The Tampa Convention Center has been named a 2027 Center of Excellence by EXHIBITOR Magazine, placing the downtown Tampa venue among 25 convention centers worldwide recognized for hosting trade shows, corporate conferences and conventions.
The recognition marks the second time the facility has made the global top-25 list. Tampa Convention Center also is one of three international finalists for EXHIBITOR Magazine’s Best Convention Center award in the category for venues with 100,000 to 500,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Finalists will learn the Special Award winner during the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ Expo! Expo! event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, scheduled for Nov. 16-18, 2026.
EXHIBITOR Magazine’s Centers of Excellence program evaluates venues on service and execution, capabilities, amenities, health and safety protocols, and feedback from event managers, trade-show organizers and exhibition leaders.
Located along the Tampa Riverwalk, the convention center has 600,000 square feet of flexible space, including a 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 50 breakout rooms and a 36,000-square-foot ballroom. The facility also offers outdoor event space along the riverwalk and is within walking distance of downtown hotels, dining and transit options including the TECO Line Streetcar and Pirate Water Taxi.
The center said it hosted more than 320,000 attendees in 2026 and generated an estimated $149 million in local economic impact for Tampa and Hillsborough County.
