Destination Spotlight, Mat Ratner, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

Destination Spotlight, Mat Ratner, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

What circumstances led you to begin working at the Greater Miami CVB?

Like many people, I was in the right place at the right time. I worked in athletics communications at Florida International University from 2009 to 2013, where I met my former boss. He left to lead the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, and because of the relationship we forged at FIU, he told me to sit tight, and when the time was right, he would bring me over. He kept his word.

I’ll be honest: I barely knew what a sports commission or a CVB was when I took the job, but I knew I was ready for a new challenge. A few years in, we merged with the GMCVB and became a full-fledged department with a bigger engine behind us. Fast-forward almost 13 years, and here we are today.

What was the first thing you did when you learned you got the job?

Like many business deals in Miami, I was offered the job over lunch at Hooters in Doral! If I remember correctly, I called my grandfather, who had always been one of the biggest supporters of my career in sports.

When I was at FIU, he always loved coming to baseball and football games and just being in the stands or the press box and watching me do my thing, as boring as it may have seemed!

Tell us about the “bread and butter” sports the Greater Miami CVB caters to. Are these due to specific state-of-the-art facilities?

We can host just about anything here in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, and we’ve proven that. Our strength is the fantastic professional facilities we have here in Miami-Dade.

We have a state-of-the-art Miami Beach Convention Center, Hard Rock Stadium, a global destination for football and fútbol, tennis, auto racing, and live performances. Kaseya Center is constantly in the top 5 on lists of the busiest arenas in the world. loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, has positioned itself as the home of béisbol in the Americas, and Homestead-Miami Speedway continues to push the envelope in the world of motorsports and endurance sports. We’re blessed to have so many great partners here in Miami-Dade County.

How does seasonality affect your annual book of business?

It’s no surprise that Miami-Dade experiences peak tourist seasons during the winter months, but because we are such an international destination, we see steady numbers year-round. Our summer months are winter in South America, so we see steady business on the leisure side. With that being said, if you’re an event organizer looking for a home for your event in the summer, give us a call! There’s a home for you in Miami. :-)

Describe why the Greater Miami CVB events are so meaningful to you.

Day in and day out, I see what events mean to the local community. We’re blessed to have great professional franchises who help us bring events to the destination and leave a legacy and impact on Miami-Dade.

Now more than ever, they give back to the community when a major event comes to town. You see youth programs and sustainability initiatives being created because of the generosity of the Orange Bowl Committee, NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, FIFA, and many organizations that call Miami home.

Mat, you are known in the industry as someone who succeeds at bringing large-profile events to the Greater Miami area. Your commitment to these high-profile clients is second to none. In what ways has your passion led to increasing the overall book of business within the Greater Miami CVB sports tourism effort?

We can’t do what we do without our incredible partners throughout Greater Miami and Miami Beach. The relationships we’ve forged over the years are the driving force behind bringing major events to the destination.

We pride ourselves at the Greater Miami CVB in providing our partners with the best customer service, showing our attention to detail.

Not many employees stay at an organization for more than 10 years, and that’s the norm here at the CVB. I think that gives our partners and clients the reassurance needed that we will be here from start to finish and that they will be successful when they are in Miami-Dade.

How do you manage the workload for these high-profile events and the intense travel demands on your position?

We have the best team here at the GMCVB. It starts with my team in sports tourism who are always up for any challenge! We’re a small but mighty sports department of three with Amanda Ford and Alex Novy, but we get things done. I couldn’t do it without them.

We also have a fantastic support system throughout the GMCVB, from staff to our board of directors. If there is a big sporting event in town, it’s all hands on deck throughout the organization to step up and help wherever it is needed. We truly are a family here.

What was the most significant moment you experienced thus far as the Greater Miami CVB’s sports tourism lead?

Sometimes, I have to pinch myself when I look back and think of my amazing experiences because of this career. Not only has our organization been the driving force behind bringing some of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world to Greater Miami and Miami Beach, but I’ve also been blessed to be in attendance and share the experience with colleagues, family, and friends. That’s what it’s all about.

In what way, or ways, are you a different person today because of your experience working at the Greater Miami CVB?

For one, my hairstyle hasn’t changed, but my beard is a little grayer... Ha! Every day is a new experience in this business. I’ve learned so much in my tenure here, and I’m excited to continue learning and growing.

What advice would you give to others who find themselves in a situation like yours?

While this industry may seem vast and daunting, it is a very close community. Talk to as many people as possible and create relationships because you never know where you will wind up or, who you can help or who can help you. Be genuine… stay connected… offer help… you never know who’s watching …

What would “today Mat” share with “first day on the job Mat?”

Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing or tell myself anything different. I’ve always been my authentic self, and I take pride in that. I hope everyone out there has seen that throughout this journey.

What goals do you have personally and for the Greater Miami CVB in 2025?

Personally, I will keep enjoying life, traveling, and spending time with the people who make me happy… also, I need to play more golf!

Professionally, we must keep going and not take our foot off the gas. We have such momentum leading up to 2026, which is going to be a banner year for Greater Miami and Miami Beach.

The Club World Cup will be a lot of fun in the summer of 2025 and will give everyone a taste of what to expect for the World Cup in 2026. In 2026, we kick the year off with the College Football National Championship and the Miami Marathon in January.

In March, we have our NASCAR race in Homestead, the Miami Open and the return of the World Baseball Classic… then we have F1 in May and the FIFA World Cup in June and July.

I didn’t even mention half of the amazing sports and arts and culture events we have throughout the destination on an annual basis. We also have a couple of surprises that we will announce in the coming months so stay tuned!