We had a great membership breakfast this morning: heard from Tampa International Airport and the expansion of their concessions area. If you missed it, you can read all about the great opportunities available to local businesses wishing to have a presence at the Best Airport ever! Take a look at these design renderings of Tampa International Airport's future Main Terminal Transfer Level Expansion. Construction is expected to begin later this year and will be completed by late 2017…

One of the most exciting features of our main terminal expansion is the addition of an outdoor terrace and garden area where people can dine, enjoy a drink or sit and watch planes as they wait for visitors or flights

Tampa International Airport is redeveloping its lineup of shops, restaurants, bars and services, and our "Concessions 102" workshop this Thursday from 9 a.m. til noon at the Marriott Tampa Airport will focus on helping women- and minority-owned businesses get in on the action! We'll also be discussing where we are in the planning process, what our market research shows and some exciting details about our available space. For more info on our Airport Concessions Redevelopment Program, go to http://www.tampaairport.com/airport_business/concessions/main.asp.

Our main terminal/transfer level interior will be more open and spacious, with more visibility from one end of the terminal to the other. Our current smoking/observation deck will serve as an beautiful entrance to the new automated people mover that leads from the main terminal to the new consolidated rental car facility. With glass surrounding our shuttle lobbies and an indoor-outdoor terrace on the east and west sides of the airport, we'll enjoy more natural sunlight during the daytime. Our shuttle lobbies will be bumped back to create more space in the main terminal greeting areas, plus they will be enclosed in glass instead of white brick so people can watch the shuttles arrive and depart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ulvN9Yw6U&list=UUP8H8krGA2LR6l5T_HmFWPg