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Committee To Study Convention Center

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By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 14, 2007

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association is studying prospects to expand or enhance the Tampa Convention Center, which faces keen competition from similar municipal facilities and new resort hotels with more meeting space than what Tampa can offer.

Next year, an association committee will focus on the future of the convention center to get several issues "on the table," association Executive Director Bob Morrison said Thursday. Morrison and others suggested that a realistic first step before expanding the center would be to enhance it.

"We need something to set the convention center apart from others," said Jim Bartholomay, general manager of the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza. "Maybe it is new technology. Being on the waterfront is not enough anymore."

Morrison said financing would be a key issue, adding that the committee will suggest that the county's tourism bed tax on hotel and motel guest bills be studied as a possible funding source.

John Moors, administrator for the city-owned, 600,000-square-foot convention center, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

He said earlier this week that there were no formal plans to expand the center, which has been considered in the past but was stymied by the complexities of costs and a downtown site where it would be difficult to add space.

At present, the Tampa Convention Center is performing well, surpassing annual revenue expectations for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 after booking 49 groups, the most in 10 years. The center reported $8.5 million in revenue from renting space and from concessions, $2 million more than expected.

When a Jacksonville task force studied Tampa as a convention center competitor earlier this year, in preparation for a proposal to improve or build a new convention complex, the group visiting here noted Tampa's promising combination of a waterfront location for the center and growing number of nearby hotel rooms.

However, Tampa officials said earlier this year that although the convention center was reporting a strong performance, competition had changed, both in terms of strategies and new facilities elsewhere.

Private venues such as the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee and the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center offer more space than the Tampa Convention Center. Those hotels also can offer one-stop shopping for meeting space, accommodations and food as advantages over Tampa's center.

In addition, while hoteliers and convention officials are reluctant to talk critically of competitors, Tampa officials throughout the year have discussed privately that other venues make deals to offer vastly reduced or even free meeting space during slow periods in exchange for a conference booking. The business rationale is that hotel, food and other expenditures will more than compensate for meetings rent.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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