THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE TAMPA BAY SUPER BOWL LV HOST COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 2020
IN THIS EDITION
Features 3 Meet The Krewe
Get to know Jordyn Tramble, Manager of Host Committee Events for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee.
5 Business connect update
Learn what the Super Bowl LV Business Connect program is doing behind-the-scenes and how they are adapting to the virtual world of connecting.
6 getting involved
Registration to be a Community Ambassador is NOW LIVE! Don’t miss out on your chance to be involved with #TampaBayLV.
7 Tampa Bay Receives the “Golden Shovel” NFL Green kicks off the Super Bowl LV Greening Program!
11 Team Tampa Bay’s Take - Tampa’s Time
Tyler Graddy, Senior Writer and Editor for The Identity Tampa Bay, describes how Tampa’s time has come to a peak in the sports world.
13 Tampa Bay 55 Podcast
See the new guests that have made virtual appearances on the Tampa Bay 55 podcast.
14 In the media
Discover what people are saying on social media about #TampaBayLV!
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Our team is a passionate group of MVPs who are ready to propel the #TampaBayLV movement forward forever. “Together, we will focus on raising the bar for the fan experience in the region, implementing lasting legacy initiatives, showcasing the destination’s recent progress and exciting future, all while delivering a fifth worldclass Super Bowl.” - Rob Higgins
Jordyn Tramble
manager of host committee events
Jordyn Tramble is the Manager of Host Committee Events for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee. Her main focus will be the management and production of the Host Committee’s portion of Super Bowl Experience. She will also assist in overseeing operations and production of several other key Host Committee events throughout the Tampa Bay area. Tramble joined the Tampa Bay Sports Commission as the organization’s Creative Specialist in November of 2017 focusing on graphic design, content creation, as well as web/digital/social and email marketing. Tramble has since been elevated to Creative and Events Specialist, serving also as an event manager for the Event Development Institute. Prior to joining the Sports Commission, Tramble served as the Marketing Manager on the 2017 World Rowing Championships Host Committee. Her professional experience began with two internships working for Hermes Sports & Events on events such as Briggs & Al’s Run & Walk in Milwaukee, WI and for Great Lakes Publishing on events such as the Best of Cleveland and Inside Business Hall of Fame. She is also currently an active member on the Marketing Committee for the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Tampa Bay Chapter. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Certification in Leadership and Service from Ohio University in Athens, OH and is currently working towards a Master of Sport Administration.
In your position as the Manager of Super Bowl LV Host Committee Events, a huge part of your role is in managing and producing Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s, the NFL’s fan festival along the Riverwalk downtown. What makes this footprint so unique in comparison to past cities? Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s will be unique in many ways in Tampa. First and foremost, this will be the first year in the event’s history that it is co-produced by the NFL and the host committee. This is also the first year that it will be located completely outdoors and free and open to the public. Spanning 2.7 miles, the Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s footprint will include the waterfront parks along the Tampa Riverwalk and Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. Fans will have the opportunity to enjoy a different themed experience in each park including health and wellness, music and entertainment and local food and beverage. Of course, all of the traditional activities such as the Play 60 Zone, player autographs and photo
ops with the Vince Lombardi Trophy will still be active and located in the football themed Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. There’s truly something for everyone and I’m really excited for fans to experience this new outdoor model. As a part of the Host Committee’s social legacy initiative, Forever 55, you are helping chair the efforts dedicated to achieving systemic justice. What are the goals of the committee and how will they help influence transformational change and ultimately leave a lasting impact in our community? Tampa Bay’s resoLVe is an important addition to Forever 55 because it takes the first step towards progress. We can’t say that we care about our community yet ignore the cries of outrage all around us. By adding this pillar, we acknowledge the systemic injustice and structural racism that black and brown people have endured for years. The advisory committee is comprised of community leaders tasked with developing SMART goals and sustainable programming that can be adapted and used in future major visiting sporting events in the community. The overarching goal of this committee is be a part of the solution by not only continuing the conversation surrounding systemic injustice, but also using the platform provided by the Super Bowl to educate the Tampa Bay community on how together we can create positive, lasting change. You have been a member of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission team for the past three years. What is your #1 goal when planning an event? What keeps you motivated to continue to bring and deliver world-class events to the Tampa Bay area? The Tampa Bay Sports Commission is all about elevation. How can we make something even better? That is one question that I ask myself before every event. Almost every major sporting event comes with ancillary events that the host committee is required to facilitate. Our goal is to take those existing events and make them more impactful, so much so that it leaves a positive lasting impression on both the Tampa Bay community and the visiting organization. We measure success based on whether or not an event returns and in my three years with the Sports Commission, we have hosted two major NHL events, a third NCAA Women’s Final Four, several other NCAA championships and now we’re four months from hosting our fifth Super Bowl. I’m motivated to continue the legacy that was started before me. It also helps to work with some of the best teammates I’ve ever had. #DreamTeam What are you looking most forward to over the next four months as Tampa welcomes the area’s fifth Super Bowl to the region? I am really looking forward to watching our city’s picturesque scenery transform into a sprawling Super Bowl LV campus. Because of my background and passion for creative services, I can’t wait to witness the event décor takeover and the installation of larger-than-life signage throughout downtown bring the city to life. However, I’m most excited to see fans traverse the Riverwalk and take part in Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s. Watching all of our hard work come to fruition and be enjoyed by visiting fans and locals alike genuinely puts a smile on my face and makes it all worth it.
