The Miami Beach City Commission today instructed the City Manager to begin negotiations with a partnership of Global Spectrum, a Comcast subsidiary, and Messe-Schweiz, the parent company of Art Basel Miami Beach, for the purpose of allowing the new company to assume management duties over the Miami Beach Convention Center.
What attracted the Commission to the new company was its stated ability to secure new business from within the European market since the City realizes those shows fill Miami Beach hotels to a greater extent than other types of shows do.
The Commission vote was 5 to 2 to begin negotiations with Global Spectrum and Messe-Schweiz for the new contract. The city would pay approximately $560,000 a year in fees and incentives, and could renew the three-year contract through 2013.
If negotiations are successful Global Spectrum will operate the facility, while Messe-Schweiz will book European business, including shows it already owns and wants to export to the United States.
