Tampa Convention Center won gold for best convention center in the Southeast at the Stella Awards for a fourth straight year. The city puts 2026 attendance above 320,000.

The city-owned Tampa Convention Center has been named the best convention center in the Southeast for the fourth year in a row.

The downtown venue won the gold medal for Best Convention Center, Southeast U.S., at the 10th annual Stella Awards. The awards are run by Northstar Meetings Group, a trade publisher for meeting and event planners. The City of Tampa announced the win Wednesday in a release from the city.

How the winner was picked

The city said the awards drew more than 1,100 nominations worldwide. Event professionals then cast thousands of votes. After the public vote, a panel of industry judges chose the regional winner.

The city said the judges looked at:

  • the building: 600,000 square feet of event space on the downtown waterfront that can be reconfigured
  • its service partners: including Aramark, Encore, FedEx and Smart City
  • sustainability: a LEED Silver certification for building operations and maintenance
  • the staff: professionalism and logistics support

The numbers the city gives

The city said the center hosted more than 320,000 attendees in 2026. It put the local economic impact at an estimated $149 million. Those are the city’s own figures, and the release does not say how the impact was calculated.

David Ingram, the center’s executive director, said the award “reinforces our position as a world-class venue.”

Other honors this year

The city listed three more 2026 awards for the center:

  • an IAVM Venue Excellence Award, one of five venues chosen worldwide
  • a Smart Stars Award from Smart Meetings magazine
  • a place in Exhibitor Magazine’s Centers of Excellence

What it means for you

The convention center is run by the City of Tampa, so its bookings feed downtown hotels, restaurants and parking. Big conventions also fill downtown streets and garages. Our guide to getting around Tampa covers the streetcar and other ways in, and what’s on this month lists upcoming events.