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1. Even though I can outrun them with my long strides and speeds of up to 35 mph, what animal is largely considered my main predator in the wild? A Lion of course...
2. The ancient Romans believed I was a hybrid of a camel and a leopard (which they referred to as Camelopardalis,") but in actuality, my closest animal relative is what? I will give you a hint... we actually have some here at the zoo, and they are of the "striped" variety. My good friend the "Okapi" is my closest relative.
   

1. Even though I can outrun them with my long strides and speeds of up to 35 mph, what animal is largely considered my main predator in the wild?
2. The ancient Romans believed I was a hybrid of a camel and a leopard (which they referred to as Camelopardalis,") but in actuality, my closest animal relative is what? I will give you a hint... we actually have some here at the zoo, and they are of the "striped" variety. 

Greetings! Intern Katy here.

After braving the horrendous traffic conditions due to the torrential Tampa Bay weather this morning, Lindsey and I were relieved to finally make it safely into the office. I hope you can all say the same.

This afternoon we met with Lisa Reilly, Director of Sales for a tour of the newly renovated Howard Johnson Plaza located adjacent to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in downtown Tampa. While I did not have the privilege of seeing the hotel prior to the renovation, I must say that the inside currently looks great, with paintings by local artists covering the walls, elegant lighting fixtures, a stylish lounge. After the tour, we sat down in the cafe and ate a very tasty lunch while Lindsey and Lisa caught up. Not only is the Howard Johnson Plaza beautiful but it is one of the most film-friendly hotels Tampa Bay has to offer. Thanks Lisa, for the tour and the tasty lunch.

Also, just a friendly reminder that there is LESS THAN A WEEK left to sign up for the Summer Camp Film School, starting on Monday, July 6th. There are ONLY 5 SPACES LEFT! So sign up TODAY!

Looking forward to an office-wide hurricane season update this afternoon from Tampa Bay Emergency Management. Luckily, I'm already wearing my wellies.

Stay dry!
 

TBT recently released their Top 100 Tampa Bars issue, right in time for the long 4th of July weekend. 

The winners are:

Ultimate Drinking Destination
 Hyde Park Café
 
Ultimate Irish Pub
 Four Green Fields
 
Ultimate Party
 Jackson’s Bistro
 
Ultimate Corner Bar
 The Hub
 
Ultimate New Club
 Aja Channelside
 
Hyde Park Cafe's Rafael Martinez was voted Tampa Bay's Ultimate Bartender 2009. 
 
Also listed as top destinations for the bar scene are:

Fly Bar & Restaurant
Splitsville
Hattrick’s
TAPS Wine & Beer Merchants
The Retreat
Howl at the Moon

More proof that downtown Tampa is an excellent place for your Tampa Bay entertainment needs! Stay safe and perhaps I will see you out and about this holiday weekend!

Stay tuned for more things to do in Tampa Bay!

Good afternoon everyone! Rachel Kardos here with some exciting news! American's Next Top Model will be hosting a casting call right here in our backyard! The event is being held next Wednesday, July 8th, from 9am till 3pm at the RITZ Ybor.

Here are the details:  
 
Requirements:
• Female
• Between 18 and 27 in age
• At least 5'7" in height
• US Citizen AND resident

Must Bring:
• Completed Application
• 3 Photos
• 2 Forms of ID 

There is no weight requirement and no modeling experience necessary.

Only participant's will be allowed in The RITZ Ybor for casting.  Family and friends will not be allowed inside.

If you plan to audition in person early arrival is strongly suggested.
CLICK HERE to download Application and Eligibility Requirements. GOOD LUCK!
 

1. Meekats are not in fact cats, but members of what "suricates-slender-tailed" family?
2. What "Desert" region of Africa are you most likely to find a Meerkat?

1. Meekats are not in fact cats, but members of what "suricates-slender-tailed" family?
2. What "Desert" region of Africa are you most likely to find a Meerkat?

Hey everyone!  Travis here with some tips on how to save this summer in downtown Tampa!  The tip - make sure you get one of your FREE Summertime Savings Cards so you can save at 61 of downtown's best venues...and it starts today! 

Summertime Savings Cards are valid from July 1, 2009 through September 7, 2009 - Labor Day!

The Summertime Savings Card is FREE and available at numerous locations throughout downtown.  To find a place where you can pick up a brochure containing a card, click here.
 
Once you get your brochure listing the discounts available at the 61 venues and the card, get out there and enjoy all that downtown Tampa has to offer this summer!
 
Where and what are these big savings you ask, well, click here to see a PDF copy of the brochure.
 
Now, how's that for some savings on some great Tampa Bay entertainment...and, it'll give you some tips on where to eat, what to do and so much more! 

And, keep checking back for more great things to do in Tampa Bay! 
 

