Tampa Bay | Capital Analytics Associates

No Lull for Football Fans in Tampa Bay

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read January 2020 — If the last few weeks in the Tampa Bay region have felt like a nonstop marathon of events and gatherings, that’s because it has been. While the region has been celebrating the multiple holidays and enjoying the dozens of holiday happenings around the area, there have also been some significant sporting milestones, specifically in the world of football. As the season closes for the NFL in Tampa Bay, another one begins for the new XFL and the beginning of 2020 also marked another successful bowl game in the Bay.

The end of the NFL 2019 regular season was lamented by a 28 to 22 Buccaneers loss to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. While it was not the season Bucs fans were hoping for, it did leave some room for hope in the next season as well as some shining moments that will be enshrined in Buccaneers history. This season saw the complete dominance of what could possibly be the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, Buccaneers Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin. Between them they had almost 2,500 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns and they were both chosen to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl.

Then there is the curious case of the Buccaneers starting quarterback Jameis Winston, who was just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 passing yards in a season, becoming the passing yards leader for the 2019 season. This in itself should be a huge advantage on the resume of the quarterback, who was playing for a new contract this season, but that same resume for this year is marred with a new NFL record – Winston is the first quarterback to throw for 30 passing touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season. So while head coach Bruce Arians has a lot of positives on the offensive side heading into his first offseason with the Bucs, there are some significant decisions to be made this offseason in regards to the future face of the franchise.

Jan. 1 not only marked the beginning of the new decade, it was also the day to catch the annual Outback Bowl held at Raymond James Stadium. The bowl game, which has been played in Tampa Bay since 1986, is a staple in the community and receives support from some of the largest local institutions like Pilot Bank and Visit Tampa Bay. The game itself saw the #18 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the #12 ranked Auburn Tigers in what was an exciting game through all four quarters. While both teams jumped out to strong starts in the first quarter, Minnesota capitalized on the momentum by scoring 14 in the 2nd quarter and ultimately Auburn was never able to make a push to get ahead. With Auburn trailing for the rest of the game, the final score resulted in a 31 to 24 victory for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

With the end of the Bucs season and the passing of another Outback Bowl, the Tampa Bay region would normally go into a football lull, but thanks to the introduction of a new XFL team, the Tampa Bay Vipers, there will be no shortage of football to enjoy. Invest: recently spoke with the president of the Tampa Bay Vipers, Josh Bullock, about the process of bringing this team to the region and why Tampa Bay is perfectly suited for another football franchise. “The process of bringing this team to Tampa Bay has been exciting, intense and rewarding. Thankfully, we have great leadership, both in the region and throughout the league, starting with the chairman of the XFL, who gave us the time and resources to build this league the right way,” Bullock stated. “We anticipate playing a fast, fun style of professional football at Raymond James Stadium for Tampa Bay fans. I believe Tampa Bay is perfectly suited for this XFL team because of the great sports fans we have throughout our community. There are many entertainment options available and our community will continue to gravitate to products that are enjoyable, engaging and offered at an affordable price. That is exactly what the XFL is going to provide.”

Football fans won’t have to wait long to start enjoying everything the XFL promises to provide as the first game is slated for Sunday, Feb. 9, against the New York Guardians. The team’s home opener at Raymond James Stadium is scheduled for Saturday, Feb 22, versus the Houston Roughnecks.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/tampa-bay

Spotlight On: Anddrikk Frazier, President & CEO, Integral Energy

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

3 min read January 2020 — A growing economy in the Tampa Bay region equates to growth mode for most local businesses. One of the most important aspects of keeping this growth consistent is reducing costs in a smart and consistent manner. This can be achieved through an emphasis on reducing energy consumption. Full-service energy management companies like Brandon-based Integral Energy have recognized the opportunities in the market and have found demand for their multiple services throughout the Tampa Bay region. Invest: spoke with the president and CEO of Integral Energy, Anddrikk Frazier, about his business, demand for services and much more.

How is Tampa Bay a strategic location for your business operations?

My first job was in the energy sector in Tampa and watching the growth in the region over the course of my lifetime is impressive. What separates Tampa from other cities across Florida are features like ports, airports and the ability to connect to anywhere in the Florida within three hours.

Where have you seen the most demand among the variety of services you offer?

