P u b l i s h e d i n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h T h e M i a m i B e a c h C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– C o n n e c t i n g L o c a l B u s i n e s s e s s i n c e 1 9 5 8
AUG. 23 - SEPT. 5, 2012
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COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM
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Miami Spice Returns Residents Vote Yes O to Resort Tax bill
rganized by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), presented by American Express and sponsored by Stella Artois and BACARDI® Rum, South Florida’s wildly-anticipated summer culinary celebration, Miami Spice Restaurant Program is set to run from August 1 through September 30, 2012 with a recordbreaking 171 participating restaurants. New to the program this year is an attractive, second pricing option, allowing many more of Miami and The Beaches’ top dining destinations to participate in Miami Spice. “Miami Spice is a very exciting time of year for Greater Miami and The Beaches,” says Steve Haas, board chair of the GMCVB and owner of City Hall – The Restaurant. “It’s an effective way to support restaurant businesses during our slower season and gives foodies countless reasons to dine out.” During this one-of-a-kind culinary event, destination restaurants will offer discounted, three-course, prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus featuring a choice of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. This year, Miami Spice will consist of two restaurant groups: Luxury Dining and Fine Dining. Luxury dining restaurants will offer three course prix-fixe lunches at $23 per person, dinners at $39. Fine dining restaurants will feature menus at $19 for lunch, $33 for dinner. (All menus exclude tax and gratuities) New to the Miami Spice program this year are 53 restaurants:
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See
RESTAURANTS, page 4
Community leaders come together to celebrate Vote YES on 502 victory. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
BY CHANTAL GLOOR
O
ver the past 10 years the business community has consistently supported the concept of renovating the Miami Beach Convention Center as a vital resource to the local economy. On August 14th, voters came together and overwhelmingly passed the penny increase to the resort tax which will directly fund the modernization of this regional center. Local Business leaders from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association,
Miami Beach Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce as well as residents from the community formed a coalition to support the ‘Vote YES’ #502 campaign to pass this long awaited initiative. Efforts by the coalition to educate the Miami Beach citizens were met with success when it was passed 67% to 33% on Tuesday, August 14th. Miami Beach residents where asked whether they will allow the City Commission to raise the resort tax by up to one penny for the improvement of the Convention Center. The educational aspect of the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign was ––––––––––––––––
See
VOTE YES, page 4
Phone: 305-669-7355
Letter from the Chair BY JASON LOEB Chairman, Miami Beach Chamber
Recently, Miami Beach voters approved a 1% tourist tax increase, specifically in the form of a resort tax. This is a small enough increase to have minimal impact on our tourists, yet accumulated, will greatly contribute to the improvement of our community. The initiative is anticipated to bring in over $9 million annually, which will be used exclusively for funding the planned improvements and ongoing upkeep of the Miami Beach Convention Center. In my 17 year history with the Chamber, this is certainly among my proudest moments for the organization. In the beginning we faced many challenges, naysayers and warnings that such a proposal would never pass. It was collaboration that allowed us to override these initial sentiments - our members not only worked with each other, but branched outside the chamber to other impacting organizations and community leaders to build upon its strength. Many thanks to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami Beach Visitors and Convention Authority, Miami Beach Hotel Association, Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for their partnership and support in making this happen. Because of everyone’s hard work, we can move forward in the development of transforming the Convention Center into a state-of-the-art facility representative of our city’s international influence and appeal. The Convention Center is already home to some of the world’s most renowned events - Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Beach International Fashion Week, Miami Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Miami Boat Show, ArteAmericas, as well as major meetings and expos hosted by elite institutions across key industries - all of which bring additional cache to our sunny paradise. As the region’s third largest economic force (just behind the airport and seaport), fulfillment of the neces–––––––––––––––––––––––––––– See
LETTER, page 4