RP FUNDING CENTER — Attraction in Lakeland

I originally wrote a detailed post about my experiences here. I received a rather passive aggressive response. Therefore, I’m re posting my review.

We were here for a dance competition. We dealt with the competition exclusively prior to our 3 day/night long event. Most attendees traveled and had to stay in nearby hotels during this event. We never were told of the no pocketbooks or food or drink into the venue. NEVER TOLD! we were shocked to hear the announcements blasting at us as we parked the vehicle. I must say it gave off a very uncomfortable feeling as it was repetitive regarding firearms as well. The parking situation was difficult and pricey as well. To our surprise a cheer competition was going on the same time as us on Saturday. The lobby’s and bathrooms were over crowded and uncomfortable as the day went on. There was no time to shop for a small purse or clear bag that they demanded. Most people panicked as it is customary to pack coolers for the dancers as most start their day at 7am and end at 11pm! To our surprise we all had to leave it in the car. Along with our pocketbooks !!! Women need their purses. We had to purchase food and drink from their concession stands which only offered frozen pizzas, hot dogs, pretzels and overpriced beverages. Oh there was popcorn and if you were lucky you could buy a stale prepackaged cafeteria style sandwich or salad While it lasted which wasn’t very long. The food offered was overpriced and awful tasting. We found out “better” food was offered on the “cheerleading section of the venue but we were not allowed to purchase the food from these vendors. If you left to purchase food, you had to repay for parking!! As for our group because we had to put our cooler full of food back into the car, the ice only lasted so long as it is a 16+ hour day, all the food was spoiled due to high temperatures in the vehicle. Wasted a lot of money, time and energy.

As for myself, because I could not have my purse, I ended up losing my 900.00 cell phone and prescription sunglasses as I couldn’t fit them in my pockets. I must have dropped them along the way between auditorium and dressing room. They were never found.

The dance competition was amazing! The staff was amazing. The security officers don’t get paid enough to do their jobs as far as I’m concerned. They had to deal with awful feedback from 100’s of unhappy parents. The cleaning attendants were outstanding. Most vendors were pleasant. The most difficult person was a little older woman at the front entrance who was just plain mean! She literally made people feel like a criminal and it just set the tone for an awful experience!!! She was the 2nd person to greet you after you paid your parking. Not kind at all. I hope people read this post and seriously do their homework before using this venue. The feeling we got while entering this building was almost as if we were criminals walking into a camp of some sort. Very unwelcoming! It mimics a communist atmosphere!! That’s exactly how it appeared. Very uncomfortable feeling

I heard the reason for the extremities was due to a shooting that took place and new ownership. I understand if you don’t want people to bring in outside food etc for certain events. But there needs to be exceptions and or better quality food and normal prices available. As for us, no matter what we will not return to this venue ever again. Between the lame response I received from the owner and absolutely no apology and the woman who “greeted” us, it’s obvious this place has a toxic environment.

Sorry but you and your 10,000 rules are not meant for events...

We attended a dance competition here this weekend and for the first time in 17 years attending events here their security has gotten out of hand. If I could give this venue 0 stars I would. We encountered so many issues but these are the icing on the cake.

•no water bottles for our dancers allowed in from outside •the water in the dressing room provided from the venue ran out by 9:30am Saturday morning and wasn’t refilled until 9pm.. I told them 3 times and was ignored. When I brought it up today to security their excuse was there is a water fountain backstage for the entire venue - it was broken •the security broke our props outside the backstage door “checking them for food” and then refused to let us bring in some of our props because we couldn’t open them (they were empty cardboard boxes glued shut and designed to look like suitcases) •the lack of food for studio staff but especially for kids who don’t have the ability to leave between numbers but need to eat a meal when dancing for an entire day •the food provided includes nachos, soda, and pretzels only. These are not going to help athletes perform their best and quite frankly I have many dancers who straight up refused to eat their pretzel and chips for every meal. •security rules were different for everyone who entered the building, metal detectors and bag searches sometimes you had to do it sometimes they didn’t care • undoing ALL competition bags and rummaging through costumes or dumping out everything to “check for food” don’t worry about weapons though they didn’t look for those. •Don’t go in the wrong door. You’ll be yelled at until you exit the building. •kicking us out of the hallway when rehearsing in a space that was out of the way, disturbed no one and was clearly part of the competition side of the convention center because we were “blocking the way” for who? The one 80 year old security guard? Why are old men staring at young girls in leotards anyway? •EXTREMELY rude security outside the backstage prop door, everywhere in general except one nice lady at the metal detectors by the entrance nearest to the Spring Hill suites. I didn’t get her name but she was an angel.

On top of all of this I asked who to contact to work this out in a better way and was told to contact Cindy Collins the executive director for the RP funding center. I asked for contact information and the security pulled out a stack of her business cards to reference the spelling of her name but refused to give me one. Wouldn’t let me look at it or take a picture of it because after the first night of our event they were told to stop giving out her information because too many people were contacting her upset. As they should have been. I have informed the competition of our issues and alerted future competitions we are attending there as well as other local studio owners and directors so they can figure out a plan for them and their students.

This is was a children’s dance event. We should be doing better for our kids. Allowing them to perform with the props how they rehearsed for months, protecting them from weapons and keeping them safe from creepy old men security guards not a container of...

The RP Funding Center is conveniently located and easy to access from the main roads, which initially gave me a positive impression. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t meet expectations and left me disappointed with several aspects of the visit.

Upon arriving, the staff seemed very disengaged. There was a noticeable lack of warmth or hospitality, which set an unpleasant tone right from the beginning. We were informed that no outside food or beverages were allowed inside the facility. While this is a common policy at many venues, there should be some flexibility, especially for guests with medical needs. I attempted to bring in a bottle of water due to personal health concerns, but even that was not permitted. This felt unnecessarily strict and lacking in basic accommodation or understanding.

Once inside, we were surprised to learn that there would be no re-entry allowed—meaning if you left the building for any reason, you would not be permitted back in, even with a valid ticket. This policy was not clearly stated beforehand and seemed overly rigid, especially for guests attending longer events where stepping out briefly might be necessary.

Throughout the visit, interactions with the staff remained negative. They came across as indifferent at best and rude at worst. There was little effort to assist guests or make the experience more comfortable. Basic customer service was sorely lacking.

The general condition of the facility also raised concerns. Much of the venue appears outdated and in disrepair, and it’s clear that renovations and upgrades are overdue. From worn-out seating to poor signage and aging infrastructure, the environment felt neglected and uninviting.

That said, I will give credit where it is due: the arena area where the ceremony is being held was in good repair and, for the most part, clean and organized. It was the one part of the facility that seemed properly maintained and ready to host an important event like a graduation.

Despite that, my overall impression of the RP Funding Center is not favorable. I found the experience to be uncomfortable, unwelcoming, and not up to the standards of a professional public venue. I do not plan to return...