ON DECEMBER 18th,  LAURA BRUNEY wrote the article found below, which was originally published December 12, 2014 on their blog, www.artsbizmiami.org/ArtsBizBlog. It was edited and republished for the ARTSBlog with permission from the author.

We are excited to hear, where the city is headed in these discussions of new economies and to see who is going to be asked to be a part of these discussions from our community.

 

The 2014 edition of Art Basel week this December in Miami featured the perfect marriage of arts and business. Beyond the dozens of satellite fairs and thousands of gallery booths catering to collectors, Miami Art Weekoffered a far more compelling benefit for businesses eager to court potential clients. Pacesetters from all industries and brand power houses swooned at the reach of art week. Developers, financial investment companies, tech start-ups, luxury car brands, and more cleverly leveraged the arts as a strategic imperative for business. These companies know the arts mean business.

During Art Week, the Arts & Business Council of Miami hosted an Access Breakfast Forum with theBeacon Council to discuss how the arts are transforming Miami and why the creative industry matters to business. Donna Abood, Chair of the Beacon Council, and I opened the program with some astonishing facts. The arts industry in Miami-Dade has a 1.1 billion dollar impact and employs 30,000 full time workers. More than 13 million people participated in the arts this year, and thousands of business professionals shared their skills as volunteers and board members. Cultural tourism, a major component of brand Miami, brings 5 million visitors each year. Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, kicked off the program talking about how the arts bring a competitive advantage to companies that are involved.
The flash of transformation in any city is culture and art. Collaborations between arts and business enhance quality of life, especially in cities like Miami.

Lynch praised our vibrant cultural community. “I was immersed in art from the moment I stepped off the plane and walked through Miami International Airport, which was filled art installations and marvelous art. Every time I come there is something new and I am always energized. Miami is a 24 hour city. As I was returning to my hotel at midnight last evening a lot people were just leaving to start their night.”

“Business support for the arts isn’t a charity; it’s an investment that creates shared value through mutually beneficial partnerships,” said Lynch. He outlined the value the arts bring to business including brand empowerment, leveraging connections with clients and consumers, professional development that encourages innovation and creativity, and enhancing the workspace. Involvement with the arts is good for executives, clients, shareholders, and employees.

Beacon Council President & CEO, Larry Williams, closed out the morning by sharing the impressive economic impact figures for Miami-Dade’s creative industries. Lynch perfectly summed up the breakfast forum by saying that extending partnerships to span all industries and fostering collaboration is building the new economy of ideas in Miami.

This piece by Laura Bruney of the Arts & Business Council of Miami was originally published December 12, 2014 on their blog, www.artsbizmiami.org/ArtsBizBlog. It has been edited and republished for ARTSBlog with permission from the author.

See photos from Americans for the Arts staff members who attended Art Basel on our Instagram account!