WTVT's Lost Archives: How Tampa became a popular site for conventions
TAMPA, Fla. - At any given time, hundreds or even thousands of people from out of town are visiting the Tampa area for a convention. It could be a trade show or an organization like the Shriners.
But, how did these groups choose the Bay Area as a site for their convention?
We recently discovered some old WTVT news film that shows us how the local convention business began. There’s an interview with the late Ralph Chapman, who was the convention director for the local Chamber of Commerce in 1964.
Pictured: Ralph Chapman.
On the film, Chapman begins: "This is the booklet for 1963 where the conventions are and who the chairman is," Chapman told WTVT reporter Ray Blush.
Chapman has short hair and wears a bow tie. He’s precise and well-spoken.
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How different was the convention business then than it is now? On the film, Chapman spells out the nature of his job.
"The obtaining of visitors to Tampa, but more simply, bodies with money to improve the economy of our area."
Pictured: Visit Tampa Bay's CEO Santiago Corrada and FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers.
"Some things never change," laughed Santiago Corrada, the current chief executive officer for Visit Tampa Bay. "That’s what we do."
Visit Tampa Bay is the organization that now works to lure conventions and other visitors to Tampa and Hillsborough County. Corrada is known for his long hair. He wears no tie, but in Chapman, he sees a kinship of purpose. The job is much the same.
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"I don’t know about ‘the bodies’," he laughed, "But we still like bringing visitors."
Pictured: Construction of Curtis Hixon Hall.
Corrada and FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers look to see what Chapman will say next in the 1964, black and white interview.
"We have a new convention center under construction that is located in the heart of downtown only four blocks from our hotels," Chapman said.
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"It had to be Curtis Hixon," Corrada said after hearing Chapman in the film.
He’s right. In the next scene, rare footage of Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Hall can be seen under construction.
While many older residents of Tampa remember it well, younger people and newer residents don’t. Curtis Hixon Hall was demolished in 1993 and is now the site of the popular downtown park.
Some things haven’t changed though, like using creativity to lure convention visitors to Tampa.
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A couple of years ago, Corrada’s organization invited the entire small town of Tampa, Kansas to Tampa, Florida. They were treated with trips to Busch Gardens, the Zoo and the beach. It was a stunt to get publicity for Tampa and lure visitors.
But now it was time for Corrada and Sowers to see how Chapman did it six decades ago – and it’s hilarious.
A brass quartet and young girls dressed as Tampa Pirates burst into a board meeting where an organization’s future convention site choices were being discussed.
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"That’s awesome," laughed Corrada.
The old news film showed a tongue-in-cheek, staged representation of how Chapman pitched Tampa as a convention site. On the film, the committee was convinced.
"We’ll see you in Tampa next year!" said Chapman as the camera rolled.
It was an oversimplified dramatization. Corrada said it often takes years to connect with and convince an organization to schedule a convention here. Often, incentives are involved, such as special rates at local hotels and attractions.
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But the fun representation of how the convention business worked from 60 years ago hit home with Corrada.
"This is fantastic that this footage has been recovered," he said. "To see my predecessor’s predecessor’s predecessor doing a great job really warms the heart."
Separated by hairstyles and 60 years, two men who have worked to promote Tampa find common ground in WTVT’s lost archives.