FALL 2015
ANASTASIA MANN A Candid Conversation
ZEMI BEACH HOUSE Anguilla’s New Face
BARÇA World Sensation
IRELAND Emerald Isle
ROME
EGYPT
CATALONIA
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
CONTRIBUTORS Scotty Graham
has been leading dive trips, photo tours, photo-walks, and
photography workshops for the past 20 years. He is assisted by keen photographers, educators and adventurers who are the best in the industry, and have the right attitude! Fun is the name of the game. Why not enjoy some time off with like-minded people who enjoy photography and always take the “Last Flight Out�. Ireland, The Emerald Isle page 6
www.scottygraham.com
David Lazar
is a travel photographer and musician from Brisbane, Australia, who loves
to capture moments of life, beauty and culture through photography. He is drawn to locations that have a rich cultural background, and he is especially interested in portrait and landscape photography. David is a contributor to photography, travel and in-flight magazines, as well as newspapers and journals such as National Geographic, Asian Geographic and Lonely Planet. In 2014 he was awarded Best Culture Photographer by Garuda Airways on a visit to Indonesia. In 2012 he was the winner of the Travel category in the Smithsonian Photography Contest. David has been traveling annually since 2004, the year in which he became interested in travel photography as a genre of art, after returning from three months in India and Nepal. On his tenth trip in 2014, he worked on a book project for the Growing Leaders Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago, revisited Brazil, and led a Luminous Journeys photo tour in Myanmar.
www.davidlazarphoto.com
Photos Cover Egypt, More than Pyramids page 32
Marilyn Newkirk
was a paralegal in Little Rock, Arkansas. She later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where she was a
professional speaker and book reviewer, and received the Library's Distinguished Service Award. She and her husband Bob have travelled extensively, and now make their home in Coral Gables, Florida. Article: The History of Tea page 38
Editor-in-Chief Franz E. Buchhalter Managing Editor Cynthia P. Howland
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Writers Edmundo Ruano Cynthia P. Howland Franz E. Buchhalter
Photographers Jeremy Mason McGraw Scotty Graham David Lazar Maya Buchhalter
Graphic Design Werner Buchhalter Jr.
Cover: David Lazzar
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
LETTER FROM THE
EDITOR I have always been fascinated by travel, maybe because not long after I was born I was in a plane. When I was much younger I dreamed of traveling and seeing the world, I wanted to see and experience different cultures, meet interesting people and discover the most amazing sceneries. For a long time, I had a list of places that I wanted to visit, Moscow, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires to name a few. As the years passed, and I started my career in travel the places on my list began to be checked off as “visited�. I know I have been very fortunate, and in a way I have been lucky too to have had the opportunity to see such amazing places, meeting fascinating people and experience awesome scenes. Some places I have visited more than once. While others are still there, waiting for the right time to be visited and others, well they no longer interest me. Today, I continue to travel and enjoy every trip as it were my first. But more and more I enjoy going to my favorites places over and over again-and every time I go back I discover something new. Maybe its because the urge to see the tourist sites is not a priority that I am now able to focus on other things. Design Destinations Magazine started as a simple way to promote our partners and today this platform is a way to promote some of my personal favorite destinations and to share stories that I find to be of interest. In this issue, we introduce you to our new destination: Zemi Beach House in Anguilla. We also include in our interview section with influential people in travel, a candid conversation with Anastasia Mann, CEO of Corniche Group, someone who I respect and appreciate very much. We also feature Catalonia, Spain, Egypt, Ireland and articles about Tea, and the world famous phenomenon soccer team of Barcelona. We hope that you enjoy the beautiful photography and articles and as always, we love to hear from you. Go and see the world!
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
WHAT’S INSIDE TEA
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The History of Tea and How it Became a Worldwide Tradition
38 ANASTASIA MANN A Candid Conversation
26 CATALONIA
IRELAND
32 EGYPT More Than Pyramids
The Emerald Isle
A photo journey by Scotty Graham and words by Ireland’s famous Poet
W.B.Yeats
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ZEMI BEACH HOUSE Anguilla’s New Luxury Resort
BARÇA World Sensation
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KATHY BATES An American Legend
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Fontana di Trevi Fendi to the Rescue
IRELAND EMERALD ISLE PHOTOS BY SCOTTY GRAHAM WORDS BY W.B. YEATS
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“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ― W.B. Yeats 7
“There are no strangers, only friends you have not met yet.” ― W.B. Yeats
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As the year concludes, the celebration in honor of the internationally renowned Irish poet and playwright also comes to an end. Ireland celebrated throughout the year the life of the winner Ireland’s first Nobel Prize in Literature won in 1923. The Nobel Academy sited William Buttler Yeats, as the ‘one who gave expression to the spirit of a whole nation.’