Hey gang!  Travis here with an update I know you have been waiting for...and if you haven't then you should have been!  We've got some great Tampa Bay entertainment for you and the whole family!  It's a little bit off, but we just got word that Disney On Ice is bringing Princess Classics back to Tampa in September.  Here's the scoop -

Disney On Ice waves its magic wand to bring an awe-inspiring, magical masterpiece to your city! Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics, produced by Feld Entertainment, features Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White – as they skate into the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, September 10-13, 2009. Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics go on sale July 31.

Disney On Ice combines exceptional moments from Disney’s Cinderella, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in one captivating production filled with amazement and wonder. Dreamers of all ages will take flight on a heart-warming tale filled with sizzling special effects, dazzling set designs and elegant artistry on ice. Families will share moments of laughter, romance, struggle and triumph as each Disney princess has her dreams come true.

Show Times are Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 12 at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1:00 p.m. 

Now, I'm sure there is at least one time that works for you in there.  Head over to www.disneyonice.com to get the full scoop and ticket info. 

Keep checking back for more great things to do in Tampa Bay...the Tampa Bay entertainment just keeps getting better and better.
 

Hey everyone.  Travis here again with more great things to do in Tampa Bay for the fourth of July.  This time, the Tampa Bay History Center is offering free admission for all visitors on July 4th (courtesy of a sponsorship by John Bales Attorneys and Bales Security Agency, Inc.) 

Plus, the History Center is extending the hours of the galleries until 8:30 pm so visitors who want to view the Channelside fireworks from Cotanchobee Park can get some relief from the heat and pass the time until the 9:00 launch.  The galleries will be open until 8:30 pm and the Lykes Atrium and Columbia Cafe will be open until at least 10:00 pm.

I'm sure that it'll be packed there, so everyone is encouraged to arrive early as there will be activity throughout the day at Channelside Bay Plaza and multiple showings of “Saltimbanco” at the St. Pete Times Forum.  Visitors can park at the St. Pete Times Forum VIP East lot which is just north of the History Center building, the Channelside parking garage, various downtown surface lots, downtown street parking or in the Ybor City parking garage, taking the HARTline trolley to the History Center.

Now, we have given you a ton of different options to enjoy some Tampa Bay entertainment for the Fourth of July...so, which one will you be at?  or, do you have somewhere else we haven't mentioned...let us know. 

Remember to keep checking in for more great things to do in Tampa Bay for the fourth of July! 

 

Playing catch up today after a week out of the office for business meetings and a little R&R in the islands. (If I owe you an email, it's coming...I promise!) I spent the greater part of last week attending the annual Film Florida meetings in Miami Beach. A very special thanks to our host - Miami Beach Office of Film and Event Production Management.

A large part of our annual meeting is the election of a new Board of Directors as well as new chairs for various councils. I'm proud to have been named the Chair of the Film Commissioner's Council. I will serve this post for one year and can only hope to achieve half the success of our former chair and St Pete/Clearwater Film Commissioner, Jennifer Parramore.

Along with meetings focused on legislative strategies and marketing opportunities, Film Florida hosted the 2009 Film Florida Legend Awards. The Legend Award – launched in 2006 – honors Sunshine State pioneers in the film, television and production industry. The Film Florida Legends Award is to honor those who have made a significant impact on film in Florida – whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera.

This year's honorees are William Grefe (some of you might remember meeting Bill at last year's Gasparilla International Film Festival right here in Tampa), Michelle Marx, Errol Falcon and Mike McGowan Sr (posthumously). No photos available just yet but I will get them up soon.

A quick shout out to our friends at Tigerlily Media, who were the first recipients of  the Don Davis Film Finishing Fund for their documentary film, Thespians. A portion of Thespians was filled here in Tampa during the 2008 Florida State Thespian Festival at the Tampa Convention Center. TigerLily’s  principals Warren Skeels and Brenda Egedy Kolb were on hand to accept the  $1,500 grant to help complete the film. The award presentation was a part of the Legend Award ceremony in Miami Beach last week.

Today, we mourn the loss of Billy Mays, pitchman extroidonaire and a wonderful member of the Tampa Bay production community. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Hey everyone...Travis back with more great things to do in Tampa Bay for the Fourth of July.  We have already brought some great Tampa Bay entertainment for you to participate in, but we have a couple of other options here. 

The sparks will be flying at the 4th of July Rock 'n Wings Concert at Albert Whitted Airport, located at 1st Street and 5th Avenue South in St. Petersburg.  This 4th of July extravaganza will provide fun, food and fireworks, plus some amazing entertainment, arts and crafts, and exhibits.  In addition to two regional acts, attendees will get to see 2008 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer headline the event’s festivities. 

