About Tampa
Along the Gulf Coast, Tampa is a beach town with all sorts of fun in the sun activities. It doesn’t hurt that it is almost always warm and sunny in Tampa as well. In fact, there are almost 3,000 sunny hours per month with average highs in the 80s and lows in the upper 60s. So, bring your sunscreen and sunglasses.
Choosing a Tampa meeting space is a fabulous idea any time of the year, but you may have a hard time keeping everyone’s focus at the meeting if they are anxious to get to the beach. Choose a venue nearby or on the beach so your guests can enjoy the natural beauty of the city while they are there.
Meeting Options in Tampa
Once you decide you want a meeting space in Tampa, your work is not over yet. Besides finding the perfect venue, you also need to have some food, transportation, and maybe even a little entertainment. The city has plenty of options to choose from.
- Catering
Being a coastal city, you are right to assume that Tampa catering companies serve stellar seafood. But they do not stop there. You will find all sorts of different cuisines like Mexican, French, and Italian to name a few. Contact one of the caterers in the city to take care of the menu planning, serving, and clean up so you don’t have to.
- Transportation
Whether your guests are locals or are coming in from out of town, it is always good to provide some kind of transportation like a car service. Not only does it guarantee that everyone will be there on time, but it also makes sure your guests arrive safely to the meeting and back again.
- Equipment Rental
From AV equipment to laptops and everything in between, finding a rental company that provides what you need should not be difficult in Tampa. Even if you need a stage, lighting, or a mobile generator, you can find it for rent next to the party games and concession stands.
- Décor
You may also be able to rent the décor from a rental place but why not have a professional decorator come and do all the setup for you too. Even if you are into decorating, you probably have too much to do instead. Like working on your tan at the beach.
Meeting Companies in Tampa
The only problem you may have in finding vendors to do all that for you is choosing from so many. We chose a few to get you started.
- Fiesta Solutions
No matter what you need for your Tampa meeting space, you can get it from Fiesta Solutions because they literally have everything. For example, you can get tables and chairs, tents with AC, linens and china, lighting, sound equipment, mobile generators, and games like cornhole and giant Jenga. They can even provide concessions like a snow cone machine, popcorn maker, and cotton candy blower.
- Olympia Catering
Since the 1950s, Olympia has been serving stellar food and drinks to the locals as well as being the exclusive catering service for the Museum of Fine Arts. In fact, they have won several awards including the Best of Weddings by the Knot, Wedding Wire Couples’ Choice Awards, and they are a member of the National Association for Catering and Events. Choose from several menus with dishes like beef tenderloin crostini and bacon-wrapped sea scallops.
- Tampa Towncar
If you need a ride for yourself or your guests, Tampa Towncar offers transportation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You get professional, vetted, insured drivers with a company that has been serving the area since 1996. They provide a variety of black-car choices from a three-person sedan to a 10-passenger limo van.
Pros and Cons of Meetings in Tampa
Even a beach town like Tampa has its cons along with its pros. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of having your meeting space in Tampa before making any concrete plans.
Advantages
- The weather
If you like sunshine and warm weather (and who doesn’t?), Tampa is where you need to book your meeting space. It never snows and rarely gets below 50 degrees F.
- Lots of venues
Tampa is full of amazing places to have a meeting from conference centers and hotels to beaches and parks. Whatever you want, you can find it in Tampa.
- Low prices
Believe it or not, buying things in Tampa is not expensive.This translates to reasonable prices for supplies.
Disadvantages
- The humidity
If you are not a fan of hot temperatures and high humidity, do not plan your Tampa meeting space in the summer months. Instead, try planning your meeting in the winter.
- Hurricanes
There is a higher-than-average risk of hurricanes in Tampa. In fact, they have an 11% chance of being impacted by a hurricane, which may not seem like much, but it will if you are there during a storm.
- High crime rate
While the crime rate in Tampa is not the highest, it is higher than average. Stick to safe neighborhoods like Cosme, Carrollwood, and Palma Ceia.
Famous Locations in Tampa
- The Florida Aquarium
This 250,000 square-foot aquarium is home to over 7,000 aquatic animals and plants. The most popular exhibits include the coral reef, simulated beach, and the 4D theater. You can even meet some of the African penguins. Book this earthy jungle oasis while you are in town for your meeting so you can feel like you are in the wild tropics.
- Busch Gardens
You do not have to be a kid to love visiting Busch Gardens. It opened in 1959 and has 335 acres with dozens of rides and over 2,700 animals. The park boasts 11 roller coasters, six rides for kids, and two water rides as well as many more. Or you can take a jungle tour on the Serengeti Express to see hundreds of animals.
- Lowry Park
This scenic park along the Hillsborough River features more than just boating and playgrounds. In fact, the main attraction is ZooTampa, which has 63 acres with over 1,300 animals from aardvarks to zebras and everything in between. Rent a pavilion nearby on the river for your meeting right near the zoo.
