CHICAGO — David DuBois, CAE, CMP, FASAE, CTA, CMP Fellow, will retire International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) effective December 31, 2023. DuBois served as president and CEO of the association for 11 years.
Over the years, DuBois has played a critical role in the leadership of IAEE, providing insight and vision to move the association forward. He led IAEE through the pandemic and has been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for the trade show and exhibition industry. As the association prepares for his departure, DuBois will continue to lead IAEE through the end of 2023 with its strategic growth initiatives and advancing IAEE’s mission and community for members.
“I hope that my legacy throughout my career will be my style of trust, collaboration and keeping promises,” DuBois said. “When I leave IAEE, I want people to say, ‘I trusted him, I still trust him, and he’s one of the best people I’ve ever worked with,’ which is what I’ve always wanted to do. The best boss I ever had once told me not to make promises I can’t keep. And that’s something I remind my staff of several times a month, because that’s what integrity is.”
Prior to joining the IAEE, DuBois served as president and CEO of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors BureauChief Operating Officer for International Professional Meetings (MPI), Executive Director of the MPI Foundation, and President, CEO and Senior Vice President of the Professional Association of Congress ManagementHe also served as volunteer chairman of the Convention Industry Council (now Events Industry Council) in 2015. He was inducted into the Event Industry Council Hall of Leaders in 2019 for his exceptional tenure as an industry leader.
Dubois leaves IAEE a bigger and better organization, even during the pandemic, since he took over in 2012. DuBois said, “I am proud to have put IAEE on the global map; I helped launch the IAEE Indian and Mexican sections. And another legacy I am proud of is that I leave behind the best staff IAEE has ever had. I have been so blessed by the successes I have had in my career so far.”
David DuBois, head of “collaboration” at the IAEE
Over the course of his 47-year career, DuBois has built professional relationships with people in the companies and organizations he has worked for, as well as those he has collaborated with over the years.
“David brought a breath of fresh air and energy to IAEE when he joined IAEE 11 years ago,” said Cathy Breden, CMP-F, CAE, CEM, IAEE Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. “His values aligned with mine: transparency, collaboration, and valuing the great people at IAEE. He allowed me personally to thrive in my role at IAEE and CEIR. In fact, he enabled his staff to do great things. While I am sad to see him stepping down from his role at IAEE, I am sure he is not done. I will miss him as a working partner, but I am honored to have him as a friend.”
DuBois plans to continue working in the trade show and exhibition industry. He will hand over the reins to the next IAEE president at the association’s annual Expo! Expo!, which will be held the first week of December in Dallas.
“I will not be retiring from the industry, I will be retiring from the IAEE in December. I will do so with a smile and with the full support of the Board and my staff. I am leaving very proud and I hope some will say that I am leaving a good legacy of the 47 years I have spent in this industry.”
Each month, Dubois contributes his thoughts and commentary to the IAEE Perspectives column in Trade Show Executive magazine. As a major TSE partner and industry leader, he has covered topics ranging from The IAEE exhibition! Exhibition! to DEI and reflections on the year and what lies ahead.
The IAEE Board of Directors has retained Large-scale research worldwide for the search for the association’s new president and CEO. The search will begin with a detailed needs assessment, and SearchWide Global and the IAEE plan to release the official job profile in late June.
Contact David DuBois at ddubois@iaee.com; Cathy Breden at cbreden@iaee.com