Tampa Convention Center is proud to be involved with several community programs to give back to the Tampa community. The Tampa Convention Center team is constantly seeking out ways event planners and exhibitors can contribute to the Tampa area and facilitating these charitable efforts.
Teaching Tools
Tampa Convention Center encourages event planners and exhibitors to donate unused supplies to benefit teachers and students in need in Hillsborough County public schools. We are proud to partner with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to distribute donated items to the Teaching Tools Resource Center. The center allows teachers from Hillsborough County Title I schools, or schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families, to shop for free, much-needed supplies.
Items accepted include office supplies (such as paper, pens, pencils, markers, notepads, and folders), show bags, and furniture.
This program also benefits exhibitors, as it eliminates the need to pay for shipping or transportation costs for unwanted supplies.
Habitat for Humanity
Tampa Convention Center also partners with Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County, Florida, to donate unwanted show items such as building or construction supplies and furniture. Event planners and exhibitors can choose to donate new and gently used items to the organization.
Donated items go to the Habitat for Humanity Hillsborough ReStore, where they are sold. All proceeds go directly to the Hillsborough County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for families in need in the Tampa area.
United Way
As a City of Tampa department, the Tampa Convention Center is proud to partner with United Way Suncoast. The city has collaborated with this nonprofit organization for more than 30 years and has donated nearly $5 million.
Through the United Way, the Tampa Convention Center supports programs such as early literacy programs, neighborhood resource centers, tax assistance programs, the 211 assistance hotline, and more. Tampa Convention Center employees also participate in volunteer opportunities.
Food Donations
Unused food that is deemed safe for consumption such as whole fruits and vegetables, bread, bagels, and bottled/canned beverages, is donated to local charities by the Tampa Convention Center’s exclusive in-house food and beverage provider, Aramark.
Aramark is affiliated with the Food Donation Connection, an international program that has coordinated the donation of over 750 million pounds of food since it started in 1992.
Annual Holiday Food Basket drive
Tampa Convention Center is proud to participate in the City of Tampa’s Annual Holiday Basket drive. Employees donate meals and items like blankets to fill baskets. They also donate their time to help fill and deliver baskets.
In 2022, the City of Tampa donated holiday baskets containing meals and gifts to nearly 200 Tampa families. The baskets also included more than $5,000 worth of grocery store gift cards that were donated by the City of Tampa.