(Bianca Marcof for Biscayne Times)
The Clevelander South Beach attracts big crowds.
Coming down from yet another year of a disorderly spring break – with Miami Beach declaring a state of emergency and calling for a midnight curfew following shootings and arrests – the effort to keep hard-partying students from causing major disruptions continues.
With more than 100 all-night bars and restaurants lining its streets, the city’s premier entertainment district has been known for its loud, after-hours parties for years. But it also has a vibrant arts and culture scene, and it’s one officials have been trying to project to the world in order to steer away from its reputation as the ultimate nightlife destination – and the troubles that come with it.
“Our virtues are always our challenges. We are a pretty good place to go and party. I get that. But it’s just become very difficult,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, who has repeatedly been vocal about reimagining the city. “This
(lincolnrd.com)
In 2020, the mayor and city commission approved $1 million in funding to support cultural institutions like Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre, The Bass, Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony and more.
isn’t just a place to come and drink all night. It’s a place to experience art and culture.”
Gelber says the entertainment is there – live performances from renowned musicians and dancers, first-class galleries, musicals and plays, and public art installations – it’s just a matter of boosting that image.
“When you have Art Basel and Food & Wine (Festival), these are all pretty artistic and cultural events,” he said. “It’s one thing to declare yourself a cultural destination and it’s another thing to actually be one.”
The city is a sponsor of these annual events and an array of public programming, like free weekly films at SoundScape Park, vibrant exhibitions during Miami Art Week and a monthly dose of culture with Culture Crawl. In 2020, the mayor and city commission approved $1 million in funding to support cultural institutions like The Bass, The Wolfsonian-FIU, Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Miami City Ballet, Miami New Drama, New World Symphony and more.
(City of Miami Beach via Facebook)
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber delivers his State of the City speech at New World Center.
“Our mayor and commissioners have a vested interest in making sure that our city is always providing world-class cultural programming that’s free and accessible and inclusive of all,” said Lissette Arrogante, the city’s tourism and culture director.
The city has also tapped into the local arts community to commission semi-permanent installations including Carlos Betancourt’s “Milagros,” made up of hundreds of handcrafted tin charms that serves as symbols of hope and healing, and FriendsWithYou’s “Little Cloud Sky,” which features eight happy blow-up clouds hanging over Espanola Way.
It’s these kinds of activations that are continuously being pushed out to thousands of Miami Beach’s social media followers, which factors heavily into its tourism and promotion. The city’s official Instagram page, @miamibeachnews, has more than 86,000 followers. Under the same username, its Twitter account has nearly 112,000 followers. On Facebook, the City of Miami Beach Government page has 52,000 followers.
This advertising, all while attracting new investment to inspire the consumption of other Miami Beach assets besides hotels, restaurants and bars, are underway.
(Biscayne Times)
The weekend farmers market on Lincoln Road doing brisk business on a Sunday afternoon in Miami Beach, attracting families and people of all ages.
“We must reimagine South Beach as a mixed-use cultural district that includes offices and shops and galleries and residences. And we need a truly enforceable code of conduct so that our proprietors understand the rules of the road,” Gelber said during his annual State of the City Address last month, where he announced a list of new projects coming this year, including the development of the $250 million Irma and Norman Braman Cancer Center at Mount Sinai and the opening of a 3-acre public park at Sixth Street and Alton Road.
Speaking from the New World Center stage, he went on to reveal a $60 million push to renovate Lincoln Road using property taxes from the city’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) which would include more fountains, areas for cultural events and a children’s park.
“We need to do more. And adopt land use ordinances that incentivize this kind of redevelopment and reimagination while we’re implementing our liquor rollback,” he said during his speech. “I believe there are people who will invest in an elevated vision of South Beach. Many already are.”
Gelber, who is in his third and final term as mayor, has been the leading advocate of a 2 a.m. ban on alcohol sales. Last call is currently at 5 a.m. Although his attempt to cut back on the hours that bars and nightclubs serve alcohol was not successful in March after a judge granted the Clevelander South Beach hotel a temporary injunction to block the ban, he says the city is in the process of putting together a larger ordinance that “will be put in place pretty soon.” And following last month’s curfew, city leaders announced that alcohol sales would be prohibited in curfew areas on certain days after 6 p.m.
Alcohol restrictions were just one of the many actions taken by the city to handle and prepare for spring break. In fact, it took a different approach to its spring break advertising altogether through a more welcoming campaign, “Take Care of Your City and It Will Take Care of You,” where the city’s arts and culture were highlighted for visitors. And in an effort to disperse crowds and give rise to a more family-friendly environment, the city implemented a $3.2 million monthlong Miami Beach Live! concert series with a lineup of artists like Alanis Morissette and Juanes.
The concert series was marketed heavily in Atlanta, Chicago and New York as well as throughout Florida, according to Matt Kenny, assistant director of marketing and communications for Miami Beach.
(Bianca Marcof for Biscayne Times)
Vacationers flock to Miami Beach every year in March to celebrate spring break.
“On any given campaign, the dollars and numbers fluctuate as well as our geographic reach,” he said. “In my opinion, we’re actually in a beautiful position where we are oversaturated with content.”
Memorial Day weekend now lies ahead. But it’s not just about taming crowds on certain holidays of the year; this is about a year-round change.
Through Miami Beach’s tourism marketing agency, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), in conjunction with its advertising agency VMLY&R, new research is underway to determine what locals and visitors think of the Miami Beach brand.
It is being conducted through various methods, beginning with in-person interviews with the city’s elected officials, business leaders, hotel managers, cultural institutions and more. The second phase will include surveying Miami Beach residents, Florida tourists, national tourists, business leaders, and those who are in the meeting and convention industries.
(Bianca Marcof for Biscayne Times)
People walking along Ocean Drive March 5, about two weeks before spring break crowds got out of hand.
Each randomized survey features generic questions such as thoughts on branding, reactions to other cities and why people choose cities to visit, among others.
“(We’re) getting this cohesive and in-depth information from residents, stakeholders, elected officials, cultural institutions, and getting a real good idea of what they think about Miami Beach, what they think we’re doing well, what they think we’re not doing well, and kind of where we see ourselves going in the future,” Kenny explained.
This would be done online through a unique link sent to those on the city’s resident e-blast list, which includes more than 9,000 people, as well other mediums from data collection agency BAVGroup to ensure a robust return of local, state and national responses. The link asks users to sign up to participate in this quantitative research. It is up to the city working with panel providers to determine if survey takers are eligible based on the criteria the city agreed upon for its consumer bases – tourists, business relocates, meeting planners and residents. And if a user falls into those categories, they’re sent the survey.
(Bianca Marcof for Biscayne )
Signs all around Miami Beach during spring break ask visitors to abide by local laws and regulations.
One example Kenny gives is that the survey wouldn’t be sent to someone from Kansas who signed up and did not identify themselves as liking travel. However, it would be sent to someone from Kansas who identifies travel or tourism as an important part of their life.
The data, which is expected to be completed in six to eight months, will publicly launch in May or June.
“This research data, when it comes back to us in its completion, it’s going to really dictate not only our marketing campaigns but how we allocate funding for some of these marketing campaigns moving forward,” Kenny said.