By all accounts, the Shriners’ convention, Tampa’s largest, came off well. And well it should have. It was a holiday; event venues were dispersed; the visitors were folksy and well received; and the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau had five years from the booking date to do its scouting and planning.
“We knew this group; we had great communication with the client; and we knew what to expect,” says Karen Brand, TBCVB spokesperson. “A very straightforward convention. This went exactly as expected.”
For those who think that a high-profile gathering that brought in about 20,000 visitors is a barometer of how Tampa might fare if it lands the Republican National Convention in 2008, Brand says think again.
“Everyone wanted to make this a litmus test,” notes Brand. “But the two events are completely dissimilar. Logistics, security, everything.
“What is relevant, however,” points out Brand, “is the impact on other large national associations. They all watch their peers and where they go. This convention allows us to get on the radar screens of other major meeting-planner clients.”
It certainly won’t hurt if they talk to Michael Andrews, executive vice president of The Shriners of North America.
In a letter to the TBCVB, Andrews gushed: “