Integral Energy is a full-service energy management company. We provide natural gas marketing services for commercial customers throughout the state of Florida. We also provide solutions for transportation companies as it relates to alternative fuels. Thirdly, our energy management division helps large businesses that consume large quantities of energy to understand their operating costs on a per plate or per widget basis and then we find ways to reduce those operational costs. I think the biggest demand for service comes from energy management requests and natural gas marketing. Many of our customers do not understand how energy costs are passed on, simply because that is not where the priority lies for hotels, convention centers and other large businesses. We have the ability to reduce energy costs without reducing the quality of their product, which is a huge bonus for them. That has been our biggest growth opportunity.

A lot of demand comes from the private sector, mainly because public procurement processes can be intensive. We do get enquiries from the public sector, but most of the time they are looking for the cheapest price. Our value is based on return on investment, which does not always translate well to public sector work. In the private sector, there is greater understanding of the concept that each dollar spent now is an investment in future CAPEX reductions. We have had a lot of success in working with companies such as Saddle Creek Transportation and Waste Connections because we are able to explain to them the true cost they are saving with our services.

How have the needs of your clients evolved over the last three to five years?

We are the only minority-owned natural gas marketing company in the state of Florida, and this is what started our relationship with Waste Connections. But as we began to evaluate their business, the largest overhead was their employees. We had to find ways to work with them to increase service while keeping rates the same. Over the course of the last four years, we have saved Waste Connections around $2.5 million.

On a local and national level, what emerging or continuing trends could have an impact on your business?

There is so much development in the Tampa area, and with new residents come new commercial activity, which is part of our core business. As long as the economy is growing at this pace, we will have the opportunity to provide our services. Regulation is a big indicator for us, and one thing we are monitoring closely is the recent push for carbon footprint reduction. We all have to be mindful of environmental impact and, primarily in the private sector, the main goal is to save money. If we can provide ways to do this while also reducing their carbon footprint, these are the best business models for all parties.

It is vital for everyone to work toward clean energy solutions. We take pride in being subject-matter experts and understanding what our customers need. CNG and liquid natural gas (LNG), while more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum options, may not be suitable for all modes of transportation. There is room for electric and hydrogen technologies too, so we need to understand which technologies pair better with which fuel source and the impact that has on the environment.

How is new technology impacting how companies develop and administer environmental energy solutions?

The smaller the company, the lesser the disruption. Take a huge company that has made large investments in a particular technology. It takes a lot of momentum to make that company change course. Small businesses are nimbler and have the flexibility to try things out on a smaller scale before launching. On the metering side, we have AMR-AMI, which allows meter readings to be sent out electronically, meaning customers can understand energy usage on a daily or even hourly basis. There will only be greater focus placed on data collection and analysis going forward.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

http://www.integralenergyus.com/

The Best Is Yet to Come in the Bay

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read January 2020 — 2019 is officially in the books and was another monumental year for the Tampa Bay region. All sectors of the local economy were firing on all cylinders this past year, from the always popular tourism market to growing sectors like technology and healthcare. The continuing economic boom was complimented by a slew of memorable events that truly showcased the growth of the Tampa Bay region. As we now turn our focus toward 2020, it can be hard to imagine topping the success of the past year’s events but that is exactly what looks to be in store for residents and visitors in Tampa Bay. This comes as no surprise to leaders in the community like Santiago Corrada, the president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, who told Invest: that, “This region is starting to become everybody’s must-visit destination, which is awesome.”

Starting the year off is the historic 2020 Gasparilla Pirate Festival. This annual event has been held in the Tampa Bay region for over 100 years, and has grown into an eight-week extravaganza that is bustling with activities for families and adults alike. It should be noted that the event kicks off on Jan. 25 with the nation’s third-largest parade, and also features memorable events throughout the eight-week run like the Gasparilla Distance Classic on Feb. 22 and 23 in which people can participate in various types of running events. There is also the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts and Gasparilla Music Festival, which is being headlined by national acts like Portugal. The Man. The event concludes with the Gasparilla International Film Festival.

While all of the festivities that make up Gasparilla Pirate Festival lay the foundation for a great year of events, 2020 is also shaping up to be a historic year for the Tampa Bay region as it prepares to host it’s fifth Super Bowl and it’s first Wrestlemania. Super Bowl LV will mark the third time the event has been held at Raymond James Stadium, with the last one being played there in 2009. While the game itself won’t happen until Feb. 7, 2021, the region is already buzzing with hype and there will no doubt be multiple must-attend events in 2020 leading up to the big game. On the chance that the Buccaneers are able to have a big turnaround season in 2020, their home games will undoubtedly also become can’t-miss events.

