For those who want to explore the sunniest city in the world, there is no shortage of history tours, brewery crawls, and walking paths that will provide a great afternoon in the place we call home. But this spring, the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the Leadership St. Pete Alumni Association are hosting what we consider to be biggest, deepest and most unique tour of the city one could possibly receive.

‘Inside St. Pete’ takes place on Friday, May 31, and the immersive guided tour will bring guests to incredible destinations, introduce them personally to the city’s most important movers and shakers, showcase the city’s rich history, and offer an exclusive view into St. Pete’s future. The all-day experience is truly a sunup-to-sundown extravaganza, kicking off with breakfast on the USF St. Pete campus and culminating in an end of day happy hour one of St. Pete’s many great craft breweries.

Guests will take part in panels and Q&A sessions addressing all the biggest issues in town, meeting everyone from City Council members and Museum Directors to Mayor Ken Welch and the President of the Tampa Bay Rays. The entire experience of Inside St. Pete is a deep dive into what makes the Burg click: the local economy, the history, the vision for the future, the immersive arts scene, the burgeoning business sector, and the ongoing development helping to shape the future of the city.

All participants will be transported from site to site onboard the beautiful Star Trolley, adding an extra touch of class to the immersive tour. Registration is open now, but spots are limited, so act soon if you want to join this one-of-a-kind tour. Inside St. Pete is a joint event co-hosed by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the Leadership St. Pete Alumni Association, presented by Foley and Lardner LLP.

Learn more about Inside St. Pete here, and check out the full schedule for the incredible tour below.

Inside St. Pete schedule

8:15 am – 9:15 am | Breakfast at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s waterfront campus with a welcome introduction from:

• Chris Steinocher – President & CEO, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
• Mayor Ken Welch – City of St. Petersburg
• Chancellor Christian Hardigree – University of South Florida St. Petersburg
• Jason Spears – 2024 St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Chairman & President/CEO Peninsular Mechanical Contractors
• Allison McKown – Foley & Lardner (Event Supporting Sponsor)

9:15 am – 10:15 am | Overview of St. Pete History with:

•  Rui Farias – Executive Director, St. Pete History Museum

10:15am – 10:45am | St. Pete by the Numbers with:

• Mike Swesey – CEO, Economic Development Corporation
• Caleb Peterson – Senior Business Development Manager, Visit St. Pete Clearwater

11 am – 12:15 pm | Panel on Key Issues in St. Pete with:

• Jay Miller – President, J Square Developers
• Whit Blanton – Executive Director, Forward Pinellas
• Liz Abernethy – Director of Planning and Development Services, City of St. Petersburg
• Brandi Gabbard – City Council Member to moderate

12:30 pm | Lunch at Maritime & Defense Technology Hub with:

• Gina Driscoll – City Council Member
• Rich Lesniak – Manager, Albert Whitted Airport
• Dave Wirth – Planning Manager, Enterprise Facilities

1:15 pm | Maritime and Defense Technology Hub tour with: 

• Alison Barlow – Executive Director, St. Pete Innovation District

2:15 pm | Tropicana Field at the Budweiser Porch with:

• Brian Auld – Co-President, Tampa Bay Rays
• Brian Caper – Director of Economic & Workforce Development, City of St. Petersburg
• Alex Schapira – Director / Project Manager, Hines 
• Patrick Abts – Vice President, Tampa Bay Rays

3:15 pm | Tour of the Deuces with: 

• Latorra Bowles – Executive Director of The Deuces Live, Inc. 

3:45 pm | Imagine Museum tour & panel with:

• Terry Marks – CEO, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
• David Flatt – Executive Director, Imagine Museum
• Duncan McClellan – Glass Artist and Gallery Owner, Duncan McClellan Gallery

5:15 pm | Happy hour and networking at a local brewery!