Dear %%FIRST%%,

When the San Diego Convention Center proudly opened its doors 20 years ago, it was with the promise that it would generate significant economic benefits for the greater San Diego region. Today, our Center is one of North America's leading convention facilities and the epicenter of San Diego's successful convention and meeting industry. In the last two decades, it has generated:

• $18 billion in economic impact
• $7.5 billion in direct delegate spending
• $359.3 million in tax revenue
• 11,018,580 hotel room nights
• 15 million guests
• 4,348 events

Perhaps the greatest benefit of our Convention Center is the tax revenue generated from our events. From North County to South Bay, and from East County to our coastal communities, these tax dollars filter into our neighborhoods to help pay for police and fire protection, libraries, museums, street maintenance, and other vital city services.

Our world-class facility also supports 12,000 jobs countywide. The millions of overnight visitors who attend our events pump billions of dollars into our local economy by keeping our hotels occupied, our restaurants full, and the registers at our local retail businesses ringing.

We could not be as successful as we are today without the unflagging support of the City of San Diego, the Unified Port of San Diego, our local hotel and hospitality industry, and our many strategic partners. We thank all of our partners for your steadfast support and invite you to review our FY09 Annual Report.

Best regards,

Chris Cramer Chair of the Board of Directors	Carol Wallace President and CEO