Volume 1, Issue 1 - October
2004
Touring Tampa
Four
members from the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship staff and
two members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association staff
performed a site visit in Tampa from September 22nd to September
24th. The site visit consisted of touring the St. Pete Times
Forum, the Tampa Convention Center, and numerous hotels, in
preparation for the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four. Each
visiting delegate had dinner and pictures taken with the Stanley
Cup their first night in
town.
Taking our Show on the Road
Sports Commission staff
members Rob Higgins and Joe Willis, along with the Tampa Bay CVB's
Terri Parnell headed to Stamford, Connecticut, from September 28th
through September 30th to participate in the 117th Annual AAU
National Convention. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission hosted an
exhibit booth (see below) in addition to partaking in several
sport break-out sessions. AAU is widely regarded as one on the
best organizations for youth sports in the
world. 
So
Many Championships, so Little
Time...
With the Lightning's recent Stanley Cup win, the
Tampa Bay area won their third professional sports championship.
This is a remarkable feat that you would have to go back to 1992
to find another city with three different championships since
January 2003. In order to capitalize on our "Titletown, USA"
profile, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission has adopted the following
slogan for their current ad campaign: "Championships are played
where Champions are made." The campaign (see above) will be
featured in SportsEvents South, SportsTravel Magazine, and Street
& Smith's Sports Business Journal.
1st World
University Softball Championships
The International Softball Federation (ISF) will
be hosting the 1st World University Softball Championships from
October 26th to October 31st. This inaugural event will be held in
Plant City, FL at Plant City Stadium. Twelve teams will
participate in this fast pitch competition. Five of those teams
participated in the eight team Athens Olympic Games, including
gold medal winning United States and silver medal winner
Australia. ISF is the only international sport governing body that
is located in the United States.
Calling all
Volunteers
The Tampa Bay Sports Commission wants to make
three events in the coming months their most successful yet. To do
this, we need volunteer help. We will be looking for volunteers to
lend their time to the 1st World University Softball Championships
from October 26th through October 31st. Volunteers will be
involved in many different projects, from assisting with Opening
Ceremonies to visitor parking. We will also be looking for
individuals to volunteer for the FHSAA State Cross Country
Championships, November 6th, and the National Youth Super Bowl,
November 25th until 28th. For general volunteer information and
sign-up, please contact Joe Willis at (813) 342-4075 or
jwillis@visittampabay.com.
Glazer Family
Foundation
In 1997, the Tampa Bay
Sports Commission welcomed the Glazer Family Foundation as a chief
contributing partner when the foundation granted the commission a
donation of $7,500 dollars for every Tampa Bay Buccaneer victory
over a 30 year period for a total donation of up to $2 million
dollars. The Glazer Family Foundation is dedicated to assisting
numerous charitable and educational causes in the West Central
Florida region. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission proudly thanks the
Glazer Family Foundation for their phenomenal support and looks
forward to a continued community
partnership.
 Ron Campbell
Ron Campbell brings new meaning to the words
"multi-tasking." In addition to his role as President of the 2004
Stanley Cup Champion, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the St. Pete Times
Forum - a role he has held for five years - Ron also serves as the
Chairman of the Board for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. "Ron's
continuous involvement in the Tampa Bay Sports Commission is an
integral part of our formula for success," said Rob Higgins, Tampa
Bay Sports Commission Executive Director. "We could not be more
appreciative of his time, effort, and leadership, in working to
make this a championship-level sports commission." Campbell, who
came to the Bay area from Detroit in 1999 as Palace Sports and
Entertainment's point man for Florida operations, has become a
major player in both the sports and charity communities of Tampa
Bay in just five short years. In addition to his duties for the
Lightning and the TBSC, Campbell is on the Board of Directors for
the Tampa Sports Council, the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and
Research Institute, The Champions Fund, and the Tampa Bay
Convention & Visitors Bureau. In 2003, Campbell served as a
Co-chair of the Tampa Bay Heart Walk, sat on the Heart Ball
Committee, and was a Tampa Chamber of Commerce Trustee. Ron lives
with his wife Mary Jane in South Tampa, and has three children:
Andrea, Holly, and
R.J.
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