Lutz will join the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) as Senior Vice President, Events, overseeing the NBAA’s events, including its annual mega show Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which ranked No. 5 in net square feet on the most recent TSE Gold 100 list. Lutz succeeds Chris Strong, who is retiring after more than 14 years at the NBAA.
Lutz joins NBAA from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), where she served as Vice President of CES Operations since 2012, a role in which she drove the strategic development of the event’s operations, infrastructure and customer experience. CES, the largest technology event in the world, drew more than 115,000 attendees and expanded on its net square footage for the successful 2023 edition in January.
An active member in the trade show industry, Lutz is an Advisory Board Member to the 90th UFI Global Congress, a member of Women in Exhibitions Network North America and the American Society of Association Executives, and a longtime committee member for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).
“NBAA is the premier association for the business aviation community with a committed and inclusive culture,” Lutz said. “I am thrilled to join the NBAA executive team and lead their portfolio of world-class events that connect professionals in such a dynamic, innovative and passionate industry. I depart CTA and the CES team with a great sense of gratitude for the opportunities and relationships I’ve developed over the last 21-plus years and look forward to this incredible opportunity to make an impact at NBAA and work alongside an outstanding group of industry leaders.”
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Starting at NBAA as Vice President, Membership Marketing, in 2009, Strong, an integral member of the NBAA team, developed many member services, acquisition, retention programs and database-management solutions. In 2022, Strong led a case study on implementing sustainability programs as sponsorship opportunities, and in May 2018 he graced the cover of TSE’s monthly magazine.
In 2014, he was named Senior Vice President, Events, and led the planning, implementation and promotion of NBAA-BACE, the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition and the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition. In this role, he also led the organization and development of NBAA conferences.
“It has been amazing to have the opportunity to work for a world-class organization known as a leader in producing events that consistently deliver the highest value,” Strong said. “The NBAA is unrivaled in its pursuit of excellence, and it’s clear that Laurie will be an outstanding addition to the organization’s leadership team.”
Over the years, NBAA-BACE has ranked on TSE’s Fastest 50 four times, in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016, and on TSE’s Gold 100 a total of 14 times, from 2007-2019 and 2021.
Lutz will join NBAA May 1, and work with Strong on the upcoming events calendar as she transitions into the role throughout 2023.
Reach Chris Strong at (202) 478-7765 or cstrong@nbaa.org
