Skyline Spotlight celebrates the talented members of our team. In our conversation with Chris Laundy, Director of Business Development, he shares his journey in the trade show and events industry and what he finds most rewarding in his work. Chris is an invaluable part of our team, with a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in the trade show world, allowing him to provide our clients with exceptional guidance and support.
Tell us about your history in the trade show and events industry.
My career in the events industry began in my twenties as a co-owner of an event organizer. I moved from British Columbia to London and started a company producing executive-level corporate networking events throughout Europe, South America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. While living in London, I met my wife, who worked as an editor for British GQ, Marie Claire, and British Vogue. After spending ten years there, we were both ready to begin a new chapter, so I sold my event business and moved back to British Columbia.
I was ready for a change in my career when I moved home. I wanted to take everything I knew about events and marketing and apply it to a tangible product, which naturally led to exhibits. I came across an ad from the owner of the Skyline British Columbia dealership. He was looking for a sales leader and hinted that the right candidate could own the dealership one day, which was incredibly intriguing to me. After meeting him and learning the Skyline story, I was instantly sold and hired as the sales director in 2010. I eventually became the owner of Skyline British Columbia, which remained an independent dealer until June 2023, when Skyline Exhibits officially acquired us.
What is your role at Skyline?
Earlier this year, I accepted a new role as Director of Business Development, which I’m really excited about! I will work with our new clients to showcase Skyline’s expanded capabilities in developing and designing large exhibits. I feel lucky to be part of Skyline, and I’ve always believed that our value proposition is extremely unique and powerful. There are huge benefits in the exhibit experiences and services we provide and I’m looking forward to taking on this role as Skyline continues to grow and transform.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I hope this doesn’t sound cheesy, but exceeding our clients’ expectations and helping them succeed is honestly my favorite part of the job. Seeing a client smiling and happy on the trade show floor is rewarding.
I was recently at a show with one of our clients who was exhibiting in a beautiful 40x60 booth. After installation was complete and prior to the show, the Senior Vice President of Marketing came running into the exhibit and hugged me because she was so happy with the booth. It's moments like that that make it all worthwhile! Because we operate in a challenging and competitive business, it’s an amazing feeling when you can say, ‘We did it!‘ If you start from a point of client satisfaction, the rest of the pieces fall into place, and that’s what motivates me.
What brought you to the city where you live?
When we moved back to British Columbia from London, we wanted to live somewhere close to the culture and amenities of a city, but with access to nature. My biggest passions are mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. For 17 years, we’ve lived in Squamish, a small mountain town between Vancouver and Whistler with hundreds of miles of trails for hiking and biking. So, my wife and I, our kids, and our dog spend a lot of time exploring the outdoors.
Who has been influential and inspiring to you?
Dave Bouquet, our VP of Corporate Strategy, has been a mentor, friend, and incredible resource to me. He provided valuable support throughout my years as owner of the British Columbia dealership, and I’m excited to continue working with him as part of the Skyline team.
In my early days at Skyline British Columbia, I was always blown away by the amount of knowledge sharing and support I received from people too numerous to mention here. Since joining Skyline Exhibits, that part of our culture has not changed. There are many bright and talented people here who have been incredibly generous with their time, and I am extremely grateful for that.
What sets Skyline apart from others in the industry?
Key differentiators of Skyline that have always stood out to me are product innovation and development, and the quality of our materials. I’ve been consistently impressed by our manufacturing capabilities and the extremely bright people making it all happen including our exhibit designers, graphics experts, digital and strategy specialists, and many more.
In 2023, we introduced CMX (Custom Modular Experience), a new strategic approach to exhibiting combining custom modular design, measurable, human-centered experiences, and strategic digital activations. We also launched a huge range of digital products and services, and I’m very enthusiastic about how we are implementing digital technology into really creative and exciting environments for our clients. I also know our product development team is currently working on new solutions which are coming at the perfect time. I’m excited to see more unfold this year!
