2009..and Beyond: "CONNECTING THE WORLD TO THE TAMPA BAY REGION"
The Mission of the INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL of the Tampa Bay Region, Inc. is to connect the Tampa
Bay Region with the world by bringing a unique group of the world’s emerging leaders here and
linking them with the region’s vast professional, historical, cultural and education resources.
Over the past decade we have had to dig deep into our region’s historic, cultural and economic
assets, identify a broad panoply of professional resources, and look at the region in a whole
new – and wholly-inclusive – way in order to “bring the Tampa Bay Region to the world”. When
you weave this tapestry of resources together, the “World” sees the Tampa Bay Region in a
completely different light:
·
It’s not just that we have an array of newspapers and television stations; it’s about
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, the only tri-
lingual weekly newspaper in the US, media “convergence”, and the first digital
encyclopedia, Wikipedia. In other words, it’s about our Media and Journalism Center of
Excellence.
·
It’s not just about our outstanding colleges and universities, it’s about new and world-
class “centers of excellence”, like Marine Sciences, Orthotics Design & Manufacturing,
and Port and Maritime Security.
·
And sometimes, it’s about the unique cultural heritage of the largest single artist
collection of Salvador Dali outside of Spain, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural
designs for a small private college campus, or the John & Mabel Ringling gifts to the
world in art, design, entertainment and education. All of which are world “brands”
known to our international visitors – and all of which can be seen and experienced in
the Tampa Bay Region.
