04/12/2018
: MASTER BROKERS DISCUSSED MIAMI’S STANDING AS “WORLD CLASS”
CITY AT THE SURF CLUB FOUR SEASONS PRIVATE RESIDENCES
SURFSIDE, FL -- November 14, 2014 –
Is Miami a truly “world class” city? The Miami Master Brokers Forum (MBF), a home-grown network of South Florida’s top-producing real estate professionals, recently convened to examine that and other related questions at a lively panel discussion and dinner, hosted by the Surf Club Four Seasons Private Residences.
Chaired by Donna Bloom and Ralph De Martino, this event welcomed nearly 100 Master Brokers, who renewed acquaintances and networked during a lovely welcome reception in the historic club’s Peacock Alley. William Thompson of Fort Capital Management (developer of the Surf Club), greeted the guests and informed them about the extraordinary new hotel and residences project, set on eight acres of pristine Miami Beach oceanfront, immediately south of Bal Harbour.
This was followed by a dynamic panel discussion examining Miami’s current and future “world class” standing. Moderated by MBF chair Jeff Morr, the panel included The Honorable Jim Cason, mayor of the City of Coral Gables; Michael Lewis, publisher of Miami Today, and Jerry Libbin, president/chief executive officer of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. The discussion probed Miami’s current international reputation, the factors that give the city its lofty status, which areas need improvement, and where Miami will be in ten years.
Major observations from the discussion included Libbin’s belief that Miami’s location, culture and weather are the city’s strongest components; Mayor Cason’s concerns about the need to improve transportation and traffic issues to make the region more desirable for Millennials; and Lewis’s interest in seeing a shared vision and stronger political leadership. (Generally, the trio agreed that Miami has made great strides and is a wonderful place to live, but improvements in several key areas need to be made.) The panel discussion was followed by an elegant dinner and dessert.
"We have many reasons to be bullish about Miami’s ‘world class’ status remaining intact for many years," said Jeff Morr, chair of the Miami MBF. “At the same time, it is important to recognize weaknesses and areas of concern, and to seriously address them if we want to compete with the likes of New York, London, and Paris.”
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[NOTE TO MEDIA: The results of a September 2014 Master Brokers Forum survey further delving into the question of Miami’s “world class” status can be found at
www.prweb.com/releases/2014/10/prweb12259082.htm]
PHOTOGRAPH CAPTIONS (from left to right):
1. Mayor Jim Cason, Jerry Libbin, Michael Lewis, and Jeff Morr
2. Corine Dodd, Philip Freedman, Eduardo Cofresi, and Karen Matluck
3. Jill Hertzberg, Ileana de la Torre, and Cecilia Samaja
4. Lisa Lader and Mike Brunnberg
5. Farid Moussallem and Debra Flam Velez
6. Doris Suttin and Krystal Marcus
7. Gary Schwartz and Peggy Fucci
8. Jeff Morr, Michael Lewis, Jerry Libbin, and Mayor Jim Cason
