Have you ever wanted to climb a frozen, vertical waterfall, or maybe surf down a building size water-wall? Unless you are a professional you probably shouldn’t attempt these activities, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t experience them. Extreme is making its way to MOSI’s IMAX Dome Theatre on November 14.

Extreme is a documentary was filmed using IMAX cameras and trails adventurist athletes as they surf, windsurf, ski, snowboard, rockclimb and iceclimb. The action packed documentary also has an original music soundtrack.

On opening night, MOSI will have local adventure enthusiasts at the theatre from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm to talk about what fuels their passion for adventure. MOSI is home to the only IMAX Dome Theatre in the state of Florida making it one of the premier Tampa Florida attractions. So make sure you stop by and check out the newest Extreme experience at MOSI's IMAX Dome Theatre for the latest in Tampa Bay entertainment!

It’s that time of the year!  That’s right, you all know what I’m talking about…it’s time to go and scream, run, yell, jump, cower and just plain haul tail from things that you actually think are going to kill you as you walk through this year’s Howl-O-Scream at one of the best Tampa Bay Attractions, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. 

If you don’t believe me, just log on to their website, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream, and take a look at the bottom to see a disclaimer that reads, “Warning!  This year’s event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore & blood.”  And if that’s not enough, look through the site just a bit, and you’ll be scared before you even get to the gates! 

If you are looking for things to do in Tampa Bay, it all starts tonight, and you can bet you fast-beating (and may soon to be not beating) pulse that I will be there over the next few days to see what this year’s event has in store, and see if their claim of, “Not all nightmares happen when you sleep” really is true!  Check back next week to see the report…

If you are brave enough to dare the danger, and actually make it out alive, report back and let us know how it was.  But, just in case, drop us a line before you go, so we know to report you missing after a few days! 

Three museums will become the newest addition to downtown Tampa by the end of 2009. Take a look at the details:

The Tampa Museum of Art is moving to a brand new 66,000-square-foot facility in downtown Tampa, overlooking the Hillsborough River. Construction will begin in the spring and is set to be completed in the fall of 2009.


The 50,000-square-foot Glazer Children's Museum, adjacent to the Tampa Museum of Art, will be a new attraction for children of all ages to learn about commerce, science and history in an exciting and educational environment.

The Tampa Bay History Center will move from its original home to a new 60,000-square-foot waterfront, "green" facility. This innovative building is the first new downtown construction to be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The museum will have a theater, space to accommodate special events, exhibits, classrooms and a research library.

Wow, these three new museums are going to add so much to downtown Tampa's attraction package! Can you just picture the wonderful events you could hold at the stylish and contemporary Tampa Museum of Art? Or maybe a themed reception or banquet at the History Center? And all of them have waterfront views of the bay and the Garrison Channel, what more could you ask for?

Am I writing about things that you want to learn about? Tell me if there is something that I am missing. I love to write about new things going on in Tampa Bay!

Thanks for reading and make sure to keep checking back for more information on Tampa Florida attractions and Tampa Bay conventions facts!

We all see the affects of meetings, conventions, and especially big sporting events when they get in to town.  The fans…the players and coaches…and those funny people dressed up in crazy outfits screaming things that no one can understand.  If you are anything like me, you have to wonder… “what’s the benefit of it all???”

Well, the research is in for the 2008 NCAA Women’s Final Four that rolled through Tampa Bay in April of this year.  The Women’s Final Four brought in thousands of fans who stayed in our hotels, took Tampa Bay Tours, experienced Tampa Bay attractions, played on our golf courses and participated in all of the things to do in tampa bay.  

Well, the Championship, and all of the activities that went along with it, produced more than $19 MILLION in direct economic impact in Tampa Bay! 

Here are some stats (for those of you who are in to numbers):

• There was $19,114,228 of direct, new spending in the Tampa Bay metropolitan statistical area.
• The $19.1 million economic impact includes $16,655,769 in visitor spending; $2,399,936 in organizational spending; and $1,835,927 in taxes and charges (including hotel taxes, car rental taxes, sales tax, and airport passenger facility charges).
• There were 22,595 visitors to the Tampa Bay area at the Women’s Final Four, the Time Out in Tampa event and Hoop City.
• Of this total, 21,067 were considered “valid visitors,” when excluding those who switched a planned trip to the host city to coincide with the Women’s Final Four; and those visiting for other reasons.
• Valid visitors stayed an average of 4.2 days and spent an average of $208 per day. Among fans attending the semifinal and championship games, 91 percent were from out of town. For Hoop City attendees, 87 percent were visitors and 13 percent were local residents. Of those attending the Time Out in Tampa, 88 percent were visitors and 12 percent were local.
• 75 percent of attendees came from outside the state of Florida and 75 percent were female.
• The average age of attendees was 46.1 years, and 74 percent of attendees had earned college or postgraduate degrees.

As far as things to do in Tampa Bay go, this one ranks at the top!  If you want to read the entire new release, log on to the VisitTampaBay website, or click here: http://www.visittampabay.com/articles/index.cfm?action=View&ArticleID=336

For those of you who were at the event, let us know what you thought!  Or, if you have a business that saw the benefit, drop a line! 

