If you build it, they will come. Many people live by this mantra; however the Tampa Bay Sports Commission decided to take a much more proactive approach. By the end of 2012, nearly $120 million will have been invested to improve the Tampa Bay Times Forum, University of South Florida Athletic District and several other local sports facilities. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission, along with Schifino Lee, has created the “Experience New Now” campaign, to communicate these extensive and impressive venue improvements to event organizers around the country.
The “Experience New Now” project kicked off with redesigning the Tampa Bay Sports Commission logo into something that demonstrates the fun and energy of the destination itself, while also communicating the positive economic impact sporting events have on Tampa Bay. The logo is also accompanied by the brand promise of “Gameday. Every Day.” Schifino Lee then launched phase one of the campaign, creating a website, print advertisement and an innovative 3-dimensional direct mail piece to highlight how the Tampa Bay Times Forum is “New Now.”
The second phase, to begin in late spring in conjunction with the reopening of the USF Sun Dome, will feature the new venues at University of South Florida. The third phase will highlight several other local sports facilities and roll out in the latter half of 2012.
In 2011, the Sports Commission brought in 114 sports events that filled roughly 109,000 hotel room nights. This number is expected to swell to 120,000 this year. For more information, please visit www.TampaBayisNewNow.com.