Through beautiful photography of Scotty Graham, we contribute to the celebration and play homage to Ireland and to his poetry.
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The yearlong celebration featured a program of cultural and artistic events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Irish poet. Ireland set the stage to and featured contemporary, classical and traditional arts events spanning theatre, dance, poetry, literature, visual arts, music, educational events, concerts, readings, talks, exhibitions and festivals all centered around W.B. Yeats’ work, life and family. Many countries echoed this celebration with diverse international events.
Through beautiful photography of Scotty Graham, we contribute to the celebration and play homage to Ireland and to his poetry. 10
“Literature is always personal, always one man's vision of the world, one man's experience, and it can only be popular when men are ready to welcome the visions of others.” ― W.B. Yeats 11
TREVI FOUNTAIN FENDI TO THE RESCUE
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
TREVI FOUNTAIN FENDI TO THE RESCUE Fontana di Trevi, a “must visit” in the romantic city of Rome, was recently unveiled after a 17 months restoration work, at an estimated 2.2 million dollar cost founded by the House of Fendi as part of their “Fendi for Fountains” project in an effort to preserve Rome’s historical monuments.
The fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement XII in 1730 and was last restored 23 years ago. It was later made famous in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita in 1960,
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when Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg splashed through the fountain.
The most accepted explanation for its name is that it derives from the Latin word Trivium which means the crossing of three streets. The Fountain of Trevi is located where the center of Via De' Crocicchi, Via Poli and Via Delle Muratte meet.
ANASTASIA MANN CEO, CORNICHE TRAVEL GROUP
by Cynthia P. Howland 15
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
Anastasia Mann is Founder, Chairman and CEO of the renowned Corniche Group, Inc., which includes Corniche Travel, a leading provider of exclusive travel experiences to many celebrities and high profile corporations. She also operates sister companies, Anastasia’s Africa, which reflects her personal passion, and Corniche Entertainment, a music and entertainment management, production and promotion firm. DDM: Looking at your profile, it is apparent that your experience is vast, both in the private and the public sectors. You have been very active in many travel and tourism organizations throughout your career. Of your many contributions, which one or two achievements stand out to you as having been the most gratifying? AM: For me personally it would be the many years I spent trying to understand and establish the relationship between the tourism industry and the state offices. It was a long battle starting back in the 70’s and going right into the 90’s- to get the state to recognize that travel and tourism is a clean and “green” way to bring revenue and jobs into the state. It was about airlines, hotels, marketing agencies- every aspect of tourism. This was a grass roots effort that ultimately spread across the country. I was honored to be one of 10 people who worked for over 10 years to establish the California Travel And Tourism Commission. At the time, the governor was supposed to talk to our group, and he sent a representative who stood up and said, “I don’t know why you are talking to us. Get Disney to pay for it.” The US was the last major county to recognize and embrace tourism We still do not have full government recognition in the US in the form of the cabinet, unlike countries all over the world who have Ministers of Tourism. It’s interesting that we are the last major country to embrace it. DDM: Are there specific challenges that remain elusive to you today, that you hope to eventually make a part of your legacy? AM: I do have a little bit of a legacy in that the spin off of our earlier marketing and research group is TTMA -Travel Tourism Marketing Association. The group is still very strong and very active today. They created an award called the Anastasia K. Mann Leadership Award and I was the first recipient. Each year it is awarded to a major contributor in the industry and some very deserving people have been honored. Recipients include Terry MacRea, founder and CEO of Hornblower Yachts, Ed Hogan, founder of Pleasant Holidays and Misti Kerns,
President and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. DDM: You have made your own path and your own success, beginning at a time when the way for women was not as open as it is today. Did you have a single mentor, or perhaps a single guiding principle that may have been your beacon in navigating through the many choices and decisions we make in a career? AM: I have a very strange story in this area. My parents were immigrants from Macedonia and Bulgaria and they were not educated. I was the first college graduate in my family. I received a full scholarship to USC. In those days the University was, for women, all about getting into sororities and getting married, but my case was very different. I knew at a very young age that the only way I was going to get out of the circumstances of my youth was to do it on my own. There was no trust fund. I started working at 14 to save money to buy a car. When I got the scholarship I still worked at the LA Times 35 hours per week. I did not have the time or money for sororities. I wanted to be a writerjournalism was my goal. The day I was graduated from USC, I drove to Mexico City where I hoped to get my Master’s Degree. I was determined to live in another country. It was an awakening to see another country. I started freelance writing and a client told me a hotel was looking for a sales person. I met with the DOS and actually told him if the hotel was for sale he should contact a real estate agent. I had no idea what they wanted from me. I was naïve and outspoken. I showed up the first day at 10:30 in the morning. The DOS said, “ most of us get here at 8:00am.” I told him that was not a possibility, with the traffic and so forth, and stood up to leave. He panicked and begged me to stay. He was so nervous he was smoking two cigarettes. I think they were under pressure to bring in a woman who was not a secretary. DDM: Digital marketing and social media have changed the way we buy, and the way we sell. What role do they play in the luxury travel space and specifically within your organization? Is it and different for luxury travel than for more mainstream products, either in travel or in consumer goods?
