Business View Magazine | May 2019

65 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2019 THE RP FUNDING CENTER “There are competitors out there,” Director of Sales, John Oney, agrees. “Our main competitors are the Ocean Center in Daytona, and, of course, the two large conventions centers to our east and to our west. But Lakeland proves to be the middle ground. We’re right off of I-4, which is an easy in and out from Tampa International and Orlando International, so we’re in a good spot, there. And being city-owned and operated, and a non-union facility, gives us a leg up on our competitors. With all the services that we have in-house: AV, F&B, we have the opportunity to control costs. When you talk to meeting planners and they look at the RP Funding Center, the value that we provide is tremendous. So, we hang our hat on the fact that we’re a value destination, we’re family-friendly, and there’s a ton of things to do here in Lakeland, outside their event.” Today, the RP Funding Center hosts between 400 to 500 events a year; everything from minor league, professional sports teams – hockey, indoor soccer, and basketball – to meetings, cheerleading events, concerts, etc. It is staffed by 40 full-time employees plus seasonal and part-time staff as needed. And it has recently completed a $14-plus million renovation. “The building was becoming a little bit dated,” Oney explains. “So, we have new carpet and flooring and walls throughout the building. We’re more of a