ALEXANDRIA, VA – Jim Bracken, former president of VNU Expositions and a longtime industry leader, died at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 18, with his wife Judy by his side. Bracken joined the trade show industry in 1984 after spending 26 years in the Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel.
Bracken first worked for and then purchased Capital Convention and Exhibit Company in the Washington, D.C. area, which produced the annual Marine Military Exposition. Bracken sold it in 1993 to Bill Communications, which was acquired by VNU and changed its name to Nielsen in 2007 (now Emerald Expositions). Bracken was the first president of Nielsen’s Exposition division from 1993 to 2001 and served as its president until 2004. He was an early advocate for the formation of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and served as its president in 2004.
Bracken served in the Marine Corps, including at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and twice in Vietnam—a “short stint” in 1964 with a U.S. Army Special Forces team and a longer stint from 1968 to 1969 with the Marines in Danang. During his Marine Corps service, he earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management School—“on the government’s dime,” he liked to say.
He remained active in the Marine Corps throughout his life, serving on the boards of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and on the committee that directed the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.
Bracken’s accomplishments in the Marine Corps followed him into civilian life and his career as a trade show organizer. His management style, developed as a Marine, was that you make a leader, you’re not born a leader. “The Marines taught me to be fluid and straightforward with a disciplined, focused approach. Their mantra is to adapt and adjust to the hand you’re dealt and do it. After having decent success with that approach during my service, it naturally became a part of me,” he said in a cover story that appears in the January 2012 issue of 
Trade show manager.
Charlie Baisley, senior director of business development at Trellix, a cybersecurity company, said Bracken was his mentor. “When I got out of the Marine Corps in 2007, it wasn’t the best time to get out of the military. Hundreds of people said they would help me, but there was only one person who stayed in touch with me, checked on me, called me and offered me a job. That was Jim. He told me, ‘You’re not going to fail, because I’m not going to let you.’ He was a unique soul who brought so much positivity to the world in his own way. He loved the trade show world, he loved the Army and Navy Club, he loved his family, he loved the Marine Corps, and he just loved people.”
Industry leaders have reacted to the news of Bracken’s death.
“That’s a tough question because Jim was a great guy. He was a friend to everyone and an impressive leader who cared deeply about the military as well as the trade show industry. He spoke at every level, from the guy who swept the floor to the CEO,” said Ken McAvoy, executive vice president of corporate development for Informa’s North America region and president of South Florida Ventures.
“Jim was a great friend to me for many years, and I will miss his humor and wisdom. Jim could be described as a person who considered everyone a friend. He treated everyone with respect and in return, he received the same,” said Rick Simon, chairman and CEO of United Service Companies.
Bracken is survived by his wife, Judy, three sons, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, 2022 at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 1427 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, Virginia, with a reception to follow (more details to come). Condolences should be sent to: Judy Bracken, 2929 Eddington Terrace, Alexandria, VA 22302.