Perhaps the biggest Tampa Bay-based event actually happening in 2020 is Wrestlemania 36, which will also take place at Raymond James Stadium on April 5. Wrestlemania has been ranked by Forbes as the sixth-most valuable sports brand in the world, so the fact it is taking place in Tampa Bay is no small accomplishment. What is expected to be a sellout event at Raymond James Stadium is a testament to just how far the region has come from both an economic and tourism standpoint.

Also on the list of incredible events happening within the region for 2020 is Florida’s largest annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, which takes place in St. Petersburg and is gearing up for what will most likely be another record-shattering attendance year. St. Pete Pride 2020 takes place this year from June 26-28 and is expected to attract over 250,000 people celebrating the beauty of diversity and inclusion, a true testament to the inclusive environment of the Tampa Bay community.

2020 promises to be a lot of things for the Tampa Bay region: a year of more growth, more opportunity, more collaboration and definitely more unforgettable events.

To learn more, visit:

https://www.visittampabay.com/

Spotlight On: Mike Schultz, President & CEO – West Florida Division, AdventHealth

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read December 2019 — AdventHealth promotes a model of healthcare based on prevention and promotion of healthier lifestyles to help keep a lid on the rising costs of medical attention. The organization is also trying to make use of technology to make it easier for patients to access healthcare even from their cellphones and make educated decisions about their wellness, said President and CEO of the West Florida Division Michael Schultz.

What has been AdventHealth’s key focus over the last year?

We worked to rebrand our healthcare business, including a name change to AdventHealth. The change was focused on bringing a new definition to healthcare. Historically, providers have been in the business of fixing health, but our philosophy is to maintain health and prevent episodes that could have been avoided through a healthy lifestyle.

Along with our rebranding as AdventHealth, we introduced the tagline, “Feel Whole,” which clearly illustrates our intent to promote a healthier lifestyle. We have been successful in the Tampa Bay market with respect to building a solid brand. Our expansion and acquisition projects are geared toward better covering the expanse of growth in the Tampa Bay market. We have a variety of things going on, from projects being completed or in the process of starting. We have also added to our list of assets, acquiring a couple of hospitals in Dade City and Ocala.

We are also looking into partnerships to bring healthcare to the home. I believe that is the way of the future for the delivery of healthcare because you can do so many things now with high-speed Wi-Fi that helps patients avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital to get diagnosed and treated.

Why has your organization decided to focus on preventative healthcare?

One of the key aspects of preventive healthcare is our model of never discharging a patient. Historically, hospitals wheel out their patients and wave goodbye to them. We have taken the stance that we don’t ever want to discharge a patient. A visit may end, but we connect with our patients before they leave any of our facilities and ask them if we can assist them through the next level of care. That may be a follow-up visit, a better dietary regimen or access to medication. We offer 95% of our 200,000-plus annual patients access to care navigation and a large percentage of our patients accept the offer. That is a way of making sure they don’t go home and start repeating the same actions that brought them to the hospital in the first place. This helps with maintaining health, reducing cost of healthcare and gets us in a space where we are directly connected to the patient.

We have been intentional in making sure our consumers have a wide variety of access to different sites of service based on cost. This allows them to make the smart decision and not go to an emergency room for a simple cough that could be treated at a physician’s office or an Urgent Care Center. We want to be transparent about the cost of healthcare so that consumers can make educated decisions regarding their medical needs.

We also are careful about marketing our different levels of care. One of the biggest initiatives we have begun to promote is connecting to our consumers via the way people get connected today, through their smartphones. We offer an app that helps you understand where you should and should not go for cost-effective care. We are hoping that through these types of apps we can better educate people to make decisions based on their condition and financial resources.

What challenges emerge from providing healthcare to diverse demographics, younger and older populations?

In many markets in and around Tampa Bay we are seeing a more elderly population moving in. Retirees are starting to discover the beauty of Tampa Bay. But in general Tampa Bay is a fast-growing, diverse community and it is a large geographic area. The key to addressing the healthcare needs of the diverse demographics is to ensure close to home access points, and the ability to connect anytime, anywhere.