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
AM: It has been very gradual for me. The travel agencies were the first to be computerized- the airlines forced this. The agents were basically agents of the airline. The airlines were getting away with a lot. For the 7% commission they paid, they had 90% of their distribution costs covered by the agencies, who also took all the risk. The costs of the tickets, the ticket stock, ticket delivery, and everything else were 100% covered by the agents. The airlines had the deal of the century. The travel companies were beginning to rebate to get business. The airlines took this as a sign that they were paying too much and eventually the commissions went away. Travel companies became more professional and became travel managers- not agents of the airlines. I believe we are travel managers. DDM: How “digitally and socially” active do travel agents who want to succeed in the luxury space need to be, ie., personalized website, blogs, Facebook, podcasts, etc.?
have been with me 35 or 36 years. And the same is true for some of our clients. DDM: Why Africa—can you share some of your passion for the continent? AM: The first time I stepped foot in Africa was in 1980. I will never forget landing in Nairobi. I remember walking down the stairs onto the tarmac and the moment my foot hit the ground I literally had a “spiritual” experience. It was like an electric shot. I looked across the plains as a beautiful giraffe glided toward me, and then ran across in front of us. My heart skipped a beat and I felt I had come home. That is when it all started. Here I was in the birthplace of mankind and the airport was a tiny box. It was an amazing and life changing experience for me. One of my colleagues remarked about the deep connection I had with Africa and suggested I start my own company. I told him I wouldn’t know where to begin, and he gave me very good advice. “You just begin by doing it.”
AM: There are so many independent travel consultants now who are within a larger travel shell. That is not my company. I only have 2 independents and they have been part of my business family for many years. 99% of my team are employees. We offer the old standard service, receptionist and all. Obviously we have to have all of the bells and whistles including an online option, but most of our clients are the type of people who have very complicated travel lives and they need 24 hour legitimate availability of professional service. They travel all over the world, some moving within 80 countries. There really is no such thing as a truly global travel company- not even American Express. It is a collection of affiliates and associations. That is the way it really works. Because of technology today you can be “global” from your own home or office- from that perspective. We need the technology and digital access, and the good thing is that everything is in writing these days. I have 46-48 employees. Corniche is approaching 29 years this fall, and I had another company before. I have people who 17
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Debuting in early 2015, Zemi Beach House Resort & Spa, will feature beautiful oceanfront deluxe accommodations including two and three-bedroom residences
BARÇA
A WORLD SENSATION
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Futbol Club Barcelona, also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, Hence the motto "MÊs que un club" (More than a club). Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the 23 world's second richest football club in terms of revenue.
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
MESSI, NAYMAR, XAVI, PIQUE, SUAREZ These are the names of just a few of Barcelona’s Football Team players that are known throughout the world and hailed as heroes by the Barça fans. A team that has become, for millions of people all around the world, a symbol of their identity, and not just in a sporting sense, but also in terms of society, politics and culture. Throughout the most difficult of times, Barça was the standard that represented Catalonia and the Catalan people's desire for freedom, a symbolism that has continued to be closely linked to the idiosyncrasy of the Club and its members to this day. Within the context of Spain, Barça is seen as an open and democratic club. And all around the world, Barça is identified with caring causes, and most especially children through its sponsorship agreement with Unicef.
