Plan Your Meetings

Watch for:

• A Crowne Plaza is expected to open in early 2009 after renovations to the existing Clarion Hotel and Conference Center are completed. Amenities will include 250 guest rooms and on-site dining and 10,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space..
• Three new museums will open downtown in 2009: Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa Museum of Art and the Children’s Museum of Tampa.
• The Columbia Restaurant and Bern’s Steak House both received the “Award of Ultimate Distinction” from Wine Enthusiast magazine; only 31 U.S. restaurants received the honor in 2008.
• The Quorum Hotel-Tampa, one of two Green Lodging-certified properties in the area, is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation and expansion. Improvements will include upgraded guest rooms and fitness center; and a new, 1,500-sq. ft. outdoor deck off the lobby-level restaurant (opening in April). Renovations of the pool area and executive club rooms were completed in October 2007.
• A 269-room, waterfront Ritz-Carlton, Tampa Bay, is scheduled to open in 2011 with a full-service spa, 30,000 square feet of meeting space, a private club lounge, a beach club, a boardwalk and a marina.
• The TradeWinds Grand Island Resort in St. Pete Beach is renovating its 35,000 square feet of meeting space; the $1.6 million project is scheduled for completion by September.
• The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine Florida completed a $10 million renovation of its 301 guest rooms. Additional improvements include a new restaurant and bar, and refurbished meeting space.
• The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina is scheduled to complete a $12 million renovation of its 681 guest rooms and 36 suites by the end of this year.
• A renovation of Mainsail Suites Hotel’s 100 guest rooms and suites is underway, to be compete by spring 2009.

Want to create a splash?

At The Florida Aquarium, groups can dine in aquarium-lined rooms, enjoy a reception on a private charter boat or buyout the entire venue for a progressive dinner; classroom space and eco-tours also are available.

Want to shake up a meal function?

Howl at the Moon helps planners throw the “world’s greatest happy hour” with drink specials, live entertainment and complimentary appetizers; its dueling piano show also goes on the road. The Improv in Ybor City serves food along with entertainment from some of the nation’s top comedians. The 42nd Street Bistro, a Broadway-themed restaurant and live music venue offers wine dinners and cooking classes. The Tampa Bay Brewing Company Restaurant & Brewery is housed in an historic horse stable in Ybor City; brewery tours also are available.

Want attendees to get their geek on?

Create a stargazing or puzzle-solving event for attendees at the Museum of Science and Industry, which also has an IMAX theater, a planetarium and galleries filled with hands-on science exhibits.

Want fun activities?

Busch Gardens offers team-building programs and exotic animal encounters in addition to convention facilities, group tours, banquet space and interactive entertainment. GameWorks has blacklight bowling lanes, an arcade with virtual reality games and on-site dining. Groups can charter Yacht StarShip Cruises or StarLight Cruises for tours, parties and meal functions.

Want a sports-themed venue?

Legends Field is where the New York Yankees hold spring training, and where their Class-A affiliates, the Tampa Yankees play; the 10,000-seat stadium has luxury suites for private groups, and can accommodate concerts, expos and other large events.

Want to meet in a place with history?

The Florida State Fairgrounds is home to several venues, including the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, Charlie Lykes Arena Complex and several hundred acres of landscaped grounds.

Want evening entertainment?

For live music, head to Skipper’s Smokehouse in North Tampa, which serves seafood and has an outdoor concert venue and bar; the restaurant also sells a variety of alligator products, T-shirts, hot sauce and other souvenirs. Ybor City is known for its nightclubs, especially along Seventh Avenue; Orpheum is one of the best, with live and DJ music. Howl at the Moon in Channelside has nightly dueling piano shows, which will travel for special events. International Plaza and Bay Street is a shopping complex with several restaurants and bars to choose from, including Blue Martini, which has 25 different martinis on its specialty drinks menu. The SoHo district is another nightlife hub.

Want group dining?

The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, a DiRoNa winner with private banquet space, has been in business since 1905; nightly Flamenco shows, and Spanish architecture add to the exotic atmosphere. Whiskey North serves up late night dinners, music and a clubby atmosphere; private party space is available. Mise en Place is known for its Modern American cuisine, specialty drinks and chichi lounge; the restaurant also has 80- and 30-seat private dining areas and a catering division. Attendees can prepare gourmet meals at cooking classes offered by popular local seafood restaurant Catch Twenty-Three. Restaurant BT is a stylish French-Vietnamese restaurant with private dining facilities and a catering department. International Plaza has several options, as well.

Want a festive backdrop?

The Gasparilla Pirate Fest is a weeklong series of pirate-themed events culminating in a battle for the City of Tampa and street parties celebrating the pirates’ victory. (It’s not a spoiler; they win every year.) Guavaween is an October festival modeled on Mardi Gras (with a liberal dash of Halloween); activities include street festivals, family activities and concerts. November’s Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City features live entertainment, a domino tournament, cigar-rolling demonstrations, museum tours and games.

Want to meet in a place with history?

Ybor City is on the National Register of Historic Places; unusual venues include the historic buildings, gardens, patios and galleries of the Ybor City Museum State Park. Immigrants at the turn of last century built grand social halls such as the Centro Asturiano de Tampa and the Cuban Club, which now have museum galleries and special event space. The American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship is a floating museum offering passenger cruises.

Want shopping?

Ybor City has unusual boutiques selling vintage clothing, home furnishings, art and hand-rolled cigars (which the neighborhood is known for). The Ybor City Fresh Market is an open-air bazaar; Ybor Square is a mall located inside an historic cigar factory building. Old Hyde Park Village is an open-air shopping center. The Shops at Channelside has art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs and more than 30 artist studios. Other recommended areas include Westshore Plaza, International Plaza and the Ellenton district.