OLD BUSINESS  3.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

KEY INTENDED OUTCOME:
Maximize The Miami Beach Brand As A World Class Destination

HISTORY:

Organized by IFEMA from 17 to 21 January at Feria de Madrid, FITUR 2018 is adding a new monographic section FITUR Festivals, organized in collaboration with Spain Live Music, the Spanish Music Tourism Association.

According to the SGAE, almost 22 million people attended music events this year. This has led promoters, organizers and tourist companies to increasingly work together to provide the best shows, services and experiences for millions of travelers from around the world, and FITUR Festivals seeks to provide a stage for giving them the tools that will help them boost this growing tourist niche.

FITUR Festivals wants to combine the industry’s professional offerings with the offers available to the general public. The international outreach of FITUR 2018 planned to provide a showcase in which festival organizers, promoters, destinations, the industry’s supplier and ancillary companies, specialised travel agencies, ticketing companies and festival sponsors, among others, can display their offerings and create business.

FITUR wants to provide an exhibition area integrating an auditorium for live presentations and round tables -  feature demonstrations by exhibitors and a chillout zones for networking.

ANALYSIS:

Other Latin America countries have expressed interest in hosting the show i.e. Mexico, Peru and Chile in Miami Beach. Fitur believes that Greater Miami & the Beaches to be a much more attractive destination in which to hold the annual event given everything the destination has to offer including:

• A newly renovated/reimagined convention center with a headquarter hotel as well as large citywide hotel inventory
• Extensive airlift from domestic, Latin American, Canadian and European cities
• Opportunity to increase the number of buyers from Latin America as well as attracting domestic and Canadian buyers which they currently don’t receive many

A major consideration for them is the support, namely financial from the host country or city would offer IFEMA to host the Latin America edition.

Representative of Fitur have mentioned in visiting Miami in the Q1 of 2019 to tour facilities and continue a conversation.

CONCLUSION:
The Administration recommends tabling the discussion until Fitur expresses sincere interest in host their event in Miami Beach. The GMCVB has been advised and is staying in contact with them.