ALBUQUERQUE, NM (March 22, 2011)—Lewis H. Dawley, III, General Manager of the Albuquerque Convention Center (ACC) and Regional Vice President of Convention Center Operations and Business Development for SMG, has been selected to receive the 2011 APEX Award for Distinguished Service. The award is presented by Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to tourism and travel. Mr. Dawley will receive the award during the Travel Professionals of Color’s (TPOC) 9th annual conference, on Friday, May 13, 2011 in Louisville, KY.
“SMG is really pleased to see Lew receive this industry recognition. Lew is a senior member of our Convention Center Management Team and is very deserving of this award. All of us at SMG congratulate Lew on this accomplishment,” said SMG President and CEO Wes Westley.
Mr. Dawley, who joined the ACC as its General Manager in March of 2009 is an accomplished veteran of more than 30 years in the convention center industry. He has been with SMG since 2003, where he serves as a senior consultant of convention center operations and labor relations. Prior to joining SMG he was General Manager and CEO of the Washington Convention Center Authority, Washington D.C. Mr. Dawley is one of a handful of industry experts to manage the planning, construction and grand opening of four convention centers. Before Washington, he served as the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority’s general manager, where he developed a strategic operational plan for the opening of the 1.3 million-squarefoot facility and directed day-to-day operations. He also opened and operated the COBO Convention/Exhibition Center in Detroit, where he was General Manager from 1977 to 1989, and the Minneapolis Convention Center, where he was Director of Operations from 1989 to 1991.
Mr. Dawley is a member of several national professional organizations including the International Association of Assembly Managers, the National Association of Exposition Managers, the Professional Convention Management Association, and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners. Locally, Mr. Dawley sits on the Board of Directors for the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Action Team and the New Mexico Bowl.
The Albuquerque Convention Center is located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. It is comprised of the Kiva Auditorium, Northwest Exhibit Hall, Southwest Exhibit Hall, Ballrooms A/B/C, Northeast Exhibit Hall, Southeast Exhibit Hall and 30 Meeting Rooms. The center is operated by SMG, who with more than 28 years experience is the world’s leader in successful facility management. Headquartered in Philadelphia, SMG also provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, sales, marketing, event booking and programming to more than 200 venues in 41 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Europe, China, and the Middle East, controls more than 1.5 million entertainment seats worldwide and manages more than 10 million square feet of exhibit space. For additional company information, visit www.smgworld.com.
