The Lakeland Center

The RP Funding Center — known for decades as The Lakeland Center — is a multipurpose entertainment and convention complex in downtown Lakeland, Florida, situated approximately 35 miles east of Tampa and 55 miles southwest of Orlando. Operated by the City of Lakeland, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space across seven distinct venues, welcoming over 500,000 attendees at 500-plus events each year. The complex is anchored by the George Jenkins Arena, which seats up to 1,450 for banquets and scales to nearly 10,000 in full-arena configuration, and the Youkey Theatre, a 2,218-seat performing arts venue that hosts Broadway productions, symphony performances, corporate general sessions, and dance competitions. For conventions and trade shows, the Exhibit Hall and Sikes Hall together offer more than 52,000 square feet of divisible, column-free space. Wedding receptions and banquets find a natural home in the Lake Hollingsworth Ballroom, a 5,000-square-foot carpeted ballroom with chandelier lighting that accommodates up to 300 for seated dinners. All spaces include complimentary Wi-Fi, and the venue provides in-house catering through its partnership with Levy. Two on-site hotels — SpringHill Suites and Hyatt Place — sit directly adjacent, with an additional 2,500 hotel rooms within two miles.