Visit Tampa Bay

We had an incredible weekend across the pond at Gtech Community Stadium for another matchday takeover with Brentford Football Club! 🏴☠️☀️ As the official North American destination partner, we made sure to bring the sun and pirate fun to west London with a day of games and giveaways: ✈️ Brentford supporter Michael won a trip for two to Tampa Bay in the half-time competition. 🗺️ Junior Bees enjoyed a treasure hunt around the stadium to win chocolate coins and a signed home shirt, and three children attended the game for free after winning a VTB-themed coloring competition. 🎨 Over £1,500 were raised for Heart of West London, supporting cardiac health in our community, with the charity auction of paintings by Brentford players Bryan Mbeumo, Vitaly Janelt and Rico Henry, in a collaboration with local Tampa artist Dylan Perry. 🧢 Premium seat holders picked up a free Visit Tampa Bay x Brentford FC cap. 🥪A special matchday menu featuring Cuban Sandwiches to bring the taste of Tampa Bay to the Gtech. Thank you to all the Brentford fans that got involved and to Brentford Football Club for a great weekend. #VisitTampaBay #BrentfordFC #BrentfordFCPartnerships #UnlockTampaBay

The Spanish immigrant experience in the United States is one often overlooked in the crowd of more sizable populations who pulled up roots in their home country in search of better opportunities a world away. Invisible no more, Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945) on display now through August 3 at the Tampa Bay History Center showcases the Spanish diaspora through over 300 photographs, objects, documents, and audiovisual materials, passed down from generation to generation. After touring in Spain for five years, this groundbreaking exhibition arrives stateside for the first time to reveal the hidden history of the Spanish American and their contribution to the cultural melting pot. In this episode of Unlocking Tampa Bay, we talk to the co-curators of the exhibit, James Fernandez, a professor of Spanish literature and culture at New York University, and Luis Argeo, a journalist and filmmaker, to discuss how Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945) was meticulously pieced together, Tampa’s own immigrant story, and why the city was a natural choice as the first U.S. location for this historic exhibit. #UnlockTampaBay #InvisibleImmigrants #tampabayhistory #tampaflorida https://lnkd.in/eCrkX6eU

We are ecstatic to welcome new partners at our Partnership 201 event! Like our vibrant city, our partnerships offer diverse and unique opportunities tailored to your needs. Through collaboration, we aim to create meaningful and impactful connections that benefit your business and our community. 🤝 As a partner, you’ll enjoy networking opportunities, the ability to receive convention and meeting leads, social media promotion, and much more! Thank you for joining us in showcasing the best of Tampa Bay. We look forward to working together and creating lasting success. #MeetingtheMoment 💼 Are you interested in becoming a partner and elevating your business? Visit our website https://lnkd.in/enzg-E6Z or contact partnership@visittampabay.com for more information! #UnlockTampaBay #PartnershipVTB

Today is the inaugural #DestinationsProfessionalDay! Destinations International has established Destination Professionals Day on February 19, 2025, to celebrate the people who work in tourism and destination marketing. This annual event will recognize their contributions, raise awareness about their impact, and inspire future professionals to explore careers in the industry.   The tourism industry is a significant driver of Hillsborough County's economic development. The $5.7 billion in visitor spending supports a total of $8.9 billion in sales across the county, these sales create approximately 60,000 jobs with associated incomes of over $3 billion. Aside from jobs and income, Hillsborough residents benefit from tourism due to more than $535 million it generates in state and local taxes revenues.    We create vibrant economic development for our community by collaboratively increasing visitation to Tampa Bay. We are proud to work with over 900 partners throughout Hillsborough County to foster a community where people love to visit, live, work, and do business. Happy Destination Professionals Day to all who make Tampa Bay a world-class destination—your dedication and passion drive our industry forward! #UnlockTampaBay #DestinationsInternational

We let our fun shine at yesterday's Keys to Success event hosted by The Florida State Fair! We heard from our CMO, Patrick Harrison, who gave us the rundown on everything our marketing team does to promote Tampa Bay as a premier destination in target markets. We also heard from the Director of Public Relations, Curtis Kellogg, who highlighted our media efforts promoting our incredible partners. Lastly, Tyler Martinolich represented Film Tampa Bay and presented their efforts to encourage individuals in the film industry to utilize Tampa Bay for their next project. A huge thank you to the Florida State Fairgrounds for hosting and providing food, decorations, and entertainment, showcasing all the fun you can have at the Florida State Fairgrounds! After the event, attendees were able to enjoy the fair themselves. Interested in hosting an event at the Florida State Fairgrounds? Contact Cynthia Burgos, their Administrative Services Coordinator, at cynthia.burgos@floridastatefair.com 

Love (and networking) was in the air at last night’s Business by the Bay! ❤️✨   Hosted at SoireEstate Weddings & in Lutz and operated by SaltBlock Hospitality & Catering, attendees connected with local professionals while rotating between espresso martini mixing with 7th Sky Ventures, candle making with Jennstone Candle Company, perfume and cologne creating classes with The DIY Room, and a tour of the beautiful venue along with signature cocktails and light bites.   Great conversations, hands-on experiences, and a relaxed atmosphere made for a memorable evening. Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first Business by the Bay of 2025!   #BusinessByTheBay #Networking #TampaBayBusiness #UnlockTampaBay #MeetingtheMoment

Last week, we brought the heart and soul of Tampa Bay to London, sharing our vibrant culture, creativity, and community on a global stage at the 2025 London Art Fair. Renowned Tampa Bay artist Ya La'ford captivated audiences with her bold, geometric designs, embodying the dynamic energy of our destination. Meanwhile, Dylan Perry brought Tampa Bay’s story to life through interactive art activities during our special media event with Brentford Football Club of the English Premier League. From branded Visit Tampa Bay cars roaming London’s streets to eye-catching displays at Waterloo and Euston stations, our presence was felt far and wide across the pond. These high-impact visuals were part of our $1 million+ marketing campaign, spotlighting Tampa Bay as a must-visit destination. London, thank you for embracing the essence of Tampa Bay! We’re grateful for the opportunity to share our art, culture, and welcoming spirit with the world. Until next time! #unlocktampabay #laf25

Art meets soccer in the most creative way! 🎨⚽️ Tampa Bay artist Dylan Perry teamed up with Brentford Football Club stars, including the incredible Bryan Mbeumo, to create stunning pieces during our visit to sponsor the London Art Fair. These one-of-a-kind works of art will soon be up for auction, with all proceeds benefiting Brentford FC’s Heart of West London charitable initiative—a cause as inspiring as the art itself. Stay tuned to see the masterpieces and support this fantastic effort! #TampaToLondon #UnlockTampaBay

Tampa Bay sees snowfall of 0 inches 🥶☀️ …Thanks but no thanks, Denver. We’re happy to skip the shoveling and hang by the water! 🏝️ #NoSnowHere

Visit Tampa Bay was honored to receive a platinum MarCom Award for Vehicle Advertising for its creative campaign in partnership with Carvertise, the nation’s leading rideshare advertising firm. Visit Tampa Bay and Carvertise won the award program’s top honor for its ‘Branded Chauffeur’ activation at Destinations International’s annual conference in Tampa in July after deploying six luxury vehicles wrapped in VTB branding and offering free rides to conference VIPs to multiple events. The inside of the vehicles were customized with a backseat caddy featuring VTB-branded giveaways, iPads with promotional videos, a specially-curated Spotify playlist, VTB marketing guides, and blue under-seat LED lighting to match the exterior branding on the cars. Presented by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards honor excellence and creativity in the marketing and communications fields.