TICKETING STAR AWARDS FEBRUARY 2021 VOLUME 20 | NUMBER 2 VENUESNOW.COM WITH THE SUPER BOWL, WINNING SPORTS AND HOT MUSIC, THIS PLACE IS BLOWING UP TAMPA GOES BOOM! WINNING TIME COURTESY TAMPA SPORTS AUTHORITY SPORTS TAMPA COURTESY 22 FEBRUARY 2021 PRO SPORTS BOOM IN THE TAMPA AREA IS LIFTING SPIRITS AND SETTING THE BAR HIGH BY DON MURET he Tampa-St. Petersburg region Bay Lightning won their second Stanley Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one win away from stands among Florida’s idyllic destina- Cup title in 16 years, competing in a bubble reaching Super Bowl LV in their hometown under tions, known for its sparkling beaches, format at Edmonton’s Rogers Place after the ageless quarterback Tom Brady. gorgeous sunsets and signature tourist pandemic put the 2019-20 season on ice for Even the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a member of attractions. Sports development for the five months. the USL Championship soccer league owned most part has grown in tandem with In St. Pete, the Tampa Bay Rays reached the by the Rays, advanced to the title game before Tthe market’s big league teams over the past 25 2020 World Series after playing a shortened 60- USL officials canceled the Oct. 31 match due years. game regular season. They lost to the Los Angeles to COVID-19 cases on the Rowdies team. To- On both fronts, it’s proved to be a winning Dodgers in six games at neutral site Globe Life ward the end of the 2020 season, the Rowdies combination of late. In September, the Tampa Field in Arlington, Texas. At presstime, the played a few matches with limited fans at Al PIRATE BEAUTY: Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have provided some light during a dark year, will host Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. COURTESY TAMPA SPORTS AUTHORITY SPORTS TAMPA COURTESY FEBRUARY 2021 23 Lang Stadium. 2020 WAS UNEXPECTED... PROVIDING SOME GOOD NEWS Across the region, the four PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE teams lifted spirits through the doom and gloom of the lengthy pandemic. LIVE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE WITH “All the teams in the market had tremendous success,” said Bill Walsh, the Rays’ vice presi- dent of strategy and development. MIND THE CHANDELIER: The Toronto Raptors, in town for the NBA season to eliminate the need to cross POLLSTAR & VENUESNOW “It was wonderful to watch the the border during the pandemic, have practice courts in a hotel ballroom across from Amalie Arena. Lightning’s run and we almost got there ourselves. In many ways, it care workers with complimentary For the Lightning, it helped that Edition, the first residential/hotel picked us up as a community.” tickets to the game. The NFL de- team President Steve Griggs was project, opened a sales office in To keep up with emerging termined that number in working among the first 15 employees November, with 37 condominiums trends tied to the fan experience, with the authority and local health hired by Maple Leaf Sports & starting at $2 million, according to both Raymond James Stadium, officials, Hart said. Entertainment back in 1994. The a story in the Tampa Bay Times. where the Bucs play, and Amalie In Hillsborough County, where Canada native retains strong All told, the district is projected Arena, home of the Lightning Tampa is situated, local leaders connections with the ownership to take up 9 million square feet by and a leading concert venue, have pushed for the stadium, arena and of the Raptors and Leafs. the time the project is completed gone through $100 million-plus Steinbrenner Field, the New York “The setup for them was per- in 2027. It is designed to strength- renovations over the past decade. Yankees’ spring training facility, fect,” Griggs said. en Tampa Bay’s emergence Most recently, both buildings, to receive millions of dollars in Toronto played a few home as a sports and entertainment as well as Tropicana Field, the CARES Act funding to help pay for games at Amalie Arena with bulkhead with bars, restaurants, Rays’ stadium, have gone through touchless technology, improved crowds limited to 4,000 before office space, residential and three extensive COVID upgrades, driv- air flow and other protective mea- officials hit the pause button on hotels, including the JW Marriott. en in part by the region’s effort sures against coronavirus. fans attending games due to new “It took a bold vision and the to keep tourism dollars flowing “Our county officials took the spikes in COVID cases in January. right resources, plus a commit- despite the restrictions across the position that they wanted us to The switch came just a few days ment from the city and county country that have made it difficult keep people employed,” Hart before the Lightning’s first regu- and Jeff to continue to do great to generate revenue. said. “We had several thousand lar-season