TAMPA, Fla. — Despite being what some might consider a remote part of Hillsborough County, The East Lake Orient Community sees hundreds of thousands of people a year thanks to three big venues located within a mile radius.
The Hard Rock Casino, The Florida State Fairgrounds and the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre each manage to bring in hundreds of thousands of people to our area seamlessly.
Local organizers we spoke to say its all thanks to partnerships within the community.
“Welcome to the east side of Tampa. We've been here for a very long time. We're celebrating our 20th anniversary here at the Tampa Hard Rock,” said Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Casino.
Despite being one the largest casinos in the United States, there’s more to do at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa than just win money.
The casino is a full-fledged resort with 12 different restaurants including fine dining, three pools and a world class 26,000 square foot spa. Bonner says it brings in people from all over to Tampa Bay.
“On a Saturday, we have over 20,000 people come through the doors,” Bonner said. “A lot of people come to this area and use it as a base of operations to explore all the great things Tampa Bay has to offer.”
As people walk through their doors, tourism in our state is impacted. The Florida state fairgrounds just across the street is part of that tourism boost as well.
“We have about 2 million people annually here at the state fairgrounds,” said Cheryl Flood, Executive Director of The Florida State Fairgrounds.
Flood says more than a half million of those numbers come during the Florida State Fair and the Super RV Show.
“We make sure we have enough parking spaces for everything. We’re the hub of activity. We’re in the business of entertaining people so we take our jobs very seriously,” Flood said.
Located on the fairground property, is the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater. As the Tampa Bay area’s largest outdoor concert venue, it hosts some of the biggest names in the music industry.
With the availability to host 20,000 people, together all three venues manage the crowds as needed.
The venues hire on-site security and work with both the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Florida State Troopers to manage everything from the crowds to traffic.
“We hire extra people if there is heavy traffic. I think they do a great job getting the flow in and out of the garages and in and out of the building,” Bonner said.
Just like they partner together, they’re also big partners within the community.
“We try to continually be part of the community," Bonner said. "Not just this area, but all of Tampa. The past year, we've supported over 100 different local and national charities.”
As for the Florida State Fairgrounds, Flood says they work with local non-profits and charities regularly.
“We are constantly finding new ways to engage in the community. We want to serve our community. This area is important to us,” she said.