Tickets are on sale for Pasco County's biggest annual business gathering, with general admission running $150 per person — a $25 bump from last year.

The Pasco Economic Development Council's 38th Annual Awards will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Pasco-Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC), 8657 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel. The event draws hundreds of business owners and community leaders from across the Tampa Bay region, according to Pasco EDC.

The organization is headquartered at 16506 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz, and the awards are open to businesses countywide, including those along the U.S. 41 and SR 54 corridors.

This year's theme is "An Evening in Paris." Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for a networking and dining reception that runs until 5:45 p.m., followed by the awards celebration from 6 to 7 p.m. and a coffee and dessert reception from 7 to 8 p.m. General admission includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, a seafood station, inclusive beverage service and the full awards program.

About the Industry Awards

The centerpiece of the evening is the Annual Industry Awards, which honor businesses that have made significant economic and community impact in Pasco County. Finalists and winners have not yet been announced for 2026.

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of Pasco EDC, wrote in a July 8 op-ed in The Laker/Lutz News that "economic development is not the same thing as growth," arguing that strategic investment is what distinguishes Pasco from a bedroom community.

Past honorees

Past ceremonies have recognized companies across categories including economic excellence in company growth, workforce innovation and international business involvement. The 2025 Leadership Award went to Dewey Mitchell of Berkshire Hathaway Properties. In 2024, the honor went to Avis and the late Ted Phillips.

Sponsors and registration

Confirmed sponsors for the 38th Annual Awards include AdventHealth and Speros at the presenting level, with CareerSource Pasco-Hernando, WREC, Florida Design Consultants, BayCare Morton Plant North Bay Hospital and TECO Energy/Peoples Gas at gold. Kimley-Horn is a silver sponsor. The hospitality sponsorship tier is already sold out, though additional sponsorship levels remain available.

Registration is open at submit.jotform.com/260884856246167. The event returns to IPAC after the 2025 ceremony was held at Saddlebrook Resort.