home game. things in this community,” Griggs Florida, a state marked by few- people working at every NFL Together, the Lightning, public said. “It was already sitting here er restrictions than most of the game, trying to do as many events officials and the team’s three and just needed someone to con- country, does not have a mandate as we possibly can, safely. We’re health care partners made that nect all the key pillars.” requiring face coverings in public. happy that our health department difficult decision, recognizing Griggs has seen downtown Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed ven- has indicated there have not been there will be additional losses in Tampa evolve after the Lightning ues to reopen at full capacity, de- any high contacts coming out of event-related revenue. They hope hired him in 2010, five months af- spite the state recording some of our venues.” to reopen the arena with fans for ter Vinik acquired the team. The the highest rates of coronavirus. NBA and NHL games by March, old Channelside Mall near the In the Tampa Bay region, A NEW TEAM IN TOWN team executives said. arena had fallen on hard times, venues and public officials were In downtown Tampa, Amalie and coming out of the recession, prudent as they started to reopen Arena added a second tenant DOWNTOWN the venue had fallen behind on for business in the fall, going with during the pandemic. The Toron- DEVELOPMENT fan amenities. partial attendance in the range of to Raptors, Canada’s NBA team, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik “It was just the arena with 40 LIMITED TIME OFFER 22% to 23% for NFL games, which decided to play a good portion of sees the long-term play, revolv- acres of barren parking,” he said. amounted to about 16,000 fans their 2021 home games in Tampa ing around a hot team and the “We had the convention center, attending Buccaneers contests. as part of a mini-bubble format Water Street District, the $3.5 the history center, aquarium and Raymond James Stadium to cut down on potential spread billion mixed-use development the port where the cruise ships served as the model for all area of the virus from travel between next to the arena arena. He’s come in. The bones were there; it venues post-pandemic. two countries. spearheading the 40-acre district was just a matter of building ev- 20% OFF “From start to end, masks are They set up temporary resi- with Strategic Property Partners, erything in between and turning required,” said Eric Hart, president dency at the new JW Marriott whose investors include Micro- it into a (true) district.” POLLSTAR & VENUESNOW COMBO SUBSCRIPTIONS and CEO of the Tampa Sports Water Street Tampa, a 500-room soft co-founder Bill Gates. Sparkman Wharf, the initial Authority, governing body of Ray- lodge that opened in December Nine buildings are now under piece of development, replaced mond James Stadium. “The biggest across the street from the arena. construction. The first of three the old mall and opened in No- challenge that buildings have faced The Raptors converted a large phases, encompassing three vember 2018. It’s designed as a TEAM COURTESY is fighting the whole mask issue. ballroom into two practice courts. residential complexes, should casual pop-up-style environment We’ve done pretty well.” Other hotel spaces were made into be completed by early 2022. The with local chefs running street VISIT POLLSTAR.COM/COMBO FOR MORE INFORMATION The 65,890-seat stadium, site of a locker room, weight and condi- vision is to have 3,000 to 4,000 food destinations in shipping con- Super Bowl LV, will have atten- tioning area and coaches’ offices. people living in the district, tainers, plus a craft beer garden, dance capped at 22,000, which The Raptors considered three Griggs said. office lofts and lawn space to ac- includes 7,500 vaccinated health cities before selecting Tampa. The Residences at the Tampa commodate live music and fitness 24 FEBRUARY 2021 2020 WAS UNEXPECTED... PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE LIVE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE WITH POLLSTAR & VENUESNOW LIMITED TIME OFFER 20% OFF POLLSTAR & VENUESNOW COMBO SUBSCRIPTIONS VISIT POLLSTAR.COM/COMBO FOR MORE INFORMATION LIGHTING ROUND: A rendering shows Phase 1 of the Water Street District, a downtown development area next to the arena district and led by Light- ning owner Jeff Vinik with Strategic Property Partners. events. Sparkman Wharf’s retail venue. All told, 1.8 million people either market. St. Petersburg Mayor dise sales for the Rays for what was and office space is just starting to annually attend events at the Rick Kriseman has dismissed the otherwise a “pretty devastating” open, project officials said. 25-year-old arena, including con- idea, stating the Rays must adhere year financially for the organiza- Over the past 20 years, mixed- certs and family shows.