Outreach to Italy pays off for Coral Gables

By Priscilla Greear
Gables Home Page

In 2008 the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County conducted their first joint international mission to Italy to promote the council’s new initiative to brand Miami as a destination for fashion and lifestyle businesses.

Representatives of the Beacon Council, the official economic development partnership of Miami-Dade County, and the chamber met with leading fashion and business organizations. The Italian business leaders outlined for the Miami delegation plans to develop a facility in the United States to promote tourism in and distribute products from Tuscany. As a result, the Italian delegation last November held the Wine & Fashion Florence mini-trade show at the Biltmore Hotel to test the market, showcasing Tuscan leather goods, jewelry tourism, fashion and culture.

At the March 18 Good Morning Coral Gables Breakfast sponsored by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce at the Biltmore, Beacon’s president and CEO Frank Nero announced plans for Wine, Fashion Florence to make its first U.S. investment in Coral Gables: It plans to open a store in September on Aragon Avenue across from Books & Books.

“They had their attention on New York City and, of course, we came in and together pitched Miami-Dade County as a viable alternative,” Mr. Nero said. “This would not have happened without your help and support. Now that’s what I call a partnership. The Coral Gables Chamber gets it.”

The Beacon Council is currently working on 80 projects that involve businesses evaluating expansion or relocation to Miami-Dade, he reported. Among positive developments, VISA will open a new global customer service center, creating 366 new jobs, and U.S. Gas & Electric will expand operations, creating 125 new jobs. This work is critical when job losses continue in construction, manufacturing, retail trade, financial services and leisure and hospitality industries and the county lost 31,200 jobs between January 2009 and January 2010, he said. More here.