The RP Funding Center

hotel-quality space; there are soft surfaces where there were hard ones before; it’s a warmer feel.” The arena upgrades include new LED video boards, a basketball court, courtside seating, showers, an expanded press box, and an improved locker area and offices for the G League’s Lakeland Magic. The theater is now equipped with new seats, a new stage curtain, and new paint and carpeting are on the way. All meeting rooms got new paint and carpeting, as well. “We’ve been pretty up- to-date with internet and Wi-Fi service, but that is always something we’re striving to improve upon,” Oney adds. “So, we are in a good place, right now, but there are going to be some upgrades to keep up with technology; it’s an ongoing thing. Lighting throughout has been replaced by LED lighting, so we have a good handle on that, not only from a clean looking standpoint, but also from a cost standpoint; it’s made a major impact on our budget and energy consumption.” Oney says that the Center has also done a “pretty good job with our green initiatives. We’ve got solar panels on the Sikes Hall, which cover the entire rooftop and that helps supplement our energy bill, so we can save some costs for our booth vendors,” he explains. “We’ve got a premium coat of sustainable roofing and waterproofing system on all the surfaces, so that will help. And we’ve got a pretty substantial trash program; we do have the recycle bins and the trash bins and we try to do the best that we can to ‘divide and conquer’ the waste, here. We have an onsite food and beverage team with Spectra Foods that, I’m sure, is looking at composting in the future. But, we wanted to get this renovation thing going forward, and then move forward with those other initiatives.” Lastly, as part of the renovation, Oney says that in response to feedback from meeting planners and attendees, the Center has created a lounge area and visitors’ center. “The whole renovation was a collaboration, not just with the City of Lakeland, but with Visit Central Florida, which is our tourism partner,” he notes. “The Visitor Center kiosk is an area that has fast charging stations and an area where attendees can purchase attraction tickets – Disney, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Legoland. We tried to soften the convention center feel so when folks have meetings with us, they also have places to network and relax and enjoy the scenery. We’ve got a whole wall that has beautiful artwork. When they’re not studying or working or training, they can peruse the artwork. Those are the things we’re trying to sell to the meeting planners.” Going forward, Camarillo reports that the Center figures prominently in the City of Lakeland’s Master Plan as a key sports and entertainment anchor. “One of the things on the horizon is an idea to add an outdoor soccer stadium. That’s part of the plan that’s being produced,” he states. In fact, all of the necessary infrastructure is already THE RP FUNDING CENTER