Introduction The Ritz Ybor

THE RITZ

Introduction  The Ritz Ybor is a special events venue located in a historic part of Tampa called, Ybor City. They are famous for holding concerts and private events, but the establishment allows for a wide variety of events. They hold weddings, galas, proms, business meetings, conferences, fundraisers, banquets, and more.

HISTORY OF THE RITZ YBOR

The building was first built The building was first built. It opened its doors as a theatre called the Rivoli Room for the local residents of Ybor City. 1917 The building later expanded in 1945 and became know as the Ritz Theatre until the late 1970’s. 1945 After being bought by the current owners, the Capitano family, the Ritz was renamed the Masquerade. 1970- 1980 The Masquerade closes and the building is renovated. 2006 The doors reopen with $2 million dollars of renovations as the Ritz Ybor. 2008

VISION AND VALUES Community Involvement All Children’s Hospital American Heart Association HCC Foundation Italian Club of Tampa Jesuit High School Tampa Catholic School University of South Florida Ybor City Chamber of Commerce and more…. The Capitanos’ held onto the Ritz Ybor, as an investment property under their well established oil company, Radiant Oil Co.. Radiant places importance on being involved with various charities and organizations in the Tampa Bay area.

THESIS STATEMENT The organizational audit of the Ritz Ybor will analyze the inner structure of the established event venue. It will explain the communication of the employees and management before, during, and after events. It will explain the public relations tactics used to plan and prepare for different events and crisis. The audit will also analyze the use of advertising, marketing, and community involvement that is synonymous with good public relations practice. It will also explain the importance of having an experienced team with many means of communications within the organization. By using necessary public relations strategies, the Ritz Ybor has become known as a “Unique. Historic. Special Events Venue.” 1503 E 7TH AVE TAMPA, FL 33605~(813) 247-2555~WWW.THERITZYBOR.COM

The Communication Team Okesene Tilo –Public relations and marketing Katie – Sales and customer liaison Carla - Tours and Concert Promoter Krista – Venue Manager Managers on Duty

Tactics An in house monthly luncheon is hosted called “Taste and Tour of the Ritz” in order to promote the building. This event is exclusive – by invite only and usually involves around 50 guests of a targeted group such as lawyer, non-profit organizations, or corporate planners. Prizes and questionnaires are a part of this luncheon. Advertising budget that allows the venue to go through different advertising mediums such as the Tampa Bay Times (TBT) weekly advertisement. Tilo explained that during the first year the venue focused on print ads but did not get much of a return so now they are focusing more of their efforts on online advertising. Keeping an updated contact list that they remain in contact with via phone, e-mail and mail. Tilo ensures that each client is contacted using all three methods, but not necessarily the same order of methods. Occasionally the Ritz will team up with radio shows, where they allow them to do ticket giveaways and things of the sort. They also partake in street distribution of tickets for concerts that needs more advertising and promoting.  

Venue

Social Media The Ritz’s Facebook, it is very clear that the page is constantly updated, and with a total of 3,358 likes it is clear that Facebook is a great social media outlet for the venue The Ritz’s Twitter is another useful social media for the company. With a number of 555 followers, The Ritz follows 129, and has a total of 478 tweets all regarding upcoming news and events.   The Ritz’s MySpace account has been a great networking site for this venue, consisting of specific employee contact information, company blogs, photos, flyers, and a friend base of 1,434 people.

Media Outlets/Strategies

Community Involvement The Ritz is heavily involved in the Tampa Bay community and is a member of the following organizations: The Greater Tampa Chamber The Ybor Chamber Tampa Bay and Company Brides.com Tampa Bay Business Skilled Ybor Arts Association Plus more

Conclusion As a new company, the Ritz seems to be, overall, on top of their publics and business. From hosting in house luncheons every month to participating in various non-profit charity events, the Ritz has been successful in promoting their name and getting themselves out into the media via Internet and radio. The Ritz Ybor has a communications/public relations department that is effective and dynamic in keeping up with their in house communication. Due to how new it is though, they need to make sure to keep on top of their networking and getting their name out there to ensure that they continue to grow in the upcoming years.