2022 Flamingo Fanatics Fling Event at TPA

Earlier this year, a giant flamingo sculpture was unveiled in the Main Terminal of the Tampa International Airport. Now, the airport is calling for travelers to name the massive pink pioneer with some prizes on the line.

The formal name of the artwork is “HOME,” but artist Matthew Mazzotta and TPA have decided something more colloquial is required. So, they’ve launched a Name The Flamingo Contest, with nice perks for whoever comes up with the eventual name.

According to a release from TPA, the winner of the contest will receive four nonstop, roundtrip tickets for themselves and three others on Silver Airways, a VIP Experience package to Busch Gardens (includes four single-day admission tickets, four All-Day Dining passes, four Quick Queue Unlimited passes, and preferred parking), and an invitation to the forefront of the reveal event for the new name.

How to Enter TPA's Name The Flamingo Contest

To send in a submission, go to NameTheFlamingo.com, fill out the required form, and submit your proposed name for Tampa’s towering flamingo! Entries must be submitted before Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 12 p.m. ET.

After submissions close, the airport will select three finalists and leave it up to the public to decide from there. To vote for your favorite name, you will also need to go to NameTheFlamingo.com to make your voice heard beginning on Monday, Dec. 12. On Friday, Dec. 16, the airport will announce the winning name on its social media channels.

TPA Flamingo Sculpture Background

We wrote about the giant flamingo sculpture coming to the Tampa International Airport back in January, detailing the 21-foot sight to behold that stretches from floor to ceiling. The piece cost $520,000 and was finally installed after the pandemic delayed its completion for approximately two years.

The sculpture is part of a larger initiative from the airport to beautify its space.

“I like to think that people really notice and enjoy all the artwork,” Kelly Figley, the Public Art Program Manager at TPA, said to FOX13 News in November 2021. “Traveling through the airport is busy. We’re coming up on our busiest time of the year and I think that the artwork really gives us an opportunity to pause for a moment and take a look at something beautiful and interesting.”

Since it was opened, the big flamingo has been a smash hit at the airport, becoming a constant hub for selfies and travelers looking to kill some time between flights.

“Just go over and hang out in the terminal for 10 minutes,” Chris Minner, executive vice president and lead of TPA’s art committee, told Gabrielle Calise of the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday. “You’re gonna see an endless stream of people coming over of all ages - little kids hugging the beak, adults giving it a big hug before they take off or upon their arrival.”

The piece’s rousing success deserves something special.

“It’s just so impactful, so immersive, so interactive,” Minner said to the Tampa Bay Times. “Coming up with a name just seemed like the most natural next step.”