the other face of made in italy the global recession italian farm

BUSINESS
The Business of Fashion & Lifestyle Strut
Miami’s Runway
BY PAMELA FUERTES, VICE PRESIDENT, BEACON COUNCIL AND
MARK A. TROWBRIDGE, PRESIDENT & CEO, CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Americans have long had a love affair with Italy, idealizing and adoring this
European jewel for its rich history, culture and beautiful people. However,
for businesses in our community and across the United States, there is
much more to Italy than romantic get-aways, Tuscan villas, and vintage
vino. There is a rich tapestry of businesses just waiting to be woven into a
larger fabric.
Italy is a growing hub for European business, bustling with activity around
such industry sectors as franchising, telecommunications, biotechnology,
and manufacturing. Milan has become a booming business capital city that
is a must visit when exploring business opportunities in Europe.
Italian food, wine, and fashion have become a world-wide sensation and
the opportunity to develop significant business around these industries is
of great interest to our business community as well. And the interest is
mutual, as evidenced by numerous recent economic development and trade
missions between Miami and several cities, and partners, in Italy. From the
most gorgeous fabrics, to the richest leather goods, to the artisan produced
products and delicious fruits of the vineyards, the desire to penetrate the
American market by even the smallest businesses is intense.
Organized and led by the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, in partnership with
the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, a delegation of business leaders
visited Milan and Florence in May and October of 2008 to explore the
possibility of developing significant new business ties around the fashion &
lifestyle industries. As a result of our joint promotion efforts, we succeeded
in highlighting what our community offers from a business perspective to
established and emerging companies in the fashion & lifestyle industries.
During their return visit, Italy gave Miami-Dade County and its local
residents the opportunity to experience one of Italy’s most unique and
culturally diverse cities, Milan. One of Milan’s best kept secrets, Biblioteca
Ambrosiana - which holds a vernissage of works, consisting of artwork never
before seen outside of Italy, from renowned Masters such as Leonardo Da
Vinci, Durer and Tintoretto - called Miami-Dade County home for a weeklong
public exhibition at the iconic Freedom Tower.
In Milan, a meeting with famed fashion industry executive Paolo Zegna
affirmed that the interest in bringing emerging labels to the United States,
and specifically Miami, is high on the list of priorities for his organization.
In his capacity as Chairman of the Fashion Industry Committee for
Confindustria, the leading national trade association for fashion, Mr. Zegna
shared that Italian businesses in the fashion & lifestyle industries are wellpositioned
to invest globally.
Reciprocally, the cooperative effort around The Beacon Council-led fashion
& lifestyle initiative creates the runway on which to do significant business,
create high-paying jobs, and develop an industry here in Miami that rivals
La Moda e il Lifestyle illuminano la passerella di Miami
Gli americani hanno sempre provato un sentimento particolare per
l’Italia, hanno idealizzato e adorato questo gioiello europeo, per la
sua ricchezza storica, per la sua cultura e per i suoi abitanti. Ad ogni
modo, in ambito lavorativo nella nostra comunitá e negli Stati Uniti
in generale, l’Italia é molto piú di una meta romantica, ville toscane
e vini d’annata. Ci sono numerose opportunita` economiche in
attesa che qualcuno le trasformi in reali imprese di successo.
L’Italia é un centro d’affari in continua crescita a livello europeo,
animata da attivitá e operazioni che riguardano il franchising, le
telecomunicazioni, le biotecnologie e la produzione manifatturiera.
Milano é diventata il punto di riferimento per chi intende valutare
le opportunitá d’affari offerte in Europa.
Il cibo italiano, il vino, la moda, sono fattori distintivi dell’Italia a
livello globale e la possibilitá di sviluppare business attorno a questi
settori é di interesse anche per la nostra comunitá. L’interesse
é reciproco, come evidenziato da numerosi recenti sviluppi
economici e accordi commerciali tra Miami e molte cittá e partner
in Italia. Dai migliori tessuti ed i piú rinomati prodotti in pelle, ai
prodotti artigianali e alle deliziose uve, il desiderio di penetrare
nel mercato americano é molto forte anche per le societá di piú
piccole dimensioni.
Il Miami Dade Beacon Council, in collaborazione con la Camera
di Commercio di Coral Gables, ha recentemente organizzato il
viaggio d’affari di una delegazione di alcune societá locali che
hanno visitato Milano e Firenze nel maggio e nell’ottobre del
2008, per valutare la possibilitá di sviluppare nuovi business nel
settore della moda e del lifestyle. Come risultato di questa missione
comune, é stato possibile evidenziare ció che la nostra comunitá
.22