Opened on June 30, 2025, The Blu Halo St. Pete brings a sophisticated yet approachable take on American fine dining to Carillon Park’s new Echelon City Center.
To bring The Blu Halo’s grand opening dinner to life, The Gala Group Agency worked closely with the restaurant’s leadership team to craft a refined and memorable grand opening experience that reflected the brand’s elevated identity. From overseeing event logistics, managing guest lists, creating pre & post content and visual assets, to press coordination, and experiential details, the agency ensured every element embodied the sophistication and warmth of The Blu Halo’s American fine dining vision. Held on July 1st, 2025, the dinner marked a stunning debut at Carillon Park’s Echelon City Center, setting the tone for The Blu Halo’s presence in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The grand opening of The Blu Halo in St. Petersburg, Florida was a culinary success, drawing a dynamic mix of local media outlets and influential social media influencers, who helped amplify the restaurant’s debut across digital and traditional platforms. By strategically inviting prominent influencers and lifestyle journalists, The Blu Halo leveraged earned media and authentic online engagement driving online social media visibility and foot traffic. Through authentic and personalized content, ranging from curated drink and menu tastings to elevated ambiance moments, creators captured and shared the essence of The Blu Halo’s refined and inviting atmosphere. The presence of local media outlets and local micro and macro influencers, not only extended the restaurant’s reach to highly engaged audiences, but also positioned The Blu Halo as a must-visit culinary destination in St. Petersburg.
The Gala Group Agency welcomed exclusive media outlets to experience the Blu Halo grand opening, including St. Pete Life Magazine and Metro Magazine, that helped amplify the evening across local platforms. Through strategic outreach, The Gala Group also secured a featured written review from Tampa Bay Times Food, highlighting The Blu Halo’s elevated fine dining experience.
We also invited standout influencers known for curating content of the best in fine dining, foodie finds, and exclusive Tampa Bay experiences. From CelieaLaMode and EatLocalFlorida to Tiffany Geovana, DekkaDominque, TiaOnTheSea, JudyCortsezTPA, Amy West Travel, and ConfidenceandAdventure, each guest brought their unique voice and elevated the evening with authentic storytelling, stunning visuals, and exciting content that captured the essence of The Blu Halo’s culinary experience.
The Gala Group Agency played a pivotal role in shaping the brand experience for The Blu Halo’s grand opening through the creation and execution of polished, high-impact creative assets. From designing a sleek media kit that showcased Blu Halo’s culinary philosophy and visual identity, to crafting exclusive VIP invitations and coordinating a pre-launch photoshoot, every detail reflected the restaurant’s elevated vision. To generate buzz, the agency also created engaging social content and collaborated with a specialty designer to curate a luxurious gift box for media and influencers—featuring a custom Blu Halo martini glass and ingredients for their signature Cosmopolitan. A final touch included a beautifully designed thank you and recipe card, reinforcing Blu Halo’s commitment to detail, sophistication, and memorable experiences.
Photography
*In Collaboration with VeraHouseCreative a local Digital & Social Media Marketing company based in Tampa Bay
