Chris Strong, who has steered NBAA’s events over the past 14 years, is retiring, the association announced today. Stepping in to succeed him as senior v-p of events is Laurie Lutz, who has long served as an operations executive for the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) annual CES event.

Strong is leaving after navigating the association’s key events through the pandemic, making difficult decisions to cancel when necessary, and implementing safety protocols to keep them running to the extent possible. He also has worked with the board to reshape the direction of its hallmark event, BACE, from a convention that rotates among locations to one that will be headed to Las Vegas at least for the next five years and maybe permanently.

Strong joined NBAA in 2009 as v-p of membership marketing, a role that made him responsible for member services, member acquisition and retention programs, and database-management solutions. He stepped into his current position in 2014, taking responsibility for all aspects of BACE, EBACE in Geneva, and ABACE in Shanghai. He also has had oversight for NBAA's schedulers and dispatchers, maintenance, international operators, and leadership conferences, as well as regional forums.

“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,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

Lutz will step into her new role on May 1 and work with Strong during a transition period throughout the year. She joined CTA in 2001 and has served as v-p of CES operations since 2012. There, she has been responsible for the strategic development of event operations, infrastructure, and customer experience for CES, the largest annual trade show in North America.

Bolen said Lutz’s 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.”