Rob Higgins, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, has been named the 2024 Film Florida Legends Tourism Ambassador. The award, presented by entertainment production association Film Florida, honors those legends in the entertainment industry that are true ambassadors for Florida. Rob Higgins was honored during the 2024 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tampa and presented the award by Film Florida Executive Director, John Lux.
“Since he has been at the Tampa Sports Commission, Rob has largely been responsible for making Tampa a sports destination bringing countless national and international events to the Bay Area,” Film Florida President Sandy Lighterman said. “Through his efforts, Rob is continuously helping to showcase the Bay Area for worldwide audiences to see. Not only do his efforts help Florida’s economy, but it also helps tourism and it helps screen production professionals. Even though it’s indirectly, we sincerely appreciate Rob’s ongoing support of Florida’s film and television production industry.”
In the 20 years that Rob has held his position, the Bay Area has successfully hosted the following events: Multiple Conference Basketball Tournaments, Multiple NCAA Tournament Games, Multiple NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Fours, Multiple Conference Football Championships, Multiple NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships, Multiple NCAA Frozen Fours, A College Football Playoff National Championship, NHL All-Star Weekend, Multiple Super Bowls, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships and WrestleMania 37, just to name a few.
“Thank you so much to Film Florida for this prestigious honor,” Rob Higgins said. “Team Tampa Bay is comprised of countless organizations and individuals who are all pulling in the same direction to help our community shine. They’re the true legends and the ones that deserve the credit for not only helping get these events here, but also making sure they go off without a hitch.”
In 2006, Film Florida started honoring “Legends” in the entertainment industry. The award recognizes people that have achieved great success in the entertainment industry while also being steadfast ambassadors for the state of Florida. Recent recipients of the award include Burt Reynolds, Sharon Gless, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Vanilla Ice and Burt Wolf. Click HERE to learn more about the Film Florida Legends Award.
About Film Florida: Film Florida is the chief marketing and advocating organization for Florida’s for TV, Film, and Digital Media Industry. The mission is to unite, inspire and innovate to build a more robust and retentive industry in Florida. Film Florida represents all aspects of the screen industry including film commissions, industry, labor, associations and education. The growing membership driven organization provides a network, a platform, and the benefits of playing an active part in solidifying Florida’s position as a major entertainment production destination, positive economic development driver and tourism generator. For more information about Film Florida visit FilmFlorida.org.