We also believe we need to make every effort to make healthcare more affordable. Perhaps the way of the future is to help change the reimbursement model. Currently, you pay when you are sick; a health system is incentivized to provide services to get you well. What if we changed that? For example: a health system might get $10,000 a year regardless if you are well or sick. If you get sick, and it costs the health system $25,000 to take care of you, it loses money. If the Health System keeps you well, and able to keep medical costs at $5,000 because it was proactive in looking out for your wellness, the system makes money.

If we are going to help solve the cost problem in healthcare, we are going to have to work on aligning incentives around health.

How is the organization coping with the challenges of recruiting new healthcare talent?

First, there is a nursing shortage. At any given time, we have around 800 open positions at our seven facilities in the greater Tampa Bay market. It is difficult, particularly in Tampa, to recruit nurses because the sector is growing and there are many providers. We have developed partnerships with a number of schools to ensure that their nursing students have an opportunity to rotate through our facilities. We also have a partnership with Lincoln Memorial University and opened a nursing school at the AdventHealth Tampa campus. We started late in 2017 and our first class graduated in 2018.

Regarding the physician population, we have determined that there will be a supply shortage in the very near future. In this area, too, we have partnerships with several schools to make sure their students can do their rotations through our facilities, so they get exposed to us during their education and perhaps be invited to come work with us.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://www.adventhealth.com/

The Bay’s Top 5 Holiday Celebrations

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read December 2019 — ‘Tis the season for family fun and Tampa Bay has a myriad of holiday happenings to choose from. It comes as no surprise that the region holds such an eclectic and widespread range of options as the local economy boasts healthy and robust tourism and entertainment markets. The only challenge is deciding how to choose between all of the merry events happening throughout the Bay. Invest: explores five of the top options to spend your time during this holiday season.

Enchant Christmas

Not everyone is privileged to have the World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze and Market in their own backyard, but those in the Tampa Bay region can find this very attraction at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Embark on an adventure to find Santa’s reindeer inside an amazing, custom-designed light maze. Once you have solved the mystery, guests can enjoy the seasonal food and drinks as well as a Christmas Market featuring over 40 local and international artisans. Enchant runs until Dec. 29 and is a wonderful event for families of all ages.

For more, visit: https://enchantchristmas.com/stpete

Busch Gardens Christmas Town

On its own merit, Busch Gardens is already a must-see attraction in the Bay, so the fact that it features a holiday event that USA Today ranked as one of it’s 10 Best Theme Park Holiday Events, only furthers this narrative. Christmas Town not only is a beautifully decorated affair with millions of holiday lights, it is also a truly fun event. Visitors are afforded the opportunity to visit with Santa and Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, holiday-themed culinary experiences, live shows and the ability to have nighttime experiences on their famous thrill rides. Christmas Town is open to the public until Jan. 6 so there is still plenty of time to enjoy.

Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park

Winter Village is not the typical holiday-themed event. Winter Village features a holiday-themed cafe, appropriately deemed the Icicle Craft Kitchen, a variety of unique shopping experiences and a unique train ride called the Winter Village Express. But perhaps most significant is the last thing most people would expect to find in Florida: an outdoor ice rink. This is Downtown Tampa’s only outdoor ice rink,and quite possibly one of the only ones in Florida, which is made even more unique with the amazing views of the Tampa Riverwalk and Hillsborough River. This can’t miss opportunity is open until Jan. 5 and the perfect way to bring some holiday happiness.

For more, visit: http://www.wintervillagetampa.com/

Downtown Tampa Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

In most of the country, a boat is the last place anyone would expect to be during the wintertime, but in Florida the winter is possibly the best time to take out a boat and enjoy the cooler temperatures. That being said, it’s only fitting that Downtown Tampa is home to the annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. The parade runs all the way down Tampa Riverwalk and features some of the region’s most unique watercrafts sporting their finest holiday lights. The event takes place from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Dec. 21 in Downtown Tampa.

For more information, visit: https://thetampariverwalk.com/events/lighted-boat-parade/

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

This time of year all of the major holidays have one consistent thing in common: there is always a big football game on. In Tampa Bay, this stands true as the region will once again welcome the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl to town on Dec. 23 at Raymond James Stadium. Residents of the Bay can enjoy from their homes or partake in the festivities at the game as the University of Central Florida Knights take on last year’s Bowl champions the Marshall Thundering Herd. The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without some good old-fashioned football.