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BUSINESS CONNECT update The past six months for the Business Connect team has been filled with more than a dozen group webinars, hundreds of emails and calls to keep our vendors engaged in Business Connect despite not being able to meet in person. Local business experts have equipped the Business Connect vendors with best practices on how to help them sustain their business during these uncertain times. The fall season brings on new adventures, including the start of the NFL season and the official countdown to Super Bowl LV! Thus, the Business Connect team pivoted its focus and opened the microphone to let the Business Connect vendors lead the conversation. During a two-day series of virtual meet & greets, Business Connect vendors opened up about the current state of their business, how they’ve pivoted as a result of COVID-19, and shared the most surprising business lessons they’ve learned during their entrepreneurial journey. Building a strong sense of community among the 200+ Business Connect vendors creates an opportunity for them to meet and learn more about each other. Networking is a vital part of the Business Connect foundation, as it encourages the development of supportive relationships and creates a platform for vendors to share local market knowledge and build a support network that amplifies the robust skillsets of the Tampa business community. Whether virtual or in-person in the future, the Business Connect team will continue to provide programming that elevates the Business Connect experience for our vendors.
For more information on the Super Bowl LV Business Connect Program: LaKendria Robinson, Director of Business Connect & Community Outreach Email: BusinessConnect@TampaBayLV.com
Congratulations ,
lakendria robinson on being named a Business Observer 40 under 40 honoree. Thank you for your constant dedication and positively impacting our community!
Getting involved COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Join our team! We are looking for individuals who are friendly, reliable, passionate, team-oriented and eager to show off Tampa Bay during super bowl LV week! As with all major events, the Super Bowl LV Host Committee, Tampa Bay Sports Commission, and NFL will rely heavily on volunteer and community support to help execute and elevate the overall event. Community Ambassadors can expect to be in various locations throughout the Tampa Bay area. In addition to having a front-row seat to the events related to Super Bowl LV, you will also receive Super Bowl LV Ambassador apparel. To qualify, you must be customer service-oriented and willing to work in any area while showcasing beautiful Tampa Bay. You must be 18 years of age by January 1, 2021 in order to complete an application, and be willing to submit to a background check. During Super Bowl LV week, you will be required to work a minimum of three shifts, which are 4-6 hours in length. There will also be mandatory training is late 2020 or early 2021.
REGISTER TODAY!
FAQ’S
national volunteer day On Monday, September 21st, we celebrated National Volunteer Day to honor all of our registered Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Community Ambassadors! To recognize this special day, we launched a social media campaign to show off our Community Ambassador pride. Check out some statistics below!
Claire Lessinger, COO of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee and Debbie Evenson, Executive Director of Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, take hold of the “Golden Shovel.”
