Thad Lurie, CAE, CIP, EVP of Events of Community Brands

Hometown: Boulder, CO

University of Education:

BA Psychology and BA Philosophy, University of Rochester
M.Ed., University of Hartford

How long have you served on the CEIR Research Council?
1 year and some change

Why did you volunteer to work with CEIR on the Research Council?
As a data professional, I think CEIR’s mission is incredibly important, especially in turbulent times. The industry needs benchmarks and guideposts to make everyone more successful and provide context for strategic decision making.

What have you learned through your work with CEIR?
I’ve learned just how many professionals we have who care deeply about this industry and its success. I’ve also seen some incredible ideation around ways to effectively gather data and answer industry-wide questions.

How has CEIR research helped your organization?
Seeing the data as it comes in and talking with other industry professionals has been invaluable in our planning for 2022. The extended network of this group is tremendous, and as a sample population, I couldn’t ask for better leading indicators of the industry.

How can CEIR research help our industry?
The industry needs benchmarks and guideposts to make everyone more successful and provide context for strategic decision making.

What can peers and colleagues learn from CEIR research?
Industry trends, benchmarks, directionality, and projections around what’s coming next.

How do you plan to use CEIR research in the future?
Industry trends, benchmarks, directionality, and projections around what’s coming next.

Is there an area of study that particularly resonates with you?
I really like mapping satisfaction with specific behaviors. It gives us a deep look into WHY attendees do what they do and how that impacts their experience satisfaction.