City Smarts: Tampa Bay is hot spot when it comes to employment. With a population of 334,550, Tampa Bay is home to about a fourth of all Florida-based private companies; one reason is the local support for these private institutions throughout the Bay area. Tampa’s biggest industries are in the services, retail, government tourism and manufacturing arena. Tampa is a great place to work because we have such a wonderful and supportive community – it’s really no wonder that business and families relocate to the Bay area for a greater quality of life. According to Tampa Bay & Company, 16.8 million visitors flocked to Tampa in 2007. Some of Tampa’s largest employers are the Hillsborough County School District, Tampa International Airport and Busch Gardens.

Jetsetter: Joli C. Cooper is a founding partner of Cordova, Smart & Williams, LLC, a New York based private equity investment firm specializing in buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital financings in fundamentally sound, middle market companies. Cooper commutes back and forth from the firm’s Tampa and New York offices. “Tampa is very easy to commute into, and the city is very embracing of minority business and enterprise,” she says. However, being involved in the city is critical to success she maintains. Cooper is committed to the community and serves as a member of several not-for-profit boards including The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; and the Notre Dame Club of Greater Tampa. With over 25 years of domestic and international marketing and general management experience with top tier consumer products companies including Nestle USA, Tropicana, Seagram and Vitality Beverages prior to founding CSW, Cooper’s is a seasoned business traveler. The avid jetsetter recommends says that newcomers visiting Tampa will find it relatively easy to get connected. 

Getting’ Around:  A great way to get around Tampa Bay is by using the In-Town Trolley or the Streetcar system. The streetcar takes visitors from downtown Tampa, to Channelside Bay Plaza, to the historic district in Ybor City with several strategic stops in between. It’s just $2 per ride or $4 for unlimited rides and gives visitors a unique resource to explore our area without having to use their own car. With today’s gas prices as high as they are, that’s a great thing! For more info, visit www.tecolinestreetcar.org.

Survival Kit:  Don’t forget to bring your cigar cutters because Ybor City, the Historic District, has some of the best hand-rolled cigars anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t smoke, they are nice gifts and authentic to the Tampa area. Folks in Tampa like to say that they are the closest thing to a Cuban cigar – not from Cuba, but rolled by a Cuban!

Catching ZZZ’s:  The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina is located in the heart of downtown Tampa, and is walking distance to the Tampa Convention Center, the streetcar stop, Channelside Bay Plaza and the St. Pete Times Forum. It’s also located right on the water so it gives visitors a breathtaking look of the Tampa Bay. The hotel features 717 rooms and 36 suites which are all eloquently appointed. The hotel has three restaurants, a 6,000 sq. ft. spa, fitness center, concierge level, and business center. It’s really the complete package for business travelers who want to leave their meetings in the boardroom and come back to a peaceful night’s sleep in one of Tampa’s premiere hotels. For more info, call 813-221-4900 or visit www.tampawaterside.com.

The Power Lunch: Mise en Place, located at 442 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 110, is a privately owned restaurant that has been in business in Tampa for over 20 years. One unique aspect about the restaurant is that the menu continually changes, so they are always introducing new dishes to showcase fresh fish or new recipes. The restaurant is sophisticated but lunch prices are very reasonable. Plus, it’s right across the street from the historic University of Tampa and adjacent to downtown, so you could walk to Mise en Place if you wanted to and still be back for your afternoon meetings. For more info, call 813-254-5373 or visit www.miseonline.com

Cultural Chow: You can’t come to Tampa without eating at the Columbia Restaurant, located at 2117 E. 7th Ave., which has been owned and operated by the same family for over five generations. The Hernandez family opened the restaurant in 1905, and today is the largest Spanish/Cuban restaurant in the world and the oldest restaurant in the State of Florida. Some of the restaurant’s specialties are the Spanish bean soup, Cuban sandwiches and chicken and saffron rice. They also have nightly Flamenco performances which visitors can enjoy for an additional $5/per person. The restaurant can seat up to 1,700 patrons and it takes up an entire city block. It’s really a magical place and one of Tampa’s pride and joys. For more info, call 813-248-4961 or visit www.columbiarestaurant.com

Cyber Site:  Moxie’s Café, located at 514 N. Tampa St., is a unique coffee and sandwich bistro that offers some of the best food in the area – plus it’s Wi-Fi ready. For more info, call 813-221-4510 or visit www.moxiesdowntown.com

Networkin’:  The best place to network by far is The Capital Grille, located at the International Plaza and Baystreet at 2223 N. Westshore Blvd. The bar and lounge offer visitors the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before making new business acquaintances. The lodge atmosphere also makes you feel like you are catching up with old friends at a social club rather than a restaurant so that adds to the ability to make lasting connections. It offers exceptional food as well! For more info, call 813-830-943 or visit www.thecapitalgrille.com.

To De-Stress: The TPC, located at  5300 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., in Lutz, FL, is Tampa’s only PGA Tour owned and operated golf property and is ranked the #1 golf course in the area and the top three in the state of Florida by Florida Golf Magazine. It’s a beautiful course which was created for the pros, but with access to everyone – so it truly offers the best of both worlds when you are looking for a golf outing. There is a restaurant on location, a driving range, and the beautiful 18-hole course.  For more info, call 813-949-0090 or visit www.tpc.com

Footloose & Fancy-free: The best place to let loose and enjoy your afternoon or evening would be in Ybor City. This Historic District and Latin Quarter offers entertainment options like the Improv Comedy Club, Centro Ybor, GameWorks and more, while also offering some of the best restaurants and nightlife in the state of Florida. For more info, visit www.ybor.org

Flight Time: The Tampa International Airport is consistently named one of the best airports in the country, and is conveniently located just 10 minutes from downtown Tampa. It’s a “no brainer” for meetings or leisure travelers to fly into TIA when visiting the Tampa market. For more info, visit www.tampaairport.com. AirTran Airways offers daily, non-stop flights to Tampa and flights to more than 50 major U.S. cities. For more info, visit 1-800-AIR-TRAN, www.airtran.com.

Someone Helpful: Tampa Bay and Company www.VisitTampaBay.com, 813-223-1111.

Thanks to our friends at Visit Tampa Bay and other tourist venues for providing us with facts, figures and fun information for this article. 

Editor’s note: Doing Biz In features continuously updated coverage of a full spectrum of top cities where readers conduct business. Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson has penned destination catalogs and articles for companies such as Vacation Express, AirTran Airways and North American Airlines. She also organizes cultural press trips, and handles destination marketing for resorts, bed and breakfasts, and tourism boards. More information on The Write Publicist & Co. can be found at www.thewritepublicist.com

Caption: Tampa Bay Convention Center