The “GOlden Shovel” arrives in tampa bay NFL KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL LV COMMUNITY GREENING PROGRAM WITH SAND DUNE CREATION AND PLANTING AT PICNIC ISLAND Each year, a symbolic Super Bowl “Golden Shovel” is passed from one Super Bowl host community to the next. The National Football League, Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Tampa Bay Parks and Recreation, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL partner Verizon and Force Blue special operations veterans joined forces for this iconic moment, which is the kickoff for numerous Super Bowl LV community greening projects. Back-to-back Super Bowls in Florida allow for a unique passing of the “Golden Shovel” from Miami to Tampa Bay. The final Super Bowl LIV community greening project in Miami included a sand dune restoration at Crandon Park and the handing over of the “Golden Shovel” to a Force Blue diver who transported it from Miami to Tampa – emerging from the water with shovel in hand for a unique Florida “Golden Shovel” presentation to the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee. In advance of the “Golden Shovel” presentation, Tampa Parks and Recreation built sand dunes at Picnic Island to help prevent erosion and protect against storm damage. Volunteers and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful planted those sand dunes with 900 plants including sea oats, dune sunflowers, railroad vine, muhly grass and cordgrass to help prevent erosion. Volunteers worked in small groups and followed safety protocols as a precaution against COVID-19. 7 TAMPABAYLV.COM
Other planned community greening projects include a large mangrove restoration project at Picnic Island, a beautification project to create a pollinator garden at Veterans Memorial Park, a large tree planting at the Boys & Girls Club in Wimauma, creation of a vegetable garden and community compost project at the Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful Environmental Education Center at Reed Park, native plantings and cleanups at Lowry Park and at McKay Bay Nature Park, and one of the most innovative Super Bowl environmental projects, the continued restoration of a Florida coral reef. The coral restoration project unites the Super Bowl host communities of Miami and Tampa Bay. For Super Bowl LIV 100 corals were planted to restore a reef off of Miami’s coast in honor of the NFL’s 100th season and military veterans. The corals are thriving and recently spawned, indicating the vitality of the reef. Under the direction of Force Blue, the reef restoration project is being expanded for Super Bowl LV to become 100 Yards of Hope as a football field sized coral restoration project is created with corals grown at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School. Supporting the NFL’s community greening efforts in the Tampa Bay area are Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, The Florida Aquarium, NFL partners, Verizon, Oikos Triple Zero and Castrol, and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee Sustainability Program presented by TECO. The coral restoration project also includes Force Blue, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School and Rescue a Reef Program, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Tervis and others as government, public and private partners work together to restore the national treasure that is Florida’s coral reef.
Click here for the full photo album from picnic island!
During these unprecedented times, members of #TeamTampaBay are coming together like never before to help raise up our community. Today, we are launching our virtual #TampaBayLV Game Ball campaign to recognize and honor the selfless individuals and organizations that are putting our community first. Game balls are traditionally given in sports to award MVP’s, great leadership or outstanding performances. Help us SHARE THE LOVE and deliver virtual game balls to deserving recipients by following us on social and by submitting nominations using our hashtag, #SHARETBLV, as we honor our hometown heroes for their generous acts of kindness.
How to nominate community MVP’s 1. Help identify individuals and organizations that are out helping by going above and beyond during these unprecedented times. 2. Share their story on Twitter and tag @TampaBayLV and #SHARETBLV, or... 3. Reply or comment to an already shared story by tagging @TampaBayLV and using #SHARETBLV.
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Our Founding Partner, Ashley HomeStore, is celebrating the kickoff of Football season with a sweepstakes for sports fans. Enter for a chance to win a $4,000 Ashley HomeStore shopping spree!
Are you a diverse-owned restaurant in the Tampa Bay area? In celebration of Super Bowl LV, the Business Connect program is hosting a oneof-a-kind restaurant week. Calling on all friends and foodies, “Road to Gameday� Restaurant Week will highlight 50 diverse-owned restaurants in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco County.
register at roadtogamedayeats.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMAGN
Team Tampa Bay’s take By: Tyler Graddy Senior Writer and Editor The Identity Tampa Bay @TylerGraddy
Tampa’s time! Tampa Bay is at the center of the sports universe. The Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2020 Stanley Cup, the Tampa Bay Rays are making waves in the MLB Playoffs, the Rowdies are advancing in the USL Championships and the Buccaneers have a chance to make history by being the first team to play in it’s host community’s Super Bowl.
