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MUSIC CITY CENTER PRESIDENT & CEO RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONOR PCMA Recognizes Visionary Business Event Leaders Music City Center President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Starks is the recipient of the Professional Convention Management Association's 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors individuals who have made a last- ing impact on the business events community through leader- ship, mentorship, and sustained contributions to convention management. With 8,400 professional and student members, as well as 100,000 business event stakeholders worldwide, PCMA is the global leader in business events. "This industry has been incredibly chal- lenging and reward- ing, and I'm immen- sely grateful to my PCMA clients, col- leagues, and peers for believing I'm worthy of this award," Starks said. Starks hospitality career began when he was only 14 years old. After college and years of experience at several Nashville- based hotel compa- nies, he joined the Nashville Conven- tion Center. During his tenure, he gar- nered support for a new building, led his team through con- struction, and yielded positive gains year over year for conven- tion center operations. Since Music City Center opened in 2013, the facility has hosted 2,678 events and generated $4.6 bil- lion in direct economic impact for the greater Nashville region. Outside the convention center, Starks has served on many professional, civic, and community boards including those of the Nashville Downtown Partnership, Greater Nashville Hospitality Association, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, Nashville Sports Council, and University of Tennessee Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management. He is also a member of the International Association of Venue Managers and PCMA. Most recently, he served as Chair of the Board of Directors and Trustees for PCMA. "It's been a privilege to be part of this industry and to give back whenever possible. I'm proud of not only the work I've done but the relationships I've developed over the years," added Starks. Starks is one of four PCMA Lifetime Achievement Honorees recognized Thursday night at the group's 2026 Visionary Awards ceremony. The event was held in Washing- ton, D.C. and cele- brated other business event professionals through eight addi- tional award cate- gories. For more informa- tion on the PCMA Visionary Awards, visit https://founda- tion.pcma.org/vision- aryawards/. ABOUT MUSIC CITY CENTER Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, Music City Center (MCC) is a 2.1 million square foot conven- tion center with more than 353,000 square feet of exhib- it hall space, two ballrooms, 60 meet- ing rooms, and a covered parking garage with 1,800 spaces. The mission of MCC is to create significant economic ben- efit for the greater Nashville area, while focusing on com- munity inclusion, sustainability, and exceptional customer service, through conventions, trade shows, and community events. B M & T ••• July/August 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 7 IN THE NEWS