Peggy Daidakis, 74, was the first woman to run a major convention center in the U.S., taking the helm of The Baltimore Convention Center in 1986. Daidakis, who passed away quietly at home Dec. 12, was an icon in Baltimore, totally identified with that destination city until the day she died.
She actually began her venue management career path before the center opened. She was working for Mayor Don Schaefer when he asked her to join a staff of two in 1978 in booking the soon-to-open Baltimore Convention Center. The center opened in 1979 with the East Building and was expanded, with Daidakis as director, in 1997 with the West Building.
A perhaps little-known fact is that, along with her strong work ethic, innate curiosity and honed skills, Daidakis was the original “autopen” when it came to Mayor Schaefer. She was his assistant and could forge his signature perfectly, with permission of course. That was her claim to fame before she got into the business, remembered Tom Mobley, retired, who counts Daidakis as a friend and mentor.
Mobley knew the entire Daidakis clan, including Peggy and her sister Zoe, also deceased, before they all got into the business. When he followed her down that path, “everything I needed to know about the convention center industry I learned from Peggy Daidakis,” Mobley said.
Prior to being named director, Daidakis was co-director with Barney Levengood, per John Zerbe’s appointment. Zerbe, of Hershey fame, was in charge of the BCC and the arena for Mayor Schaefer. It was a strange setup, but they made it work, Daidakis once said in an interview. She honed her operations skills, along with her already strong sales side, and ended up being a stellar manager when given the entire job after Levengood left for Toledo.
Several of the people who worked with her commented on both her management style and her industry knowledge. Both were recognized by IAVM, which awarded the longtime member the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also honored with Events Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders Award. In 2008, she was named a Woman of Influence by Venues Today (now part of Pollstar).
“To have known Peggy was to know a true force of nature — someone who cared deeply and unwaveringly about her people, her city and her industry. Her impact on the staff of the Baltimore Convention Center will be remembered and cherished for years to come,” said Mac Campbell, CVE, Executive Director, Baltimore Convention Center. “Through her mentorship, she shaped leaders across the country and touched countless lives, including mine. I am profoundly grateful for her guidance and the example she set.”
To walk into the convention center business as a newbie and be privileged to learn from an icon in the industry like Daidakis was a great privilege for Campbell. It was not without stress, of course. He was a millennial and full of vim and vinegar, asking endless questions and challenging ideas, to the point he raised her ire. “She would tell me, ‘You’re poking the bear. Stop poking the bear,’” he recalled.
Mutual respect developed between the “hotshot” and the icon, to the point he became her deputy director and she was sad to see him go back to Strathmore in North Bethesda, Md., after they had survived COVID-19 in Baltimore. She advised him against the move, and rightly so for numerous practical reasons, he says now, but he’s happy to be back as director, a job he took when she retired in 2021.
David Causton, retired, IAVM member, first met Daidakis in the mid-80s, when he went to work for her at the Baltimore Convention Center as No.2 in sales and services. “She was a great mentor. She knew anyone who was anyone in Baltimore.”
On her desk, she kept her motto: Management by Walking Around. “It was important to get out among staff and guests to see what was going on,” Causton learned from Daidakis. “You could find her at her desk, of course, but not always. She was out making sure everything operated as it should.”
“In a city of firsts, Peggy Daidakis cemented her legacy as a champion for Baltimore, a pioneer for equality in her field and a leader in hospitality. Throughout her career, she stayed focused on making sure the Convention Center reflected the energy and vibrancy of Baltimore and that every visitor felt welcome. Peggy understood how a thriving meeting space can lift up our entire city, a belief we absolutely share and will endeavor to uphold. Peggy will be dearly missed by the industry, the city and the entire Visit Baltimore team,” said Kireem Swinton, Interim President & CEO, Visit Baltimore, in a press release.
In that same release, Charles “Chuck” G. Tildon, III, Chairman, Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board of Directors, lauded Daidakis’ leadership, committing “over 40 years of service to Baltimore city, always leading from a place of passion and pride. To the industry, she was a trailblazer, the first woman to hold a top executive rank in her field. To her team, she was a wonderful mentor. To me, she was a dear friend and ally in elevating this community and inviting visitors to experience Baltimore in new, exciting ways. Her spirit will continue to shine through our work, and our thoughts are with Peggy’s friends, colleagues and family at this difficult time.”
Daidakis was predeceased by her husband, Joseph Louis Werner, Jr., and her sister and brother-in-law, Zoe and George Piendak. She is survived by her brother, Art (Susan) Daidakis; nieces Emily (Christian) Vainieri; great-nieces and nephews; stepdaughter Tracy (Joseph) Rammacca and step-grandsons Andrew, Michael, and David; and several cousins.
For more information on arrangements or to send condolences to Peggy’s family, please visit ruckfuneralhomes.com.