For a long time, Tampa Bay felt like a transient sports town. People once moved here from far and wide, bringing their allegiances and traditions along with them. Sure, we’ve had teams in the bay area for decades—only it often felt like Tampa Bay’s sports were relegated to second-favorite fandom. But not now, no way. Now, things feel different. This is Tampa Bay’s time. Our rising bay area has become a place where championships can be born, a region that doesn’t ask for your respect and loyalty: it demands it. The Lightning are Stanley Cup Champions for the second time since 2004, fresh off a six-season run that includes two Stanley Cup Final appearances, three trips to the Eastern Conference Final and five playoff berths. Not even one of 2020’s most taxing sports quarantines could slow down the Lightning. Forget about surviving the Stanley Cup playoff bubble in Canada; the Bolts busted it open with the loveable talent it nourished from day one. Nikita Kucherov finally evolved from unmatched regular-season greatness to playoff savant. Victor Hedman, regarded as the best offensive defenseman in the league, elevated his leadership chops to levels that would have made General George S. Patton look like a middle-school coach. The entire team came together for the greatest celebratory boat parade that this country has ever seen—a regard normally reserved for Tampa Bay’s own Gasparilla Invasion. These personalities, often blanketed in the humble temperature of hockey culture, couldn’t be contained in the wake of their historic Cup run. 11 TAMPABAYLV.COM
No team in major league baseball maximizes talent like the Tampa Bay Rays, who are currently battling in the American League Championship Series after once again shocking the baseball world (and doing it an overall solid by eliminating the Yankees). This team revolutionized the game under manager Kevin Cash, introducing us all to The Opener, an often-used four-man outfield and the never-say-die attitude that laughs in the face of baseball’s most expensive payrolls. The Buccaneers pushed all their chips into the center this season, landing legendary quarterback Tom Brady and vaulting Tampa Bay into the nation’s spotlight. Leonard Fournette and Rob Gronkowski leapt at the chance to join the likes of Ndamukong Suh, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The roster reads like a fantasy draft straight out of Madden 21. Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, didn’t just come here for a fat two-year contract. He saw the potential that we’re all living day in and day out. “There were a lot of things that really were intriguing to me about the organization – the players, and the coaches, and the willingness of everyone to try to accomplish the goal of what playing football is, which is to win,” he said when explaining the decision to move down south. And that’s it, isn’t it? This entire area is on the same page, a throbbing mass of cohesive energy that dares you to overlook its magnificence. The days of playing little sibling to sister cities like Chicago, New York and Boston are long gone. Hell, even the Rowdies, pride of the USL and origin of the year’s best Florida Man story—in which a man lived in the luxury suites of AL Lang for more than two weeks—are crushing it. The team took down the Birmingham Legion in the first round of the USL Championship Playoffs and hosts Charleston this Saturday in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. It’s a good time to live by the bay. Even more, it’s a good time to be loyal to the bay. With Super Bowl LV speeding towards our little slice of sports heaven, it feels like nothing can stop the trajectory of Tampa Bay sports. This is a world class title town, one that can go toe-to-toe with any culture in the country; one that will shine in the high beams of Super Bowl week and beyond. You want championship pedigree? We’ve got it in spades. Bona fide Hall of Famers? It would be tough to throw a rock around here without hitting one—to say nothing of future immortals like Tom Brady and Steven Stamkos. The Super Bowl, the crown jewel of American sports phenomena, no longer feels like imposter syndrome. It doesn’t just fit in here. It belongs here. And the good people of Tampa Bay can welcome it with open arms, as they have so graciously leaned into the juggernaut that is Tampa Bay sports culture. Our region, our spotlight, our era atop the totem pole of professional sports—on every level. This is Tampa Bay’s time.
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The Tampa Bay 55 Podcast Long before the teams arrive at Raymond James Stadium, countless hours of work are dedicated to making the big game and the amazing spectacle that accompanies it an overwhelming success! Tampa Bay 55, a new podcast, is YOUR exclusive all-access behind-the-scenes pass, with the deal makers, hand shakers, celebrities, athletes and more. The podcast is hosted by Ryan Bass, anchor at 10 Tampa Bay, WTSP -- the CBS affiliated television station in the Tampa Bay area and Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and president/CEO of the Super Bowl LV Host Committee. They will be joined by special guests weekly as we countdown to the main event in the heart of Florida’s gorgeous west coast! New episodes will be released weekly. Super Bowl LV will be broadcast nationally on CBS. Click the icon to listen!
New on the pod: Episode 35: » Bill Cowher, CBS NFL Analyst & Former head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers » Brian Auld, tampa bay rays president Episode 36: » lavonte david, linebacker for the Tampa bay buccaneers Episode 37: » Brooke skelley, director of marketing & communications for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee episode 38: » Bill wickett, executive vice president for the Tampa bay lightning Episode 39: » Jack & Susan Groh, NFL Green » Roger Germann, President & CEO of The Florida Aquarium » Rene Gallant, Vice President of Business Development for Tampa Electric
WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS! CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOURS.
In the Media
See what people are saying about #TampaBayLV on social media! Tag us and use the hashtag, #TampaBayLV, to show your support for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee. Maybe you could end up being showcased in TOUCHDOWN Tampa Bay, too!
Follow Our Flow @TAMPABAYLV
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