(San Diego) March 8, 2005 – Effective today, Laurie Peters will join the San Diego Convention Center Corporation’s staff as the Center's new Restaurant and Special Event Venues Manager. Ms. Peters is a 10-year hospitality and fine dining veteran and serves on several industry boards. She previously served in a similar capacity for the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (SDCVB).

Effective March 9th, the Convention Center will assume responsibility for providing the San Diego restaurant and special event venue community with detailed information on convention schedules. This information is critical to the business community because restaurants schedule staff and buy provisions based upon attendees’ schedules. Beginning July 1, the Center will also assume responsibility for the restaurant booths located in the facility. In addition to their primary role of booking restaurant reservations, the Center intends to also make them a major information resource for visitors to the Center and the city. Ms. Peters’ past experience made her the ideal candidate not only to oversee the operation, but to help the Center meet its goal to enhance and improve visitor services for convention attendees.

“Ms. Peters is the ideal person to lead this new program at the San Diego Convention Center. Her previous experience, coupled with her destination expertise, make her a fantastic addition to our staff,” said Carol Wallace, president & CEO of the San Diego Convention Center.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation markets and manages the award winning San Diego Convention Center and is proudly celebrating 15 years of convention and meeting accomplishments. Since opening in 1989, the San Diego Convention Center has attracted over 11 million visitors and generated $1.2 billion in regional economic impact and $26 million in tax revenues for the City of San Diego.