To learn more, visit: https://www.gasparillabowl.com/

Spotlight on: Nicholas Haines, CEO, Bromley Companies

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

The future of Tampa Bay is developing in front of our very eyes and there are a few select developers making this vision come to life. Real estate developer Bromley Companies broke ground in mid-2019 on its ambitious Midtown Tampa project. Company CEO Nicholas Haines discussed the importance of incorporating new tendencies, such as a pedestrian-focused design, and the challenges that both a proper mix of high-end and affordable housing present for the city.

What’s the status of the Midtown Tampa project?

We broke ground on the Midtown project in May 2019 and we are well under construction for the first phase. There are 11 buildings going up at the same time: three residential, two office buildings, and several retail, including a Whole Food Kitchen and True Food Kitchen, both of which are significant expansions in the market. There is also a 1,000-car parking garage that is already topped out, and we’re right on schedule. The goal is to finish it by the 2021 Super Bowl, which will be held here in Tampa Bay just a couple miles up the street.

A lot of what we are doing now is spending a tremendous amount of time on the finishing touches of the common-space designs that create community. It is about creating an imaginative destination not just for the people working, living and shopping here, but for the neighborhood by adding public art and a feel for the place, all the things that make a space interesting and dynamic. We are building a city within a city — an entirely new district.

What business trends are you keeping an eye on as you go ahead with this development?

Accessibility and pedestrian-friendliness. I just read about a development in Arizona, with 1,000 residential units and no parking. That is a bold thing for a non-superurban area. What we are trying to do is create one of the first, pedestrian-first mindset versus car-first developments in Tampa Bay and Florida. All the streets inside the development are private, which is a really interesting feature of Midtown Tampa. We are not constrained by the city’s rules regarding traffic and street design. For a big event like the Super Bowl, we can close the streets so that all the cars access Midtown from the periphery.

We have designed curbless sidewalks, for example, and dedicated ride-share drop-off areas. The city of Tampa is working on a number of mass transit initiatives and we are working to accommodate a mass transit stop on one of our main corridors. People are going to live, work and shop here because they want to wake up, go to a coffee shop, walk their dog at the dog park, go shopping at Whole Foods, have a drink at the hotel rooftop bar, and maybe work at one of the office buildings. They’ll also be able to ride a bike path that connects from Midtown Tampa to the Greenway Trail System, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, by crossing a 10-lane bridge at Dale Mabry.

Are there any other areas that you see as a hotspot or active as real estate developments for the moment?

Yes, it’s really exploding. The Heights area is really interesting. St. Petersburg is incredibly exciting and a great example of a vibrant, urban place with the interplay between food and art. We are talking about a city that has transformed itself over 10 years in terms of the energy there.

What is your outlook for the Tampa Bay region, and how do you see the region addressing its challenges?

Regarding sustainability, it is really important to get the mix right between higher-end housing like we are building here and affordable housing. There’s a need to provide better incentives for the private sector to offer that kind of housing. You can only do so much as a city if everyone is building luxury apartments. It is an issue for all cities, but Tampa today does not have a cohesive development and zoning policy to encourage that. Tampa is still a very affordable place on a relative basis, but that affordability gap is narrowing. People who have been living here for a long time with a moderate income are being pushed further and further away from the urban core.

Transportation is a huge thing too. In some ways, advances in mass transportation technology might help Tampa. The city might not have done it in the past, but in some ways that might not be the worst thing. Tampa might be able to take advantage of innovations in technology like self-driving buses to implement something that is very forward thinking, instead of having to put up the heavy infrastructure and the massive amounts of capital for a light rail system.

To learn more about our interviewee visit:

https://www.bromco.com/

Spotlight On: Bill Schifino, Tampa Office Managing Shareholder, Gunster

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read December 2019 — A greater number of law firms in the Tampa Bay market may be a concern to some but for firms in the Tampa Bay region, these new legal-focused businesses are welcomed. Bill Schifino, the managing shareholder for Gunster’s Tampa Office, believes there is plenty of work for quality law firms throughout the region and that the collaborative environment between the various firms in Tampa Bay is a benefit to both his office’s practice and its clients.

Do you believe there is enough work to meet the increased supply of law firms in the region?

