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Dear Partners,
It was amazing to see so many of you at this year’s Annual Industry Partner Summit. Thank you to everyone who joined us on our road show and shared your thoughts through the survey. We hope you found the new format as valuable as we did.
As we look toward the horizon, our destination is gearing up to host some of the most exciting events of the year, all of which provide substantial economic impact for our region. From the Shriners Children's Invitational, which kicks off the college softball season in Clearwater, to the high-octane thrill of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg later this month, the start of spring training for the Phillies and the American League-Champion Blue Jays (celebrating their 50th season in Dunedin!), the eyes of the sporting world are firmly on us. And the momentum doesn't stop there—next month's calendar is jam packed with major events, including the most colorful stop on the PGA tour, The VALSPAR Championship, waterfront concerts, amateur sporting events & more.
While things are heating up here at home, our team is also on the road to keep America’s Favorite Beaches top-of-mind. Our Meetings & Convention team recently activated in Philadelphia, while our International Leisure Sales team, along with VisitSPC’s in-market agency, joined Brand USA on the ground in Mexico, all working to ensure our key markets and emerging international audiences remain engaged and inspired to book their next trip to St. Pete-Clearwater.
I encourage you to get out there and experience these world-class events firsthand. After all, there is no better way to promote our "slice of paradise" than to be a part of the excitement yourself.
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Preferred Hotel Partner Program – Seminole Hard Rock |
The Leisure Travel Department has an opportunity for hotel partners with the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa through their Preferred Hotel Partner Program.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa features a global loyalty program, Unity by Hard Rock, which offers members exclusive benefits and rewards based on their level of spend on property (gaming, dining, hotel, retail, and more). They would like to expand those benefits to include discounts with preferred hotel partners in Pinellas County, offering Unity members a 10-20% discount on their hotel stays. In return, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa will showcase your property’s information on their Preferred Hotel Partner webpage to potentially increase your brand exposure to their website visitors.
If you are interested in participating or learning more about this opportunity, please complete the following form and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater will forward your details to Seminole Hard Rock Tampa.
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Visit St. Pete-Clearwater's President/CEO Brian Lowack was named to Tampa Bay Business Journal's 2026 Power 100 list.
The Power 100 is a curated assessment of individuals whose decisions, strategic thinking and influence set the pace and direction of the Tampa Bay region and its business community.
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Green Flag dropping in St. Pete for the
🏁 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 🏁 |
The first piece of track will soon be in place in downtown St. Pete for this year's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Mayor of the City of St. Pete, racing drivers, local official and event organizers gathered today by the Albert Whitted Park to go over the details of the annual event that kicks off the IndyCar season.
The event is a massive economic impact engine [pun intended], injecting millions of dollars into the local economy as visitors flock into St. Pete to enjoy a world-class event, shop locally and eat at our restaurants.
The race is broadcasted nationally through FOX Sports, providing great exposure for the destination. Last year's race averaged 1.4 million viewers, up 45% from the 2024 race. According to FOX, with a peak of 1.8 million viewers, it became the most-watched non-Indy 500 race since the 2011 season opener!
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The countdown is underway to Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, St. Pete-Clearwater's premiere college softball tournament held every year at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater. More than 35 collegiate games are played over the course of four days and are broadcasted on ESPN channels.
With the teams staying in Oldsmar, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, St. Pete and Safety Harbor, the returning sporting event brings a projected countywide economic impact of more than $3.3 million, generating 7,500 room nights with an expectation of 6,000 fans over the course of the 4-day tournament.
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St. Pete-Clearwater hosted three premier tournaments that brought elite young talent to our local fairways. Between Dec. 27 and Jan. 4, we saw back-to-back action at the CJGA World Junior Challenge and The Junior Tour at Innisbrook Resort, followed by the 100th Annual New Year's Invitational Tournament at St. Petersburg Country Club (Jan. 2-4). These events are vital to the local economy, generating an economic impact of more than $1 million and accounting for 2,272 room nights in the destination. We are thrilled to see these tournaments continue to drive tourism and showcase our community as a world-class destination for competitive golf.
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Visit St. Pete-Clearwater participated in the Brand USA Mexico Sales Mission meetings in Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City last month, strengthening St. Pete-Clearwater's relationships with key tour operators, OTAs, and luxury agencies while identifying future opportunities for co-op marketing, trainings, and potential familiarization tours.
Across the three cities, the program included destination trainings and one-on-one business appointments with a strong cross-section among travel professionals, allowing for both broad market reach and targeted account discussions to promote and sell the destination.
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The Meetings & Conference Team was present at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, which took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this year on Jan. 11- 14. Fully leveraging the team's presence at the event in a key market for St. Pete-Clearwater, we hosted a Wax & Wine Client Event which provided an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with industry partners building and strengthening our relationships.
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The St. Pete-Clearwater and Tampa Bay film festival season has officially begun, offering a diverse lineup of screenings, industry panels, and networking opportunities for creators and fans alike. A major highlight was the recently concluded Dunedin International Film Festival (DIFF), which featured global cinema from more than 40 countries alongside locally produced projects like the documentary Delightful Dunedin. The event also showcased high-profile independent films such as Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma, produced by and starring Chandler Riggs of The Walking Dead, along with What We Hide, starring McKenna Grace and partially filmed in Seminole, further solidifying the region’s reputation as a premier destination for independent film production.
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VisitSPC's communications team checked in at the Javits Center for this year's IMM NYC. Over the course of two days, we connected with more than 30 media members and content creators, in the heart of New York City, a key target market for St. Pete-Clearwater. These meetings allowed us to share our latest destination news and strengthen vital relationships in one of our most important visitor hubs.
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The Black Pearl has been listed among the most romantic restaurant in the U.S. by Open Table.
Nestled in the heart of downtown Dunedin, the restaurant is an intimate fine-dining destination known for its sophisticated French-inspired cuisine and romantic, "hidden gem" atmosphere.
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Ruth Eckerd Hall has been named a winner of the 2026 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® under the Venue category. This accolade recognizes the top local wedding professionals who demonstrate superiority in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism.
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Vote for Dunedin, nominated as one of America’s Favorite Small Towns by Parade
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St. Pete-Clearwater, In The News! |
U.K.-based content creator Scarlette Douglas visited St. Pete-Clearwater, and created a great Instagram Reel highlighting multi-gen travel travel to a key international market for Pinellas County.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUONGlHDAIc/?hl=en
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Events and Things To Do in St. Pete-Clearwater |
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Connecting to the Partner Portal |
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.
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