James Sample

James Sample has a diverse work experience in event management and operations. James currently holds the position of Sr. Director of Support Services at the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. In this role, they lead the back-of-house services team at the Spectrum Center. Prior to this, they worked as the Director of Support Services at the Spectrum Center, where they were responsible for capital planning, facility maintenance, and operations.

Before joining the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, James work as a Consultant in Operations & Events. James also served as the Director of Operations for the Republican National Convention in 2020, where they oversaw end-to-end operations and managed budgets of $20 million.

In their earlier career, James held roles at Ignition DG Ltd as a Senior Project Manager and Project Manager. In these positions, they managed budgets, led new business development projects, and oversaw exhibitions and marketing activations.

James also worked as the Build-out & Permits Manager for the 2016 Republican National Convention, where they managed budgets of more than $10 million for build-out and improvement projects.

James started their career as an Assistant Event Coordinator and later became an Event Coordinator at Lucas Oil Stadium and Indiana Convention Center.

James Sample attended North Central High School from 2004 to 2007 and earned an Indiana Honors Degree. From 2007 to 2011, they pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication & Culture at Indiana University Bloomington. In 2010, they also took part in a Communications Study Abroad program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.