Dear Industry Partners,

Greetings from Las Vegas, where I'm joined with numerous hotel partners at this year’s IMEX - the largest trade show for meetings, events and incentive travel industry professionals - meeting with planners and key decision makers to bring group business back to St. Pete-Clearwater. We have kicked off the new fiscal year on an incredibly high note, propelled by some of the very recent milestones and remarkable progress we have achieved for our beautiful destination.

Speaking of accomplishments, let’s extend our heartfelt congratulations to our partners who continue to garner well-deserved recognitions. A massive shout-out goes to the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa for securing the top spot as the #1 Resort in Florida in Condé Nast Traveler's prestigious Readers' Survey awards, followed by the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa in second place. Additionally, The Don CeSar was proudly recognized, landing a spot in the Top 10 under the Top Hotels in Florida category. Congratulations! 

We are also excited to announce a new partnership with Envisionit, a dynamic advertising agency joining our team. Envisionit will collaborate with the Visit St. Pete-Clearwater team to push the boundaries of tourism marketing with fresh ideas, cutting-edge technology, and assist in sharing the unique, compelling story of our destination to the world.

Our team’s momentum in promoting our slice of paradise hasn’t slowed down, maintaining our strategic focus and commitment of our promotional efforts. Recently, the team completed sales missions, activations, and events in key markets like Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., London, and Mexico, ensuring that the unparalleled experience of a St. Pete-Clearwater vacation remains top-of-mind for travelers planning their next getaway. 

To all the baseball fans out there, join us as we cheer on our Spring Training residents - the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays - in the league’s postseason. We look forward to welcoming their fans for spring training to hopefully celebrate their success! And congratulations to another of our spring visitors, the Philadelphia Union of the MLS. They clinched the Supporters Shield with a game to spare and head into the playoffs as the top seed.

This is a unique and exciting time of year, with some of our elite events doubling up with the anticipation of the holidays. With milder fall temperatures, visitors can enjoy a day on our award-winning white sand beaches, a vibrant night outing in our cities, savor an award-worthy memorable meal & everything that makes our destination a special place to celebrate.

Thank you, as always, for your essential partnership. Together, we are poised for a prosperous and productive year ahead. We’re ready to hit the ground running & continue the ever-rewarding task of driving visitation to America’s Favorite Beaches.

Congratulations to the Bilmar Beach Resort on their recent ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the full re-opening of the resort, marking the completion of the lobby, first-floor guest rooms and the fully-renovated Waves Beach Bar.

From Sept. 11–14, 2025, VisitSPC brought a taste of the Gulf Coast to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, the city’s signature four-day celebration of food and drink. As thousands of guests and ATL locals explored 50+ tasting stations, chef demos, and curated dinners, our team partnered with Bon Appétit's Chef Cruz and The Original Crabby Bill’s to spotlight the fresh, vibrant flavors of St. Pete-Clearwater.

Festival-goers sampled coastal favorites from our rotating menu: Florida Pink Shrimp stuffed with Blue Crab, a Petit Cuban Sandwich, Gulf Grouper topped with mango slaw and key lime aioli, and Creamy Burrata with Florida strawberries. The activation gave locals a true taste of our culinary culture while positioning St. Pete-Clearwater as a top food destination.

The Meetings & Conferences team joined forces with the Leisure Team in a mid-west sales mission, hosting 50 people for a Minnesota Twins game in Minneapolis with several of our hotel partners joining along with meeting planners and clients. Additionally, the team presented at the Prestige Global Meetings Office for an audience of 55 Prestige Global Source members. This initiative concluded with a hosted lunch and presentation in Wayzata, MN for a total of 30 clients and meeting planners.   

VisitSPC’s Meetings and Communications Team, in conjunction with the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, brought St. Pete-Clearwater's sunshine to The City of Brotherly Love, engaging with clients and media to promote the destination to prospective clients and fostering earned media opportunities in one of the destination's key markets in the U.S. 

President/CEO Brian Lowack, Director of International Leisure Sales Andrea Gabel, and our Mexico representative, Maria Cardenas from PTG Consulting, gathered in Mexico City for a sales mission designed to strengthen relationships with key operators, travel advisors, and media in a key LATAM market for St. Pete-Clearwater.

The mission featured destination presentations, one-on-one meetings, and networking events, generating strong interest in expanding packages and co-op promotions. The increased awareness of our destination helps to secure new marketing opportunities and set the stage for upcoming FAM trips and collaborative campaigns.

On Sept. 12-13, VisitSPC was thrilled to host nine top-producing Brazilian travel agents on their first visit to our destination. In partnership with Visual Turismo and Arkbeds DMC, we showcased the best of Clearwater Beach and the vibrant attractions of downtown St. Pete, creating a lasting impression and leaving the agents inspired and eager to share our destination with their clients. Our appreciation goes to all the partners who assisted in making this a great experience for travel agents promoting our destination.

The VisitSPC Communications team, along with Rooster, the agency on record in the U.K., participated in the first overseas edition of VISIT FLORIDA's Florida Huddle. In conjunction with other Florida destinations, this event was a great opportunity to engage with the travel trade and media professionals in the U.K. and continue promoting St. Pete-Clearwater to one of its most important international inbound market. 

We're thrilled to announce that Visit St. Pete-Clearwater has been honored with a prestigious Best of Meetings Today Award!

This award, voted on by meeting planners, positions the St. Pete-Clearwater destination among the top venues for meetings, globally. This recognition is a powerful testament to the outstanding service, incredible value, and unique experiences available for everyone attending meetings throughout Pinellas County.

St. Pete Distillery

Best Craft Distillery Tour

Charlie Justice, president of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, along with Chef Joey de los Santos from Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach's Ocean Hai, were part of a live segment to promote this year's Taste of the Beaches. 

https://www.wtsp.com/video/features/great-day-live/taste-of-the-beaches-returns/67-c8e60926-ac98-4c18-beea-79f02faaecc3

Travel trade publications Travel Report and Ladevi covered Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’s recent visit to Mexico City:

Sally Bendall, who visited St. Pete-Clearwater in a recent individual press trip, published the following pieces:

Jewish News Services editor Menachem Wecker, visited to cover the reopening of the re-imagined Florida Holocaust Museum and produced the following article, which is syndicated out across their network:

Powerful juxtapositions, no AI at reopened Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Pete

The Partner Portal is the gateway to updating your business listing and staff member directory, upload videos, photos, and special offers, share your social media channels, & so much more. Partners with questions about navigating the Partner Portal or that do not have a username or password to log in to the partner portal, can email Contact@VisitSPC.com.