Lizbeth Peralta joined the Phoenix Convention Center & Venues in 2018 as an Event Representative, a role she was in for three years before becoming an Event Manager in 2021. Today, she manages dozens of events a year, including the NCAA Men’s Final Four Fan Fest®. Managing a mega event, she says, is truly a collaboration and she hopes to manage more of them in the future. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, live music and spin classes.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role at the Phoenix Convention Center?
I love my team. I can’t imagine having to work as closely with a different group of people. Whenever we have complicated events, it’s great knowing that I can rely on them with advice on how they would best handle a situation. We have institutional knowledge on our team and we’re in constant communication. We joke about how we don’t know how to separate ourselves from our work because even when we go for walks or to get coffee, we are talking about our clients and events. I love that we are always helping each other. My team is truly the best.
Q: What is a favorite memory you have of your time at the Phoenix Convention Center?
I started working here part-time as an Event Rep, and an event that always stood out to me was ISPA [International Spa Association], they were such a sweet group to work with. Not only was the client team amazing, but the event itself did really cool things with our meeting rooms that you don’t typically see. Now, I have them as my own client! I really enjoy getting assigned events I used to work as a rep, it feels really “full circle.” It’s nice to see my own professional growth.
Q: What is a skill you’ve had to sharpen in your role at the Phoenix Convention Center?
Organization! I'm constantly working on multiple events at a time and sometimes they can all start looking the same. I’ve had to learn how to organize the information I'm receiving so that it doesn’t get lost and in turn, send that information to the people that need it. We get to work with a lot of different people, not just externally but internally, too!
Q: Do you have any restaurant or coffee shop recommendations near the PCC?
For coffee, I love going to Serafina down the road – if I can convince the girls to walk that far. Xolo is definitely my favorite coffee shop in town, their café de olla is magnificent! El Zaguan is my favorite restaurant nearby, the owners are the sweetest. I love Mexican food and have to constantly remind myself that I should not eat there every day.
Q: What’s your favorite feature of the PCC?
Super cheesy, but if I'm here early I love to stand on the steps of the south building, where you can look down third street towards Monroe – if I can stand there for a minute and just breathe, I promise you the air feels different. I also love standing on the bridge and seeing how different the City looks now, as opposed to when I started. Those are my favorites.