Tampa International Airport says Tell Us Where To Go!

June 4, 2010

TAMPA - In an effort to attract more nonstop flights to Tampa International Airport, TPA’s newly formed Marketing Committee, chaired by Airport vice chairman Steven Burton, is launching a new online marketing survey with the help of the Tampa Bay Partnership and a coalition of business and economic development partners. 

“This comprehensive survey, Flymetampabay.com, is asking individuals, groups and companies to simply tell us where to go,” explained Steven Burton, Managing Partner of Broad and Cassel. “We want to know where you travel and what nonstop air service you use or need. The survey is a good fit because air service opportunities require a marketing focus combined with strategic planning, market research, market assessment and direct to consumer marketing – all essential for success." 

Tampa International Airport has a customer-friendly reputation that has been documented by numerous awards of distinction. Also, TPA is an integral component of the Tampa Bay community offering nonstop air service to over 68 cities and easy connections to every major city in the world. However, in today’s economic environment – air service competition among U.S. cities has increased and adding or keeping nonstop destinations has become increasingly more complex. 

“This effort is all about economic competitiveness,” said Chris Steinocher, COO and SVP of Marketing and Business Development for the Tampa Bay Partnership. “Having a strong, vibrant airport with direct connections to the places people want to go to will attract the types of growing businesses we want and the knowledgeable workforce that supports them.” 

“SRI International recently opened their new marine research facility in downtown St. Petersburg. SRI’s headquarters is in Menlo Park, California and they have excellent relationships with Silicon Valley venture capital firms. A direct link between Tampa Bay and San Francisco Bay would greatly enhance our efforts to attract additional research and development jobs and start-up investment to our region,” explained Mike Meidel, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development. 

“We also hope this campaign will build awareness of existing nonstop flights – both domestic and international – that have made our airport an ongoing point of pride for our community,” Steinocher added.

The Tampa Bay Partnership is coordinating the campaign to support the airport on behalf of a community of partners including Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp., Pinellas County Economic Development, Tampa Bay & Company, Pasco Economic Development Council, Hernando County Office of Business Development, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention &Visitors Bureau, Central Florida Development Council, City of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, CreativeTampaBay, Manatee County Economic Development Council, Lakeland Economic Development Council, Tampa Downtown Partnership and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum. 

The data collected from the survey will be used for developing air service marketing strategies. The survey’s first phase, which will run through the summer, is to identify opportunities and community support to generate and market new initiatives for Tampa International Airport. It will ask for information from individuals and the top 1,000 businesses in the seven-county region. In later phases, it will include focus groups and an outreach effort to smaller businesses that travel consistently – both international and domestic destinations. 

As the survey evolves, Flymetampabay.com will also have its own multi-media advertising campaign including social media. The survey is available online at www.flymetampabay.com and on the Airport’s website at www.tampaairport.com. 

About Tampa Bay Partnership: 
The Tampa Bay Partnership is a CEO-led regional economic development organization with a mission to work with its partners to market the region nationally and internationally, to conduct regional research, and to coordinate efforts to influence business and government issues that impact economic growth and development. Founded in 1994, the Tampa Bay Partnership markets the entire eight-county, 6,515-square-mile area of west central Florida that includes Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. 

-TPA-

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