The Tampa Convention Center sits on the Riverwalk.

“Unlock Tampa Bay,” aim to set the West Florida destination apart from its neighbors and play up its ofeat, adventurous side. Back downtown, we made our first

stop, at the Tampa Convention Center. The 600,000-square-foot facility is remarkable in that it sits directly on the Tampa Bay waterfront, making it ideal for everything from VIP galas for the Republican National Convention (RNC) to spectator-heavy events like wake- boarding’s Red Bull Wake Open. Stacy McGlinnen, national sales manager for the center, gave us the grand tour, pointing out that meeting planners love the venue most for its generous amount of natural light and accessibility. It’s so easy to get around, in fact, that the National Veterans Wheelchair Games chose the center for its 2013 event. Spanning four floors, the center has 95 percent of its meeting space on the first level and its 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall on the third. Beyond the terraces, glassed-walled

meeting spaces, and outdoor patios that let guests soak in every inch of the bay, the center is unique in that its water- front can accommodate everything from firework shows to water taxis and yacht charters, both popular activity options with groups. The Tampa Riv- erwalk — a pedestrian walk connecting many of downtown’s biggest attractions that will be completed in 2014 — passes

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by the center’s front door. And so does the city’s TECO Line Streetcar System, whose historic streetcars make 11 stops within downtown Tampa’s most popu- lar neighborhoods, including the Chan- nel District, home to the Port of Tampa and the eighth-largest cruise port in the United States, and historic Ybor City, famous for its nightlife and cigar manu- facturers. Nearby historic Hyde Park and Soho (South Howard) are home to Tampa’s restaurant row. To top it off, a skywalk connects the center to the 360-room Embassy Suites Tampa – Downtown Convention Center. And within walking distance are four more hotels, including the Tampa Mar- riott Waterside Hotel & Marina, where I was staying.

Checking In and Checking Out From a stop just outside the Tampa Marriott Waterside, we hopped aboard the TECO Line Streetcar (an unlim- ited day pass costs $5) and took a 10-minute ride to Ybor City for dinner at the Columbia Restaurant. The fifth- generation-owned Spanish restaurant is a staple of the Tampa dining scene, renowned for its live flamenco danc- ing, encyclopedia-sized menu of Span- ish dishes, and, at the historic Ybor City location where we ate, stunning Moorish architecture. Columbia’s 15 dining rooms are speckled with indoor fountains, keyhole-shaped doorways,

Three Great Meeting Hotels

1 Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay 442 guest rooms, 22,000 square feet of meeting space — offers 45 casitas, two pools, and, on the 14th floor, Armani’s restaurant (above)

2 Hilton Tampa Downtown 520 guest rooms, 30,000 square feet of meeting space — com- pleted a full renovation this year

3 Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina 719 rooms, 50,000 square feet of meeting space — the largest hotel in Tampa Bay, with a popular lobby bar

skylights, and colorful tile flooring, making the restaurant one of the most unique and popular event venues in the city. We kicked off the next morning with

breakfast at Armani’s restaurant, the 14th-floor Italian jewel of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. The clean and modern space features floor-to-ceiling views of the bay as well as a patio where a retract- able roof will be added later this year. Next, we headed back downtown to see the city’s innovative side. CAMLS

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