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10/5/24

INDUSTRY NEWS

A Letter From Our President/CEO, Brian Lowack

Tis The Season!

Amongst the hearts, flowers, and candy, I think we can all agree on one thing we really love this time of year – high season! As we roll into the spring, we are looking forward to welcoming visitors from around the globe for their favorite time of year and our favorite time of year!

February also means the start of major sporting events season in our destination. After a very successful (RECORD BREAKING!) WWE Royal Rumble performance at Tropicana Field, we are ready to serve as Spring Training host for the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, and, of course, all their loyal fans.  This month will also see the return of the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, which pits 16 of the top college softball teams from around the country in a preseason tournament at the Eddie C. Moore Complex from February 15-18.

And then, right around the corner in March, we are looking forward to showing off our slice of paradise to an international audience during the St. Pete Grand Prix and the Valspar PGA Championship.

Not only do we boast America’s Best Beaches and some of the top cultural attractions in the country, we are also working hard to bring visitors to Pinellas County through a variety of amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year around all parts of the county.

Play Ball!

WWE Royal Rumble Success!

WWE Royal Rumble took over St. Petersburg on January 26 and was a huge success at Tropicana Field! There was a record-breaking attendance, with 48,044 people, making it the largest event ever at Tropicana Field! The show aired on Peacock, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok with a massive fan base watching the City of St. Pete shine and seeing all the great branding and beauty of our destination across the broadcast!

St. Pete Wins Traveler's Choice Award!

St. Pete placed #2 in the Traveler’s Choice Award for Best of the Best Destination! Fewer than 1% of TripAdvisor’s listings are awarded, signifying the highest level of travel excellence. This is based off the entire destination, including hotels, restaurants, things to do, customer reviews and more!

Postcard Inn Receives Couple's Choice Award!

Congrats to the Postcard Inn on the Beach for receiving a Couple's Choice Award from WeddingWire! Looking for more of those unforgettable sunset weddings at their stunning beachfront hotel in 2024. 

St. Nicholas Boat Line Turns 100!

Congratulations to St. Nicholas Boat Line on celebrating 100 years of service in the Tarpon Springs community! This boat line is a huge part of the Tarpon Springs sponge dock history and community. 

Webb's City Cellars nominated for Outstanding Bar!

Green Bench Brewing nominated for USA Today 10Best's!

Green Bench Brewing in St. Pete has been nominated as part of USA Today 10Best’s “Best Beer Garden” award. They currently sit at #8 (out of 20) and the only way to take the lead in these is a massive amount of support from everyone. If you love our destination, and our craft beer scene, please be sure to set yourself a reminder to vote daily up until Monday, February 26^th. Winning this prestigious award would be a huge win for us all!

2024 National Travel & Tourism Week

Don’t forget! National Travel & Tourism Week is May 19^th-May 25^th this year. 

Last Chance to Sign Up for Partner Events!

Coffee Chat with the CEO
8:30-9:30 a.m. Feb. 9 at VSPC Offices. Limited to 25 registrations
Meet Visit St. Pete Clearwater’s CEO Brian Lowack, for coffee and some casual conversation.

VSPC TAKES ON WWE!

Digital & Data

The VSPC Digital Team produced a great asset in conjunction with the WWE Royal Rumble at Tropicana Field. The social media content, featuring WWE Superstars Big E and Zelina Vega - and spotlighting local establishments, generated 1.6 million cross-platform impressions, reached 1.1 social media accounts, and received over 100,000 cross-platform social engagements. We also had our most viewed Instagram reel, with 755,000 views! Our social team is always highlighting our partners so make sure to follow Visit St. Pete/Clearwater on social media for more content!

EVERYBODY LOVES PIE!

VSPC had a great time on January 23 with our partners at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport as we celebrated the airport’s record-setting 2023 on the most perfect day of all – National PIE Day at PIE! Visit St. Pete/Clearwater President/CEO Brian Lowack joined PIE Director Tom Jewsbury and airport officials handing out pies to visitors as they landed in our beautiful destination.  

