Chris Brown: Industry's Rock 'n' Roll Star

Ask most show managers how they got started in the tradeshow industry and you'll hear some version of how they did something completely different before falling into their careers.

Chris Brown, executive vice president for convention and business operations at the Natl. Assn. of Broadcasters, is no different. “Like everybody else, it was accidentally,” he said.

But then he paused.

“Well, not entirely, I guess.”

At the time, Brown was in information technology and looking to make a career change. He said he wanted to work with people, not program computers. A former colleague had taken a position with the Food Marketing Institute and told Brown about an open position in the convention department. Brown joined FMI without knowing much about associations or tradeshows and stayed on for 10 years as director of exhibits.

“It's not an industry people knew about way back then,” he added about his start in the business.

That may be, but the industry sure knows him now.

That's why Tradeshow Week is recognizing Chris Brown during the TSW Fastest 50 event for his continuing career achievement.

During the nine years Brown has headed both the association's The NAB Show and The NAB Radio Show, The NAB Show, ranked No. 14 on the most recent TSW 200, grew from about 80,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors to more than 100,000 attendees and 1,600 exhibitors spanning more than 900,000 net square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Year in and year out, The NAB Show has been one of the most successful shows in the industry,” said TSW Editor-in-Chief Michael Hart, “but that's not the only reason we chose to honor Chris this year. Above and beyond that have been his selfless, albeit sometimes low-key, contributions to the tradeshow industry by way of his involvement in all of its major associations.”

After FMI, Brown had a three-and-a-half-year stint as vice president of convention at the Personal Communications Industry Assn. At PCIA, Brown helped build the association's annual convention, The Wireless Infrastructure Show, into the largest show serving the wireless industry.

NAB hired Brown in 1999 as senior vice president for conventions and business operations. Modestly enough, he said he inherited a good brand and a good show.

“I think we've always strived to … set a different standard,” Brown said of NAB. “I can't take credit for all of that.”

But, he added, the show still strives to stay ahead of the curve.

“We were one of the first major shows to jump on the matchmaking software side with BDMetrics,” Brown said.

NAB has used the matchmaking software for more than five years. The show's partly helped in serving attendees through those advances by Brown's background in software.

“I'm not afraid of it,” he added.

It's a good thing, too. Brown said the show tries to keep its finger on the pulse of the ever-changing ways people consume ever-evolving forms of entertainment.

“The underpinning of it all now is technology,” he added.

Brown hasn't just led the shows for the association – he's also been a leader in the industry. He is a past chairman of the Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions and Events, a current member of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research board of directors and served on the Major American Trade Show Organizers board of directors from 2000 to 2006.

“As always, he went above and beyond his board duties and absolutely made MATSO shine while being on our board,” said Meg Ellacott, MATSO managing director. “I and our current board want to congratulate him on this latest honor. And yes, as (Hart) said in a recent article, the reputation (Brown) has for being the nicest guy in the industry – it's really true.”

So, what would Brown be doing if fate hadn't intervened and placed him in the tradeshow industry?

“Like everyone else, I would like to be a rock 'n' roll star,” he joked.

Seriously though, Brown said his personal passion is sports, though he admitted he wouldn't have had the talent to play professionally.

“I would have figured out a way to get involved though,” he added.

And despite managing shows for so many years, Brown said, there are other aspects of the industry that interest him, including managing and launching his own proprietary events, writing a book about the industry or becoming a consultant.

Even with those other interests floating through his mind, Brown's enjoying NAB.

“It's fun,” he said. “It's really a fun, fun show.”