David Anderson, Chair of the IAAM Convention Center/Exhibit Hall Committee, announced that John Christison, CFE, CMP, has been named as this year’s honoree of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented to those individuals recognized by their peers for their outstanding leadership contributions and exemplary service to the convention center industry.
Cliff Wallace, CFE, who was the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will make the presentation to Christison at the International Convention Center Conference in San Diego on September 24. Previous recipients of the prestigious award include Tom Liegler, Don Jewell, Jimmie Fore and Dan Saunders.
“It is a great honor to be presented with the IAAM Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Christison. “Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with, and learn so much from, my fellow IAAM members. As a new generation of managers now begins to replace my generation, I am confident that the future of our industry is in very capable hands, due in no small part to the exceptional efforts of our Association.”
Christison has worked in the convention center industry for nearly 40 years. He has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle since 1990. He is also the Principal and Managing Member of Buckley-Christison International, providing consulting services to facility industry clients throughout North America.
Christison served as IAAM President in 1995-1996. He received his Certified Facilities Executive (CFE) designation in 1981, and was honored in 2003 with IAAM’s Charles A. McElravy Award for meritorious service and extraordinary contributions to the Association and the profession of public assembly venue management.
Christison has demonstrated his commitment to educating our future leaders through his outstanding contributions as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the IAAM Senior Executive Symposium at Cornell University. He has served as an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at Washington State University as well as the University of Central Florida.
He has been actively involved with international educational efforts as the founding Chairman of the World Council for Venue Management and Chairman of the Asia Pacific Exhibition and Convention Council. Christison is a founding faculty member for the Association Internationale des Palais de Congres Academy in Brussels, sharing his knowledge of building systems and operations.
Over the years, Christison has been an industry leader with the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange Commission as well as a driving force for achieving results on IAAM committees. He provided steady leadership and guidance for the Association through his involvement on over 20 committees.