VSPC celebrated the 100^th Anniversary of the St. Pete Shuffleboard Club with a special invite-only media event at the Royal Palm Shuffleboard Club in Brooklyn. We had a great turnout and had a blast talking about the centennial celebration of America’s Oldest and Largest shuffleboard club, along with all the new additions for visitors to experience throughout Pinellas County! 

Film Commission

A Taste of Love follows a culinary TV chef as she heads to her hometown to reignite her passion for cooking. Filmed in Dunedin and Clearwater Beach, this film is emblematic of the local culinary scene and small town feel of Dunedin, FL.  See notable locations such as Fenway Hotel, Sea Sea Riders, Edgewater Park and Wild Iris Café sprinkled throughout.  The film premieres on the Hallmark Channel February 19th at 8/7c.

Rock the Block, HGTV’s home renovation competition, will return for a new season on Monday, March 4, at 9 p.m. This year, the show centers around Treasure Island as four returning teams will get a shot at redemption, competing to add the most value to waterfront homes.

The St. Pete/Clearwater area was voted as one of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine in 2024! This is the fourth year the area has been on the list, as we join rarified air with only Miami and Ft. Lauderdale as the other Florida cities to join in the rankings.

Brand Activations

At the start of 2024, our activations team has been shining bright! At the MLK Dream Big Parade, our Let’s Shine campaign was on display and the branded boat as our parade float. John's Pass Seafood Festival was the debut of our "From Visitors with Love" concert stage! The stage featured local musicians exclusively throughout the weekend. This is yet another great example of a tourism activity benefiting locals and exposure to local artist. Festivals of Speed in Vinoy Park was also a success, showing off the sweet rides of St. Pete.

As if the start of the year couldn’t get any bigger, St. Pete/Clearwater is bracing for some huge events coming to the destination this spring. 

• Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational – 2/15 to 2/18
• Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – 3/8 to 2/25
• Valspar Championship – 3/21 to 4/14

Interested in partnering with us at an event? Please contact Craig Campbell for our next Partner Activation sign up!

Advertising and Promotions

There is still time to participate in VSPC’s 2024 Co-Op Advertising Program! Opportunities available include top-performing email placements, online, print, and OOH for our arts & attractions partners. Details about each opportunity are available on the media kit. If interested in securing your placement, please contact Katie Bridges.

VSPC Consumer Email:
VSPC Featured Partner – August ($1300) 
VSPC Featured Partner – September ($1300) 

VSPC Sponsored Content – February ($650) 
VSPC Sponsored Content – April ($650) 
VSPC Sponsored Content – July ($650) 
VSPC Sponsored Content – October ($650) 
VSPC Sponsored Content – November ($650) 
VSPC Sponsored Content – December ($650)
 
VSPC Footer Image Collage – March ($500) 
VSPC Footer Image Collage – May ($500) 
VSPC Footer Image Collage – June ($500) 
VSPC Footer Image Collage – October ($500) 
VSPC Footer Image Collage – November ($500)
VSPC Footer Image Collage – December ($500) 

VSPC Dedicated Email: 
VSPC Dedicated Email - Custom SOV Email July ($3,250) 
VSPC Dedicated Email - Custom SOV Email December ($3,250) 

Digital Ads:
VISIT FLORIDA Programmatic – August ($3,750) 
Expedia Display Ads – June ($2,500) 
Expedia Display Ads – July (x2) ($2,500) 
Expedia Display Ads – September ($2,500)

Meetings Today 
Meetings Today - Full Page Print Ad – April ($1,125) 
PCMA Convene Magazine – Full Page Print Ad – May/June ($2,100) 

For Arts & Attractions Partners ONLY 
The Artisan Magazine – Full Page Print Ad – July/August ($445) 
Digital Billboards – Availability TBD (will confirm upon interest)
St. Pete-Clearwater Airport Baggage Claim – Availability TBD (will confirm upon interest)
Tampa International Airport – Availability TBD (will confirm upon interest)