There is an admission to this one, but it will be well worth it.  Adults are $10 and children, ages 12 and under, are $5.  The excitement begins at 4 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. but make sure you get there early as the gates open at 3 p.m.  There will be convenient on-site parking and an excellent view of St. Petersburg's Fireworks display.

Next is an annual event that Tampa Bay residents look forward to each and every year.  Yes, we are talking about the 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at Channelside Bay Plaza!  I have personally been to this one several time and I can tell you that you may not find a better place for a one-stop-shop of food, fun and fireworks. 

Again, it’s FREE and it all starts at 9 p.m.  You’ll get to experience live music, vendors kid’s activities and much, much more.  To cap things off, there will be a twenty-minute long fireworks display launched from a barge in the Garrison Channel.  The display can be seen from Channelside Bay Plaza, Yacht Starship, The Florida Aquarium, Cotanchobee Park, the Marriott Waterside, Harbor Island, the St. Pete Times Forum and even Bayshore Boulevard.  So, come downtown to enjoy fireworks and fun for the whole family!

And there you have it.  But don't worry, as we hear about more awesome Tampa Bay events for the fourth of July, we'll bring them to you.  Until then, keep checking back for other things to do in Tampa Bay.
 

Hey gang!  Travis here with some great Tampa Bay entertainment options for your Fourth of July weekend.  It's right around the corner, and we are going to be bringing you some great ways to spend your holiday. 

We'll start off with the fourth of July weekend at MOSI!  From July 3-5, Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry will celebrate Independence Day by offering one FREE admission with the purchase of a MOSI general admission ticket. Spend July 4 with family and experience over 450 hands-on exhibits, an IMAX Dome Theatre film, and Kids in Charge!

the 4th of July - Hometown Celebration in Seminole.  This is a kid’s celebration of the ages that no kid, or kid-at-heart, should miss.  Radio Disney will be out there spinning to the tunes and providing some entertainment.  Plus, there will be amusements, games, slides, bounce houses, glow in the dark golf, children's activities, food, prizes and so much more.  If you are lucky enough (and you have to actually be there to be luck enough), you could win tickets to see Disney star Demi Lovato live in concert! 

And here’s something I know each of you will love…it’s FREE!  All of the action happens at the Seminole Mall, 11201 Park Blvd. in Seminole, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Obviously there won’t be fireworks inside the mall, but don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to get to the fireworks exhibitions after the celebration. 

And that's it for now, but I'll be back soon for more awesome things to do in Tampa Bay for the fourth of July.  So, keep checking back.  See you soon....
 

• Adagio - I think i pulled a muscle just watching these guys. They actually started off the show, and what a great way to get the crowd ooooing and ahhhhing early on in the show. I can't even imagine the level of concentration it takes to do most of that. It was like watching a group of human pretzels! Amazing!
• Artistic Bicycle - I thought I was a whiz on a bike until I saw this guy! When he came out I just figured he would do a few x-games level tricks and then ride off into the sunset. Not quite, as he put on an amazing 10 minute or so performance of some of the most unique and out of this worlds tricks on that bike. Each time he did a trick i was afraid that he would land on his head or hurt himself, and he surprised me as he was flawless the entire time.
• Chinese Poles - I personally would snap one of those poles if I tried to climb up them and steady myself. One to many slices of pizza I guess. The ease with which the performers climb up these poles, and perform tricks like JUMPING FROM ONE POLE TO THE NEXT. Sorry to yell, but it was truly fascinating.
• Juggling - I was thinking that a guy juggling was not going to impress me much. Boy was I wrong. This guy was sick. I could barely see and keep up with how many he was juggling, so I don't know how he does it. At one point towards the end, he even began juggling the balls against the stairs while walking down them. Amazing stuff.
• Boleadores - This was an amazing performance as well. The tiny boleadora instrument that they used is that makes this so magical in how they are actually able to make a percussion like sound by swinging this and hitting the ground with it. This art-form originated in Argentina and was originally performed by only men, but for this performance there is a man and a woman on display.
• Russian Swing - This was probably the most action packed I would say. The performers of this show were a very high energy group, and they needed to be with the gravity defying stunts that were performed. There were so high doing these flips and such that I was concerned they they would hit their heads...lol. I though Lebron had some hops, but he has nothing on this crew!
• Duo Trapeze - I think I was on the edge of my seat for this entire performance. These two performers will have you gasping for breath each time they attempt to perform a move. The amount of strength, focus, and trust with in one another is on display here.
• Hand to Hand - I felt the need to go to the gym last night and probably tonight after watching this performance of strength and focus. I can only liken it to watching the Olympics, but to the 10Th degree of difficulty. Be careful though, watching this will make you want to go outside and do a handstand...or was that just me! Yeah it was just me...lol
• Bungees - Another one of the more beautiful high flying acts of them all last night. Like the rest of the show, these were executed with perfection. They were practically swinging from the rafters!