The Beach is Their Business

Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce proclaims on the cover of its visitor's guide, “The Beach is our Business.” Barrier Island's main cash cow continues to be the reason beach officials and businesses feel compelled to band together to support it.

Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce CEO Robin Sollie feels the area has much to crow about.

Addressing the Barrier Island Government Council members at the September meeting, Sollie advocated weekly brainstorming sessions with Mayors of individual beach cities and town to get the word out.

Back when residents and tourists had to be road warriors to traverse Gulf Boulevard and face construction workers waving orange flags to relegate drivers to one-lane traffic, destination times were never assured. 

Today, with few impediments, added bike trails and some sidewalks you can get to where you want to with much less effort. Beautification will be ongoing if the County continues to dole out the $35 million it originally appropriated to beach town and cities for improvement plans. 

“We would like to collaborate with you,” Sollie told BIG-C members, outlining facets of the Chamber's operation  and passing out Chamber publications –  a sleek 6” x 8” 60 page Visitor Guide and a combined 52 page Community Guide &  Business Directory of the same proportions. Both publications are available at the Chamber's visitor center, 6990 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, at a kiosk located near the parking lot at St. John's Pass Village lot and through the Chamber's website. 

“Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber pegs economic development as a top priority,” Sollie continued. “Our staff members in local chambers up and down the beach provide counseling to Tampa Bay Beaches would-be entrepreneurs.”  The Community Guide & Business Directory lists others offering serves to business including the  Pinellas County Business Development Center, colleges and Business Assistance Partnership Specialists. 

Sollie meets regularly with Senate and House Representatives regarding tourism, beach renourishment, oil drilling and other matters impacting the area. She passed around a three page document which the Chamber had a hand in promoting that is making the rounds in legislative sessions as a possible ballot item: “The Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption

Currently the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber has 600 members with 25 new members signing up each month, according to Sollie. It's one of the largest in the Tampa Bay Area, representing members from Sand Key in the North to Pass-A-Grill in the South.

Beach towns who belong to the Chamber have leverage in asking the public to visit their communities after making safer and more attractive improvements including solar powered flashing lights at crosswalks, enhanced monument signs, mast arms on traffic signals, pedestrian flags, palm trees, beautified beach trolley stops and underground cross-wires.