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EXPLORING CATALONIA, SPAIN
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Catalonia is considered by many Spaniards as the ideal region in which to live, surrounded by rivers and having a history that dates back thousands of years,
Another great find is the city of Girona, located just under 70 miles from the more famous city of Barcelona. the city of Girona was founded by The Romans in the 9th Century., It was later occupied by the Moors and Franks until finally falling under the ruling of Barcelona, and subsequently becoming the capital of the Providence of Catalonia. Girona was influenced by diverse cultures and religions, resulting in the city welcoming visitors with her beautiful architecture. The Old and New Town, with its pedestrian narrow streets, offers many opportunities to become immersed in the city’s life and culture, with the many cafes, medieval churches, lively nightlife, art and music festivals. 29
In Catalonia you will find some of the region’s most beautiful beaches. Known as the Costa Brava, where idyllic sunbathing away from the masses abounds and where you can enjoy the crystal waters, or just explore the surrounding fishing villages.
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The city of Girona is surrounded by a protective wall and is home to Catalonia’s most extensive and best-reserved medieval Jewish quarter, known as the Call. The “Rambla" or promenade located by the riverside is the perfect place to stroll and people watch while taking in the beautiful sunsets in this magical city.
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EGYPT Photos by David Lazar
Egypt is known throughout the world as a land of historical importance, a destination for tourists and travelers, and with new discoveries made every year, it gives reason to return again and again. A country of contrast and beauty, with its ancient monuments, evidence of a glorious past civilization, Egypt oers its visitors an amazing experience, a wonderful natural diversity and the opportunity to share with its people today’s Egypt.
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Natural Beauty “The nature surrounds us everywhere In deep running water or high flying air So we need not to complain We have to forget our pain Let's look at natural beauty and stare�. -Sherif Goda, Egyptian Poet
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
"My mother used to tell this corny story about how the doctor smacked me on the behind when I was born and I thought it was applause, and I have been looking for it ever since” Kathy Bates
KATHY BATES - AN AMERICAN LEGEND Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress and film director. After appearing in several minor roles in film and television during the 1970s and the 1980s, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery (1990), for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. She followed this with major roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Dolores Claiborne (1995), before playing a featured role as Margaret "Molly" Brown in Titanic (1997).
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Kathy Bates has been honored numerous times for her work on stage, screen and television. She won an Academy Award® and a Golden Globe® for her portrayal of obsessed fan “Annie Wilkes” in Rob Reiner’s 1990 hit Misery, based on Stephen King’s novel. In 1999, she received Oscar®, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and won a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® and a Critics Choice Award for her performance in Mike Nichols’ “Primary Colors.” Bates more recently earned her third Oscar nomination for her role in Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt, for which she also garnered Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations and won a National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her film work has also been recognized with Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for Jon Avnet’s Fried Green Tomatoes, and she also shared in a SAG Award nomination with the ensemble cast of James Cameron’s all-time, topgrossing blockbuster Titanic as well as a nomination for the ensemble of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.
DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
THE HISTORY OF TEA BY MARILYN NEWKIRK
Iced…Boston Party….Hot…Caddy…Pot….Leaf… All of these have a connection to one item….Tea! Aside from water, tea is the most popular drink in the world, and one of the healthiest. Tea is a drink that penetrates all cultures and continents.
The history of tea is quite interesting. Unarguably it began in China. From its earliest recorded use, tea was widely believed to refresh the spirit, alleviate fatigues, fight off depression and boost energy. For me, hot tea is a comfort drink.
Colored stories abound regarding the origin of tea in China, Legend has it that the discovery of tea occurred over 2,000 years before the Common Era, when Emperor Shen Nung sat beneath a Camellia Sinensis plant in 2737 B.C. His servant was boiling water for drinking and a few leaves stirred by the wind fell into the pot. Intrigued by the fragrance, he took a sip and found it refreshing. To this day, every cup of tea enjoyed around the world comes from the same plant; the Camellia Sinensis.
Another popular story of the origin of tea is that sometime in the pre-classical period before 618 A.D. a man named Shien Non Shei took his wife and children mountain climbing. When Shei became quite thirsty, he picked up a leaf which had drifted onto his foot, after twisting it, the juice of the leaf went onto his fingers and he found the taste quite bitter. He felt that the leaf could have medicinal properties as well as a quenching thirst, so according to this legend he was the first individual to drink tea.
