Story ID: 470
The Unseen Faces that Shape NBAA-BACE
By: Amy Wilder
Caption: Contractors like these two are the wizards behind the curtain
Word Count: 829
Attendees and exhibitors at the annual NBAA-BACE show may not notice or think about the small army of employees, contractors, and local professionals who bring the event together–and that’s how Margie Morgan and Lowen Baumgarten know they’re doing their jobs well. Morgan works to bring the exhibitor floor together every year and ensure each participant has the resources it needs to get the most out of the show. And Baumgarten is–often literally–the man behind the curtain for experiential moments, like this year’s guest speaker, Neil deGrasse Tyson. 
Morgan started out working for NBAA as a college intern. She knew someone in the organization and had always wanted to do events. “It’s a joy of mine, to have the fast-paced, constant problem solving–I love a logic puzzle,” she said. “I just loved watching this event come together from beginning to end. It gave so much back to me because of the connections that start the minute an exhibitor submit an application.” 
After Morgan’s internship, she transitioned into a full-time role, and then left to focus on starting a family. She returned as a contractor, and works on everything from mapping out the exhibit floor to coordinating local professionals to provide services. Building trust over time is intrinsic to making sure everything runs seamlessly. Morgan is on site the Tuesday before the show, building it out and coordinating others’ efforts. 
NBAA is committed to holding the hands of every company that comes into the fold during the process. “It’s a mindset, it’s a culture here that it’s not just a transactional interaction. It is absolute customer service,” she said. “Some of these companies don’t need much from us, but the smaller guys who come for their ten-by-ten space and this is the only show they do every year–it’s make or break for them out there.”
“They’ve got questions. They’ve got needs. They need somebody who knows every bit of this show,” she continued. “Being that for someone and then watching them have the experience here, is just something that ‘sends’ you for the rest of the year. When you’re in the middle of untangling something, you know that the give back is going to be seeing them have a show where they can sustain their business for a whole year off that show–and they had somebody that could help them…they want to come back the next year.” 
Baumgarten, who has worked as a consultant for 17 years, initially worked with NBAA as an employee for an agency it hired to coordinate speakers and stage-oriented events. When Baumgarten started his own business, he began working with the organization directly as a contractor, pulling together planning documentation for events that mark the convention, ranging from media breakfasts or lunches to keynote speakers. 
“When you are a contractor, because some of the work is unseen and backstage, it’s not always valued,” he said. “But NBAA has always valued what it takes to do the job–and they care about doing it well.”
Months of Preparation Make the Magic Happen
During the event, Baumgarten says he has a small army of independent contractors or local staff–including sound and lighting technicians or graphic designers–behind the scenes on headsets, making sure events roll on without a hitch. Two to three months before the show, the team starts scripting events. For a week leading up to the show, the crew rehearses for four to eight hours a day. “And they really know their craft,” he said. “So when the music is queued and the lights come down and the CEO walks on stage and the little spotlight hits the award, all of that happens at the same time.”
Neither Morgan nor Baumgarten is a pilot, but they both love aviation people. They’ve both made friends in the industry through their work, and many lasting connections. In producing a show, they work with exhibitors, with the building, a show decorator, freight companies, electricians, forklift operators and all of the “people who work beyond the scope of what we do to make the show happen,” Morgan said. “They want to be part of it because the exhibitors treat them well, our staff treats them well, and gives them the information they need to know to put on a world-class event…the culture of that partnership is crazy strong.”
These contractors have no desire to be in the limelight, but they work in their individual roles to ensure that the spotlight shines on the right person at the right moment. Each solves countless logistical puzzles, pulls the right strings, and coordinates details from the big picture to the down-to-the-second timing to make sure no one knows they’re there.