There is plenty of legal work in Tampa Bay for quality law firms and competent lawyers. I have been in this marketplace for 33 years, and the way law firms interact with one another has relatively remained the same. The law firms in this region play well together, and we refer work back and forth to one another because we sometimes have inherent conflicts in our cases. For example, if there is a business litigation case that involves multiple parties and the lawyer can’t represent them all, that lawyer will call other lawyers who may have been on the other side in a similar case in the past but who are capable and competent. So while I may have a case where I’ll see a credible law firm on the other side, one day they may be joining with me to help defend another group on a different case.

How does Gunster’s statewide presence benefit your clients?

One of Gunster’s attractions for me was the fact that I can offer my clients statewide coverage in all of the key markets. When I have a client with an issue, whether it be in Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Jacksonville, we can make sure they are covered because we have 200-plus lawyers around the state. It also helps that we have some of the best and brightest lawyers Florida has to offer. If I have a client with an issue-based question, and I do not have the talent here in Tampa to address it, I can consult someone from one of our other offices who has expertise in this area. This is how we handle all of our clients’ needs. Gunster also is a big believer in their lawyers serving their community, which is why you will see the firm extremely active in our respective markets.

How important is being a steward of one’s community to the success of a law firm?

A law firm cannot attract the right talent without a commitment to community service, service to the profession and pro bono work. It is critically important that we as professionals give back to those less fortunate. Within the Florida Bar, a big focus is access to justice. In the criminal justice system, if you’re indigent then you are constitutionally entitled to a public defender, but what if you are someone that just really cannot afford a lawyer and are on the cusp of being below the poverty level? What happens if that person all of a sudden has a traumatic event in their life, and cannot get free legal service? We need to address how we as a profession can make certain that those people are being taken care of. The Florida Bar works extremely hard at addressing this issue, along with lawyers providing millions of dollars in pro bono hours to those in need throughout their community.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://www.gunster.com/

Face Off: Hot Hotel Market to Remain Steadfast Into 2020

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read December 2019 — Hospitality may be one of the most competitive industries in Florida, and in an economically thriving region like Tampa Bay the competition is only heightened. To rise to the top of this crowded market takes leadership that not only understands the local market and can easily adapt to change, but can also create a work culture that attracts the best and brightest. Invest: explored what it takes to be successful in this market with the general managers for two of the region’s most highly regarded hotels, Kevin Scott with The Epicurean Hotel and David Rowland with The Westshore Grand.

How do you ensure you are attracting and retaining the highest quality employees?

David Rowland: When we hire what we call our associates, we do not hire based on technical ability. We hire friendly individuals who we can train on the technical aspects. Every associate meets with me and usually I only ask them a couple of personality-based questions, like what they do for fun or about their worst day at work and how they overcame it. This is first and foremost a customer service business and you must have a personality that fits that.

Kevin Scott: Employee turnover in this industry is an ongoing challenge that does not have a clear-cut resolution, especially in Tampa where new hotels and restaurants are opening on a weekly basis. Our key to navigating this issue is to ensure that we create a safe environment where employees are encouraged to speak their minds, give feedback and relay their input without the threat of it affecting their jobs. We work to empower our leaders to lead by example and foster great relationships between their departments. We are also in a sweet spot because we are a midsized hotel with a staff that consists of around 150 people, which means that if one person suddenly calls off or quits, it is not the end of the world.

Do you believe the demand curve will stay strong enough to support the new inventory of hotels coming online in the region?

Rowland: I do, because the market is so strong right now. Tampa Bay is a great area and it is still growing rapidly. The airport is consistently ranked among the Top 5 airports in the United States, and the international hub that they are building is going to bring even more business into the region. We are a city where you can host massive meetings, relocate large businesses into and start a business within. The ability to get in and out of the city quickly is also a significant factor in keeping this new supply sustainable. Tampa has done a good job of making sure the infrastructure and the supply of hotel and businesses is grown at the same pace. The only danger is a hotel worrying about all the new supply so they drop their rates just to be competitive. If one person does that, it causes a ripple effect in the industry where we now all have to drop our prices.

Scott: Tampa as a market needs more hotel rooms to attract bigger conventions that bring more people to town. The challenge is that we are capped off at a certain number right now, which limits how many people we can bring into the city, but with so many new hotel rooms coming into the market in the next year or so, there is an opportunity to steal some share from Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale for these conventions. It is the perfect time to capitalize on this opportunity; the updated urban planning is now in play, and the city has never been laid out better than it is now.

