Cindy Collins, director of the RP Funding Center, gave the Lakeland City Commission an annual update that highlighted building improvements, new staff hires and an expanding slate of events for 2026.

Collins told commissioners the center completed a deep cleaning, restriped and repainted the parking lot, pressure-washed and repainted awnings, completed an overhaul of the chiller system with a seven-year warranty and is near completion of a roof replacement. “This year, they managed to give some love to the outside of the building,” Collins said.

The center added two electric-vehicle charging stations in the north lot and launched a new, mobile-friendly website, Collins said. The RP Funding Center’s technical team developed three new lighting packages for promoters — arena/cheer-stage, boxing/wrestling ring and exhibit-hall lighting — created from repurposed inventory and requiring no new capital outlay, Collins said.

Collins introduced five new staff members: Steven Maroney (fiscal operations manager), Laura Saenz (marketing), Robbie Singh and Jody Guilford (engineering) and Erin Tucker (event supervisor). She said partnerships with local food and beverage vendors — Swan Brewing, Kiel Farms, Haven Coffee, Lugo Distillery and Franklin Breadhouse — and an internship program with Polk County Schools have helped expand concessions and hospitality training.

The center hosted 173 separate events last year and was active 292 days, Collins reported. Event types included arts and cultural presentations, sports competitions, conventions and community events; highlights were touring shows such as a Simon & Garfunkel tribute, Cirque Dreams, pro boxing and a jiu-jitsu world league event that will return in 2026.

Collins noted programming with Polk County Schools, continued work with the mayor’s council for the arts and a mural funded by the CRA and Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. She invited the public to two free community concerts (a U.S. Navy band performance and a U.S. Army band appearance on Nov. 11) and to an open house on Sept. 6 with a chamber ribbon cutting at 12:45 p.m.

Commissioners asked how many hotel room nights RP events generate and whether the center attracts events or actively recruits them. Collins said events average about five days and that hotels reported roughly 70% of their business comes through RP bookings; she said staff does active outreach to promoters and that weekdays (Monday–Wednesday) are the primary gap RP is working to fill with discounted rates.

Collins closed by reminding commissioners that RP Funding Center is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, previewing a Broadway series produced with Nederlander in 2026 and asking commissioners to attend a Marshall Tucker concert on Sept. 13. “This is all for the community and all for you,” she said.

The update preceded routine commission business and drew acknowledgments from commissioners who praised staff work and community partnerships.