Tampa Republic

The Tampa Convention Center has been nominated for two Urban Excellence Awards by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the downtown area. The awards celebrate organizations, projects, and events that have helped create a unique and vibrant environment in Downtown Tampa.

One of the nominations is for the Public Sector Project Award, which acknowledges the positive and significant impact made by the center's Capital Improvements Project. This extensive renovation, completed in June 2023, involved a $44.5 million investment and marked the largest renovation project in the history of the Tampa Convention Center. The project included an expansion with 18 new waterfront meeting rooms, upgrades to existing meeting rooms, ballrooms, restrooms, and concession stands, as well as improvements to lighting, paint, and carpeting throughout the building. The center also enhanced its outdoor event space on the Tampa Riverwalk.

The second nomination is for the Activating Spaces Award, which recognizes the center's contribution to a Downtown space through hosting a live broadcast for ESPN's First Take. The event, held on January 16, 2023, attracted hundreds of fans and featured special guests such as Bucs great Derrick Brooks, former Bucs and Cowboys player Keyshawn Johnson, Hollywood producer Will Packer, and former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin. This broadcast put both the Tampa Convention Center and the city of Tampa in the national spotlight.

The Tampa Convention Center's nominations for these awards come after a successful year in 2023, during which it received multiple national accolades. The center was named the Best Convention Center in the Southeast U.S. in The Stella Awards by Northstar Meetings Group, one of the 20 Centers of Excellence by Exhibitor Magazine, a winner in the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards by ConventionSouth, and a Top Meeting Destination by Cvent.

Winners of the Urban Excellence Awards will be announced during an event on February 21. The selection process involves an awards jury representing a cross-section of Downtown Tampa constituencies. In addition, the center is also in the running for the 2024 People's Choice Award, which includes all the Urban Excellence Award finalists. The public is invited to vote for the center on the Tampa Downtown Partnership's website.

The Tampa Convention Center, located in the heart of Downtown Tampa, offers picturesque waterfront views and 600,000 square feet of versatile event spaces. It provides state-of-the-art amenities and has recently achieved the 2024 Global Biorisk Advisory CouncilTM (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention. With 98 events scheduled for 2024, the center is expected to bring an estimated economic impact of nearly $136 million dollars and attract over 354,000 attendees to the city of Tampa.

To deliver high-quality event services to exhibitors, the Tampa Convention Center partners with several companies, including Aramark for food and beverage, Edlen for utilities, Encore for audiovisual and rigging, Sentry Event Services for security, Smart City for internet and telecommunications, and The UPS Store for shipping, printing, branding, and signage.

For more information about the Tampa Convention Center and its services, visit their official website at TheTampaCC.com.

Contact:

Tampa Convention Center

306 East Jackson Street

Tampa, Florida 33602

Phone: (813) 274-8211

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For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.tampa.gov/news/2024-01/tampa-convention-center-nominated-two-urban-excellence-awards-134761