 

Tampa Bay is growing at a faster rate than ever, with hotels popping up everywhere. Hoteliers are pushing for a January 2009 finish date in order to have their new rooms available for the 2009 Super Bowl, held at Tampa’s own Raymond James Stadium. Here are a few of the new properties that will be open in time for the Big Game:

The 122-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott Tampa Westshore was the first of the three hotels to open its doors in June of this year. This funky, fun and brightly-colored hotel has excellent rates and is centrally located, close to our International Airport, International Plaza and Bay Street and Westshore Plaza. Not to mention a full-service business center, heated outdoor pool, bar-b-que and picnic area and a 24-hour, friendly staff to assist you with all of your travel needs. This one is definitely worth checking out.
 
A 171-room Hilton Garden Inn opened its doors to the public on August 1. This modern and accommodating new hotel features a full-service, on-site restaurant, heated outdoor pool and whirlpool, state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary wi-fi in every guest room and Garden Sleep System adjustable beds… pretty nice amenities for an affordable hotel, located right in the heart of Tampa Bay. This hotel is the perfect addition to Tampa’s hotel package.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton is the third Avion Park property that is due for completion in December, just in time for the Super Bowl. I’ll have more information on this property as we get closer to its grand opening. For more information about these three properties, visit www.mckibbon.com.


With so many new rooms popping up in town, Tampa Bay is becoming a very dynamic city with many different accommodation options for tourists and business travelers, and even residents looking for a local getaway.

Do you have any updates on new hotels, restaurants or attractions in Tampa Bay? Tell me about it, I’m always open for new topics. As always, thanks for reading and keep coming back for more Tampa Bay news.

I promise you I won't start off with a map joke this time as long as you admit that the previous ones were hilarious!  Okay you win, maybe they were a bit corny, but its the spirit that counts right!  Speaking of maps, we got a very special delivery yesterday in the form of our new Tampa Bay & Company Visitor maps in English and Espanol!

These vibrant and colorful, yet easily navigable maps can be accessed by visiting our website and simply ordering one for the bargain price of... yes you guessed it...FREE!!!  I would suggest requesting your maps right around the time you start to plan for that Tampa Bay vacation I know you can't seem to get off of your mind. 

If you beat me to the punch and already find yourself on a tour of our first class destination, then feel free to stop by our Visitor Information Center and pick one up. Say hi to Lynn for me while your in there and be sure to pick up a few souvenirs!   

Q. Why was the map gesturing wildly?
A.  It was an animated map.

Yeah...Yeah...Yeah... I know what your thinking, but I only promised to not start off this message with a map joke!  No one said anything about ending it with one.

Got questions about finding awesome things to do in Tampa Bay,  our great hotels, or family fun filled Florida attractions? Maybe you have questions about ordering your maps or want to suggest another map joke?  Whatever your questions or comments, just let me know!

Okay Internet travel seekers, not only is it summertime, buts its about that time each month where we roll out the latest issue of the Tampa Bay Traveler!

Don't know what that is?  First of all shame on you, second of all, the Tampa Bay Traveler is our electronic newsletter that is distributed to all our "Future Tampa Visitors."  During the final week of each month, we gather up all the latest deals, news and, other happenings to send out in an email format to keep you up on what's goin down in the Bay!

Here you can look forward to the latest news on our Tampa Florida attractions, events, golf,  and other info to help you plan your next Tampa Bay Getaway.  This month's highlights include:

• Hot Summer Hotel Deals by Tampa Marriott Properties:  Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, Tampa Airport Marriott, Renaissance Tampa International Plaza, & Courtyard Tampa Airport Westshore.
• Summer events at the Dali Museum
• Dinosaurs!  at the Museum of Science & Industry
• African Culture and Dance at the Tampa Museum of Art
• and much more...

Feeling left out and wanna receive the Traveler each month?  Click here, or click on the "E-Newsletter" sign up on the right and be added to our recupient list for the latest cool stuff going on in Tampa Bay each month. 

Also, if you know of any cool deals in the Tampa Bay area, respond to this posting and let me know of any that you may have heard of!.

Be on the lookout for the July Traveler, and as always feel free to drop me a line! 

As your local interactive marketing guru, I spend countless hours focusing on ways to make traveling to Tampa more convenient and fun. When I am not playing soccer on the weekends, or watching old Star Trek:  The Next Generation re-runs, I find myself scouring the World Wide Web looking in search of the hottest trends in the industry. 

Having given you that wonderful introduction to my daily duties, I recently completed the digitization of our 2008 Travel Planner, a popular trend that is really optimizing our website visitors' experiences .  This comprehensive guide supplies travelers with a wide variety of information about the destination.  We offer the print version that we are more than happy to deliver to you at no charge, but for the impatient individual (like myself) who has to have it now, we offer the interactive version.

With convenience continuing to be a major factor in the tourism business, providing a stress-free experience for all visitors is paramount , and with the interactive planner, there’s a ton of information, just a mouse-click away.  Within the planner, you are exposed to a brief introduction to Tampa, how to get around, where to stay, things to do, dining and nightlife, and even area services. Additionally, an interactive regional map helps visitors navigate the Tampa Bay area.

So whether you are looking for the hottest Tampa Attractions, A golf get-a-way, or simply want to scout our fine selection of hotels, log onto www.VisitTampaBay.com/TravelPlanner08, and browse around and get the lay of the land before your visit!

Feel free to visit our site and request a physical copy of the book.  Stay tuned for the next update, and feel free to drop me a line.