Long-term planning in Manatee County pays even longer-term dividends

Back in 2015, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp., the lead economic development organization for all of Manatee County, issued its first strategic plan. One of the strategies identified was to expand the Bradenton Area Convention Center and co-locate a full-service flag hotel.

A decade later, through strong collaboration among the leadership of Manatee County government, the Tourism Development Council and the City of Palmetto, the community recently celebrated the opening of the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa. Next year, the convention center renovation and expansion will be completed, with conference bookings to follow beginning in 2026.

According to the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, tourism is a $2.2 billion industry for Manatee County, supporting approximately 30,000 jobs. In 2023, our community hosted 3.8 million visitors. Of those, about 5% represented the corporate traveler, 15% came from sports-related tourism, and the rest were leisure travelers.

“With the larger convention center, we should be able to grow that corporate number to 10 to 12% of the total,” says Elliott Falcione, the tourism bureau’s executive director. Falcione says the expanded and renovated center will be the only venue of its size between St. Pete and Naples. Paired with the hotel, the center can attract state and Southeast regional conferences of up to 800 attendees — business that is expected to generate $30-40 million annually in economic impact.

So, while traditional economic development tends to target diverse industries that deliver higher-wage jobs, the Bradenton Area EDC is intentional about not only recruiting and retaining those businesses, but also collaborating on initiatives that build on assets we already have — like tourism.

For example, this summer we participated in the Farnborough Air Show, one of the largest gatherings of aviation and aerospace businesses in the world. Along with representatives from the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, we held pre-arranged meetings with companies interested in establishing a presence on Florida’s west coast. We also co-hosted a gathering with the tourism bureau to talk about the Bradenton area with tourist agencies and business executives.

While the favorable tax climate here is a strong selling point for corporate decision-makers, we also know that people who visit here — whether for business or pleasure — usually return, and some establish businesses here.

Tourism data bears out the recurring nature of our visitor market. Third-party research conducted for the tourism bureau says that first-time leisure visitors are 94% likely to return within 12 months, and first-time corporate visitors return 74% of the time. As Falcione says, “They want more, and they keep coming back.”

In addition to supporting local businesses and jobs, the tourism industry drives massive investments in the community’s infrastructure through the local tourist tax paid by visitors on short-term rentals, and through sales tax generated by visitors’ purchasing power.

The tourist tax has helped to fund the convention center’s capital improvements and expansion, beach renourishment projects and the Gulf Islands Ferry service. It helps bring more nonstop flights to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. The tax has also supported capital investments in downtown Bradenton at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, the new ArtCenter Manatee (Herrig Center for the Arts), and the Manatee Performing Arts Center. And in east Manatee County, the tax was invested in the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch, which attracts both amateur and professional sports events.

There are more examples, but you get the idea: iInvesting in these assets enhances quality of life for those who live here, not just visitors.

It’s exciting to see a plan come together, especially when delivering results for the nine communities that make up Manatee County. Join us to learn more when we host the EDC’s Annual Update Luncheon on Friday, October 11, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the convention center in Palmetto. You’ll find registration details on BradentonAreaEDC.com.