Originally it was consumed because of its herbal medicinal qualities, then later tea was used as a religious offering. Once only for the wealthy, the Chinese Government supported the planting of tea plants and the building of tea shops
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so the lower classes could enjoy both the health benefits and the taste.
The first written reference of tea prepared and consumed appeared in an old Chinese dictionary in 350 A.D., and described it as a beverage made from boiled leaves. From 350 to 600 A.D. the demand for tea dramatically increased throughout China, and soon became an art form, with elaborate tea ceremonies.
During the Sung Dynasty in China (690-1279 A.D.,) the harvest of tea became carefully regulated. Sacrifices were made to the mountain deities, and tea pickers picked the leaves to the rhythm of a drum or symbol. The fresh leaves were then sorted, and of course the emperor got the best. A cake of high grade tea could be worth several pieces of gold; the highest grade would be priceless.
From China, the drink spread to Japan, introduced by Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study. Eventually tea consumption spread throughout Europe, Africa, and the rest of Asia. During the 17th century King Charles II of England married a Portuguese princess, who made team the drink of royalty and it soon became a popular import to Britain. During that same century, tea was introduced to North America. In 1773 a group of U.S. colonists protesting taxation of tea by Great Britain boarded a ship from the Dutch East India Company and dumped its cargo of tea. This was known as the Boston Tea Party, and is the reason why tea is not subject to U.S. import tax.
Originally green, different ways of processing tea result in different types such as oolong, white, black, and herbal. There are many ways of preparing tea - such as in the teapot, sun, or cold-brewed. In 1904, during the first World’s Fair, the summer heat wave made drinking hot tea less desirable, thus ice tea came about. Also in the early 20th century, a tea merchant developed tea bags, but most English people declared that after thousands of years the traditional teapot still brews the perfect cup, and actually disdain the use of teabags.
When Winston Churchill was first presented with a cup of tea made with a teabag, he held the bag up and said, disgustingly, “War tea! In bandages!!”.
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
DISCOVERIES SAKARI MALINEN joins Zemi Beach House as the new Director of Sales and Marketing. Sakari is a native of Finland has been in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years and brings to his new assignment a well rounded sales experience from both resort and city hotels, both operating and opening ones. Before joining Zemi Beach House, Sakari was with Four Seasons in Punta de Mita and Mexico City.
You can contact Sakari at sakari.malinen@zemibeach.com
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
For previous issues visit www.buchhalterinternationalgroup.com
Spring 2015
SUMMER 2015
VIETNAM
AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
!!
INDONESIA
THE CHALLENGING PACU JAWI
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THE NEW FACES OF TRAVEL
XOCOLATL
!A 2,000 YEAR OLD TRADITION
Changing Careers for Travel
FLAMENCO
IGNACIO MAZA
PASSION & SEDUCTION !!
A Candid Conversation
WILHELM VON BREYMANN A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH COSTA RICA’S MINISTER OF TOURISM
ISTANBUL Connecting Two Worlds
YOUNG MONKS OF MYANMAR
LISBON
TRADITION & COMMITMENT
A City of Contrast
BERLIN PUNTA DEL ESTE
DUBAI
RIO DE JANEIRO
MEDELLIN
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
MOSCOW
HAVANA
COCONUT GROVE
Summer 2015
Spring 2015
DESIGN DESTINATIONS BUCHHALTER INTERNATIONAL GROUP MAGAZINE
MARCH 2014
IMANTA RESORT IN PERFECT BALANCE WITH NATURE
ALTAGRACIA A New Luxury Destination in Costa Rica
DORADO BEACH
CARTAGENA Colorful, Romantic and Vibrant
REDEFINING LUXURY
IMPROVE YOUR HOTEL’S DATING LIFE 5 Tips From an Expert
OLIVIER DEBOISE
CELEBRATING HARMONY OF TASTE AND LOCALE
CHARREADAS Through the Eyes of an Artist
SPA BOTANICO DESIGNED TO INSPIRE
THE ART OF WEAVING in Latin America SILVIA TCHERASSI Style, Elegance & Design WILLIAM D. TALBERT III A Candid interview with the CEO of the Greater Miami CVB
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
Fall 2014
Winter 2015
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DESIGN DESTINATIONS Fall 2015
on our next issue HONG KONG
BEIJING
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