Tampa Bay Franchise General Managers Join Forces For Soldout Sneaker Soiree

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay community will once again recognize excellence in sports business when the 2nd Annual Tampa Bay Sneaker Soiree returns on May 31 to a sold out T.Pepin Hospitality Centre. The VIP Reception opens at 6pm and the event program begins at 7:30pm.

“We could not feel more fortunate to be able to bring so many first-class sports organizations and talented individuals together to celebrate the incredible impact that sports has on the Tampa Bay community,” said Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC).

Hosted by the TBSC and co-chaired by the three professional franchise General Managers (Andrew Friedman of the Tampa Bay Rays, Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Mark Dominik of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), this celebration will honor local sports properties’ “off the field” accomplishments. The General Managers will also participate in a special roundtable discussion during the night.

“The Rays organization shares a strong bond with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission in working diligently to help our community’s kids,” said Friedman, Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.  “We are excited to be a part of this event that will provide additional resources for many of these youth to reach their dreams both on and off the field.”

Six-time Sports Emmy Award winner Jeremy Schaap will serve as the event’s emcee. The event will be televised on Bright House Sports Network, with a two-hour tape delay for production purposes on June 15 at 7pm, June 16 at noon, June 17 at 4pm and June 19 at 1pm.  It will air live on the radio on ClearChannel’s 620am WDAE.

“The Buccaneers have long supported the Sports Commission and their dedication to our area’s youth,” said Dominik, General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  “We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with the Commission as we seek to use sports to create social and economic impact in our community.”

The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that works diligently to impact the Tampa Bay area both socially and economically through sports.

“I’m honored to be a part of this event and help support the area’s sports industry and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission,” said Yzerman, General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.  “I’ve learned quickly since I’ve been in the area that the Sports Commission’s work leaves a great impact on our community, not to mention the Tampa Bay Times Forum and our franchise.”

Partners for the 2012 Tampa Bay Sneaker Soiree include: Tampa Bay & Company, Saint Leo University, Anheuser Busch, Bright House Sports Network, 620 WDAE, Tampa Bay Times, tbt*, Tampa Digital, Elder Automotive, Humana, Moffitt Cancer Center, Kane’s Furniture, TECO Energy, Jones Lang LaSalle, POWERADE, DeBartolo Sports and Events, Under Armour, Mainsail Lodging and Development, Modern Business Associates, Premier Beverage, Schifino Lee, Waste Management, Outdoor America Images, Hillsborough County, McKibbon Hotel Properties, Pepin Distributing, Northwestern Mutual of North Tampa, Docusource and the Ryan Nece Foundation.

For more information about the Tampa Bay Sneaker Soiree, please call (813) 342-4075 or log on to www.TampaBaySports.org.  Media contact is Travis Claytor, communications manager for Tampa Bay & Company, at 813-342-4052 or TClaytor@VisitTampaBay.com.