The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) has announced that the prestigious 2015 Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Carol Wallace, President & CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation during the 2015 International Convention Center Conference (ICCC) in Atlanta, Georgia October 1-3, 2015. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual recognized by their peers for outstanding contributions to both IAVM and the convention center industry.
Wallace is well known for her decades of experience, dedication and passion for an industry she has been active in since her first job as the assistant general manager of the Dallas Convention Center in 1980. She went on to become the executive director at the Colorado Convention Center, before joining the San Diego Convention Center Corporation in 1991 as the general manager. She was promoted to her current role as CEO in 1994, where she has served with seven mayors and 22 chairs of the corporation’s Board of Directors.
Wallace, who has been at the helm of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation for nearly 24 years, had this to say upon learning about her selection, “There is no greater honor than to be recognized by your peers for work you have done within the industry you care so much about. I am humbled and honored to join this group of distinguished prior recipients.”
A past President of IAVM, Wallace’s involvement has been instrumental to the association’s strength and success over the years. For her efforts, she has been recognized by the industry numerous times. In 2014, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) named her a Professional Achievement Supplier Honoree. In 2004, she received the industry’s highest honor: the IAVM Charles A. McElroy Award for outstanding contributions to the industry.
“I want to congratulate Carol Wallace on her lifetime achievement award,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “She is a dynamic leader who has done a tremendous job running one of the busiest and most popular convention centers in the world.”
San Diego Convention Center Board Chair Steve Cushman also joins IAVM in celebrating her achievement, “I admire Carol for her broad contributions to better both the convention industry and San Diego. We are truly lucky to have such a talented leader at the helm of our convention center. No one could be more deserving.”
