On Thursday, November 7, more than 200 trade show industry leaders gathered at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (NYIAEE) New York Area Chapter Awards Luncheon to honor CEO of MetroMultimedia, Bruno Giaccio, as the 2024 recipient of the King’s Glove Award for his exceptional leadership within one of America’s largest broadcast production companies and his significant contributions to improving event operations nationwide.
“Bruno represents the crème de la crème of our industry, combining technical expertise and boundless enthusiasm, and his passion for mentoring the next generation of leaders serves as a model for us all,” said NYIAEE President and Director of event management at The Toy. Jacqueline Retzer Association. “On behalf of all members of our section, I would like to congratulate Bruno on this exceptional achievement and congratulate him for his relentless drive to innovate and inspire.
Held at the Javits Center’s River Pavilion, the luncheon began with a presentation by IAEE President and RX Group Vice President Marie Browne, who shared the latest statistics from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
“Net square footage and exhibitor participation are leading the recovery,” Browne said. All key indicators (net surface area, exhibitors, attendance and real revenue) are up compared to last year. Looking ahead, the U.S. exhibition industry is expected to fully recover to 2019 levels by 2026, reaching a growth rate of less than 1% in 2025, she said.
Former Javits Center Vice President and 2022 King’s Glove Award winner Mike Ruberry came out of retirement to celebrate and honor Giaccio. “I worked with Bruno and his father, and their mantra for work and for life is ‘yes, I can help,’” said Ruberry, who presented the award to Giaccio. “Bruno is the 24th recipient of the King’s Glove Award and only the third supplier to receive it.
During his onstage acceptance speech, Giaccio shared his memories of growing up in the business and the impact working in the trade show industry had on his personal and professional life. “I remember spending Father’s Day with my dad at PC Expo,” he said. “I met my wife in this building and introduced my sister to her husband in Javits.”
Related: TSNN Exclusive: Bruno Giaccio Joins Prestigious List of King’s Glove Award Winners
Why he was honored: Giaccio has advanced the quality of in-person and hybrid events by implementing cutting-edge technology and equipment to create enhanced experiences for event organizers, exhibitors and attendees. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Giaccio worked closely with event organizers and venue managers to create a state-of-the-art broadcast studio, allowing attendees to share content and exchange ideas during one of the most difficult periods in history.
History : As a young professional, Giaccio was mentored by his late father, Bruno Sr., who emigrated to the Bronx from Italy at age 17 and was a long-time industry leader, first as union decorator, then as vice-president. president of sales for one of the nation’s largest general services contractors. Today at MetroMultimedia, based in Paramus, New Jersey, Giaccio leads more than 250 technical professionals who produce hundreds of events nationwide. To support young professionals in the events industry, MetroMultimedia helps fund an NYIAEE Scholarship for Certification in Exhibition Management (CEM), as well as the annual Javits Juniors Scholarship Program, which awards college scholarships to high school students in the New York City.
We sat down with Giaccio and five key trade show executives who are active members of NYIAEE for podcast interviews at the event. Listen to our Trade Show Talk podcast here.
About the King’s Glove Award
Origin story: The King’s Glove Award comes from England, where the largest and most elaborate exhibitions of early modern times were held, the most famous being the Stourbridge Fair. The fair was organized by Stourbridge Abbey in conjunction with Cambridge University and featured exhibitions and trading activities, as well as a special court to try business-related offences. A message from the king was read at the opening of the Fair, outlining the rules of the event, including rules regarding honest weights and measures and good conduct of business. The King’s Glove was on display to demonstrate the King’s authority over the Fair. The large glove, a true replica of the “Royal Gauntlet”, was erected on a post to mark the location of the abbot’s quarters during the exhibition. It was painstakingly carved from wood and painted with great detail.
How winners are selected: Criteria for applicants include:
– Played a leadership role in the development of the exhibition industry in the New York area;
– Played an educational role in the development of people working in the exhibition industry in the New York area;
– Instituted new programs in their business or organization that improved the efficiency and professionalism of their event or business practices and the trade show industry; And
– Ideas and values established in their business or organization that meet the highest standards and are consistent with those of the New York area chapter.
Past NYIAEE King’s Glove Award recipients: Housed in the Javits Center, the NYIAEE King’s Glove Award is cast in bronze and mounted on a stone pedestal with the pediment covered in glass.
– William E. Little, Sr., 1987
-James C. Torres, 1987
-Charles Gillett, 1988
-Saul Pole, 1989
-Beth Thalheim, 1989
– Jay R. Thalheim, 1989
-Charles Snitow, 1990
-Ralph J. Ianuzzi, Sr., 1992
-Alan B. Larkin, 1993
-Jerry C. Schaefer, 1995
-Robert E. Boyle, 1997
-Jeff Little, 1999
– Peter W. Nathan, CEM, 1999
-Richard K. Swandby, 2003
-Elyse N. Kroll, 2004
– Cristyne L. Nicolas, 2004
-Michael R. Bloomberg, 2005
-Vincent Polito, 2006
– Jack Withiam, Jr., CEM, 2006
-Jack M. Buttine, 2007
-Alan E. Steel, 2014
-Barbara Lampen, 2016
-Michael Rubberry, 2022
-Bruno Giaccio, 2024