Blogging from Miami…..
Tuesday, June 8th
Drove in from Key West to sunny Miami. The weather forecast was sun and 90 degrees the entire week – and they were right. The only rain we got was the downpour happening when I was trying to check in. It figures, doesn’t it?
The Miami Beach Convention Center borders one of the many historical districts that make up Miami Beach. I along with Steve and Jennifer Takatch chose hotels around this convention area so we could walk to and fro as necessary. We wandered about our first evening, as most tourists do, amazed at the activity and building styles in the area. This area doesn’t seem to get going until later, so dinner at 10 pm was not out of the question.
Wednesday, June 9th
Wednesday was the pre-convention sessions – I attended one on sustainability, which was well worth the additional fee. More nighttime activities and lots of walking on the streets were necessary to get the total Miami Beach experience. Shops and streetside restaurants abound. Lincoln Road is the high-end retail area, and Espanola Way the traditional Spanish-style small shop and residence area.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The convention officially begins. I admit, I’m a National Convention newbie, so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but it seemed well organized. I heard the number of attendees to be near 19,000, although it did not seem like it. The design of the convention center allowed a great deal of separation of classes, with the trade show in the lower center with thousands of booths, it was pretty impressive.
I took a tour of the Collins Avenue area in the morning. This street is one of many with artistic elements and buildings: great history and great interiors and exteriors from the pre- and post- depression eras. This borders the famous art deco district and consists mostly of mid-and high rise hotels. One story from our very knowledgeable guide referred to a recently constructed (2004) hotel site: the zoning only allows a 24 - story building in the district but because of a typo the developers were allowed a 10-story parking garage below. It definitely stands out along the skyline. Another story: part of my stay was spent at the Delano, a 1947 hotel that was renovated in the mid-90’s. With no restrictions, the interior was gutted and turned into a modern-style ensemble, creating an upscale boutique atmosphere. The Preservation Board disliked it so much –it was not in keeping with the building envelope or the district - that it caused new preservation guidelines for the public interior spaces at the building entrances to also be implemented for the area. It’s a beautiful contemporary space, definitely not what you would expect from the exterior, and very popular with the locals and visitors.
Back to the convention…The classes were well attended. I met so many people from other cities and states. I started mostly at 7 am – which was hard to get up for since I was out and about ‘til at least 11 pm every night. My interests were sustainability, Miami history, staff development, and all the classes were well prepared, the speakers very knowledgeable.
This evening consisted of a bus trip to nearby Coral Gables - dinner and a tour of the Biltmore Hotel with a dozen others. The Biltmore Hotel is a Spanish style hotel built in the 30’s. Formerly a grapefruit plantation, this city was the first planned development in Florida, or at least that’s what Arva our hostess said. She should know, she’s written a few books on the subject of Florida history. The Biltmore was built as a hotel but has been used for a WWII war dormitory, a war hospital, a veteran’s hospital, part of an educational facility, abandoned, and now a hotel again. Talk about resilient, it’s a little worn but it still looks beautiful, with a lot of decorative painted ceilings and exposed beams, tile floors and ornate carpets. The food was great also – A well-selected event for the evening. And contrary to popular belief, Al Capone never slept here.
Friday, June 11th
Another 7 am morning; no tours today, but a lot of classes. A break for breakfast with the Takatch’s at the Delano was great, and then back to the convention center. I ran into John Cake from Hunt Engineers and Architects, but surprisingly nobody else from the Rochester area. I tried to connect with Dan Edgell, our Chapter President, but didn’t - I hope Dan was watching out for the Chapter at the NYS Reception last night and the Regional breakfast this morning. Another evening of walking, sightseeing and dining occurred with friends to cap off a long day.
Saturday, June 12th
Another 7 am class –what’s with that? Then a quick taxi ride down to the South Beach Preservation District building to catch an 8:30 am walking tour of the South Beach area. This area was also built up during the 20’s and 30’s and is probably the more famous of the districts, known for its predominant Art Deco style. Our guide was very knowledgeable, a local architect himself, so we got more than the usual tour. One thing I found interesting is that most of the buildings were white or off-white when they were built, which is not the case now, but they are going back to that to give the area an authentic feel. Personally I like all the colors. Keystone, a local stone material from the Florida Keys, was a very popular building material back then and can be seen in it’s natural grayish or tinted state on the building facades throughout the area.
Back to the Convention - they asked for used shoes to be donated to the poor in Haiti and elsewhere, and I forgot to bring mine, so I ran back to the convention center to swap a newly bought pair for the souvieneur flip flops in return. Then I was out of there, back to the hotel to check out and catch a plane.
For my first National Convention experience, it was great. Having people I know to hang with was fun, but I met so many people from other areas and states that it was entertaining in that way also. Most were not positive about the economy in their areas, with Floridians being very concerned. So maybe we in Rochester are not that bad off in comparison.
It sounds like the trade show and classes were fairly successful, and most liked the venue, the tours, and being in Miami. I missed the keynote speakers due to scheduling morning sessions – live and learn – but I heard they were excellent. Miami was a fun city to have a convention and despite the sweltering heat, had a lot to offer if you took advantage of it.
I look forward to New Orleans next year. If it’s anything like this convention, it will be a very worthwhile trip. It will be in May 2011 - hope to see you there!
Penny Haley
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