On Thursday, Nov. 7, more than 200 trade show industry leaders gathered at the New York Area Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (NYIAEE) Awards Luncheon to honor MetroMultimedia CEO Bruno Giaccio as the 2024 recipient of the King’s Glove Award for his outstanding leadership of one of the top U.S. audio-visual production firms and his significant contributions to improving event operations nationwide.  

“Bruno represents the best of the best in our industry, combining technical expertise with boundless enthusiasm, and his passion for mentoring the next generation of leaders serves as a model for all of us,” said NYIAEE Chair and director of event management at The Toy Association Jacqueline Retzer. “On behalf of all of our chapter members, I would like to congratulate Bruno on this outstanding achievement and commend him for his relentless drive to innovate and inspire.” 

Held in the River Pavilion at the Javits Center, the luncheon kicked off with a presentation by IAEE Chair and RX Group VP Marie Browne, who shared the latest stats from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).  

“Net square footage and exhibitor participation are leading the recovery,” Browne said. All key metrics—net square footage, exhibitors, attendance and real revenues—are up over last year. Looking ahead, the U.S. exhibition industry is expected to fully recover to 2019 levels by 2026, landing within 1% in 2025, she said. 

Former Javits Center VP and 2022 King’s Glove Award Winner Mike Ruberry emerged from retirement to celebrate and honor Giaccio. "I worked with both 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 acceptance speech on stage, Giaccio shared memories about growing up in the business and how working in the trade show industry has impacted his personal and professional life. “I remember spending one 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 at 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 planners, 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 broadcasting studio, allowing participants to share content and exchange ideas during one of the most challenging periods in history.  

Backstory: As a young professional, Giaccio was mentored by his late father, Bruno, Sr., who emigrated to The Bronx when he was 17 years old from Italy and served as a long-time industry leader, first as a union decorator, then as vice president of sales for one of the country’s largest general services contractors. Today at MetroMultimedia, based in Paramus, New Jersey, Giaccio leads more than 250 technical professionals as they produce hundreds of events nationwide. To support young professionals in the event industry, MetroMultimedia helps fund an NYIAEE scholarship for Certification in Exhibition Management (CEM), as well as the annual Javits Juniors Scholarship Program, which distributes college scholarships to New York City high school seniors. 

We caught up with Giaccio and five key trade show leaders 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 stems from England, where the largest and most elaborate of the early modern-day expositions were held, the most famous one being the Stourbridge Fair. The Fair was conducted by the Abbey of Stourbridge in conjunction with Cambridge University, and it featured trade and commercial exhibits and activities, as well as a special court to try business-related crimes. A message from the King was read at the opening of the Fair which outlined the event’s rules, including rules about honest weights and measures and proper business conduct. The King’s Glove was displayed to demonstrate the King’s authority over the Fair. The large glove, being a true replica of the “Royal Gauntlet,” was raised on a pole to mark the location of the abbot’s quarters during the exposition. It was elaborately carved from wood and painted in great detail.  

How winners are selected: Criteria for nominees include: 

- Played a leadership role in the development of the exposition industry in the New York area; 

- Played an educational role in the development of people in the exposition industry in the New York area; 

- Instituted new programs in their company or organization that improved the effectiveness and professionalism of their event or business practices and the trade show industry; and 

- Established ideas and values in their company or organization that are the highest standard and compatible with those of the New York Area Chapter. 

Past NYIAEE King’s Glove Award Recipients: Housed at the Javits Center, the NYIAEE King’s Glove Award is cast in bronze and mounted on a stone pedestal with the pediment encased in glass.

- William E. Little, Sr., 1987 

- James C. Torres, 1987 

- Charles Gillett, 1988 

- Saul Poliak, 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. Nicholas, 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 Ruberry, 2022 

- Bruno Giaccio, 2024