The Man Behind the Glitz and Glam is David Causton

McCormick Place in Chicago is getting a fresh face at the top floor, as Kelvin Moore – previously of Festival Hall at Navy Pier and Philadelphia Convention Center – has been hired as regional vice president and general manager. Moore replaces longtime GM David Causton who has retired.

SMG, a world leader in public facility management, recently announced this promotion. This position includes increased interaction with SMG leadership across Canada and involvement in strategic planning initiatives for municipal venue owners.

Early Life and Education

Early experiences and environments can have a lasting effect on a child’s future health and education. While positive experiences and environments can guide a child down a more fulfilling path, negative ones may lead to poorer outcomes later in life.

Early brain development is paramount for a child’s cognitive, behavioral and physical wellbeing. Therefore, understanding the connections between a child’s early experiences and core capabilities is essential in creating policies and initiatives with long-lasting beneficial impacts on communities.

One way to accomplish this is through the work of early childhood theorists. These influential figures laid the groundwork for modern classrooms and helped shape how we teach today.

Professional Career

David Causton has been in the trade show industry for over four decades. Currently, he serves as General Manager of McCormick Place, a Chicago convention center.

SMG has announced that David Causton will be promoted to Regional Vice President of its Convention Center Division on May 8. He has been with McCormick Place since 2004 and was instrumental in its transition to private management in 2011.

His expanded role will include more direct interaction with SMG leadership, and input into company planning initiatives for Municipal Venue Owners within the Convention Center Division portfolio. Furthermore, he has a greater say in operational matters such as labor relations, best practices and new industry innovations.

Achievements and Honors

David Causton has been a leader in the Chicago trade show industry since 2004, when he assumed control of McCormick Place as general manager. Under his guidance, there have been numerous changes and improvements made at McCormick Place that improved its financial performance, simplified sales and management structures, and enhanced customer satisfaction scores.

Recently, venue management company SMG promoted him to regional director of their convention center division. This will give him more access to SMG management and enable him to take part in strategic planning for their portfolio of municipal venues throughout the US. His responsibilities also include providing input on operational matters such as labor relations management, best practices implementation and new industry innovations.

Personal Life

David Causton is the man behind all the glamour. He has served as general manager of Chicago’s McCormick Place since 2004, and recently was promoted to regional vice president for convention center division at SMG – North America’s largest venue management company.

The exciting part of his new role is that he’s getting to shine on SMG’s corporate leadership team. He will now have the chance to participate in planning and executing various convention center initiatives, such as overseeing construction on West Building and Wintrust Arena (both located within McCormick Place), while improving financial performance of the facility and streamlining sales/operations – an impressive improvement from what previous General Managers achieved.