How is your hotel primed for continued growth within the region?

Rowland: We are a part of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio, which is considered its luxury tier, but we get to act as an independent boutique hotel. The hotel has 325 rooms, over 15,000 square feet of meeting space and 14 meeting rooms where people can work, network and convene. We are known for having the flexibility to tailor events in our event space to a customer’s needs. The nice part about being independent is we have a lot of leeway and wiggle room to do what we want to make our customers’ meetings the most successful they can be. We are also very fortunate that we sit inside the Urban Center building. We are the primary hotel for the over 2,000 tenants that rent office space in the building.

Scott: To stay economically sustainable in this business, especially in the instance of another recession, we focus on attracting more groups and business travel. We want people to be aware of our offerings whether they are our neighbors in Tampa or looking for a destination from across the country. Our advantages are that we are centrally located, and people will always love food and wine. Even in a recession, wine, beer and alcohol are always in demand, so we are ready to ride that wave when it happens. Overall, we feel strong about where the Epicurean stands as a hotel and historical landmark that Tampa can be proud of.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://epicureanhotel.com/

https://westshoregrand.com/

Top 5 Thanksgiving ‘To Do’s’ in the Bay

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read November 2019 — Thanksgiving season has once again descended upon the Tampa Bay region. While the holiday is traditionally known for the three F’s, food, family and football, there are other options available to those in the Tampa Bay region who are looking to break traditions and start new ones. These options range from activities that will help work up an appetite for the big meal to options that completely change course from the normal fixings of a Thanksgiving meal. Invest: explores five of the best alternatives for those looking to shake up their Thanksgiving experience.

Turkey Trots

A traditional Thanksgiving meal is known for two things: oversupply and overconsumption. There may be no better way to prepare the body for this endeavour than participating in one of the variety of “turkey trots” and “fun runs” available to the public on Thanksgiving Day. These exercise-driven events include the Goody Goody Turkey Gobble, which starts at 7 a.m. in front of the Amalie Arena and features options like a 5K, 8K or 1-mile course to be walked or ran. There is also the Clearwater-based Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot, which has become the largest running event in the Tampa Bay area with an annual average of participation from over 17,000 runners.

Thanksgiving Cruises

Breaking tradition can be difficult, but a Thanksgiving dinner on a yacht may make that change a bit easier to digest. The company Yacht StarShip offers an opportunity to feast on traditional Thanksgiving foods in a completely nontraditional fashion. With options to sail in either Clearwater or Tampa, the promise of no meal preparation or cleanup, and the chance to truly relax for the holiday, a yacht cruise for the night could be a welcomed change from the norm.

Wonderland Of Lights And Santa’s Village

Besides being a day to enjoy a nice meal with family, for some, Thanksgiving also signifies the official countdown to Christmas Day. In the Tampa Bay region, residents can begin this countdown with a visit to the Wonderland Of Lights And Santa’s Village. This holiday theme park becomes available to the public Thanksgiving Day and runs until Jan. 5. Theme park visitors can partake in the amusement rides, camel rides, over a mile of light displays and everything else this park has to offer. This is a great option for those looking to not completely break tradition, as the park offers the opportunity to enjoy all its amenities at night, giving time for the traditional Thanksgiving meal at home beforehand.

For more, visit: www.thewonderlandoflights.com/

13th Annual ThanksVegan Feast

It may be a holiday best known for a feast centered around poultry, but that does not mean that there aren’t options in the region for those who prefer veggies over meat. For the last 13 years, Florida Voices for Animals has been holding their annual ThanksVegan Feast that features zero animal products or byproducts. Held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, this potluck dinner encourages those attending to bring a vegan dish to contribute to the holiday feast. The event runs from 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and includes a raffle with prizes.

For more information, visit: https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/thanksvegan

Black Friday Shopping

While technically starting the day following Thanksgiving, some Black Friday deals become available to the public the night of the 28th. For some, it has become a tradition to go straight from their Thanksgiving meal to waiting overnight in lines that sometimes stretch multiple blocks, all with the intention of cashing in on mega savings. Thankfully for the residents of Tampa Bay, the region not only offers access to all of the big box retailers, it is also home to a variety of world-class shopping malls like International Plaza and Bay Street, Hyde Park Village and many others.

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