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AVONIIS
T 04 \ It FOCUS CARL %he iirrtllJ
= 07 \\` ii HIAASEN'S
02 ;, COLUMN SECT I
APPEARS
INN
T e www . mami . comwww . b r o w a r d . c o m ON PAGE 5L
l,,t„ ,,,I,,, B o o K S NOVELIST BARBARA KINGSOLVER EXPLORES NATURE,SCIENCE,PACIFISM AND WAR IN HER LATEST ESSAY COLLECTION. PAGE
n v ` ". * '� 1
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Battle over
,:,7i,., is
:d 11:." ct,,A, -,_ la Miaml, or
dollars toy Miami Beach?
lure tourists In ads, it's
411
hard to tell
boils in Beach `. _ . 1411
-�, 4 � �, �,. w 1-. BY LYDIA MARTIN -BY CARA BUCKLEY 1' k Y < 1 Imartm@herald.com
AND NICOLE WHITE �` ii�J3t
� t'.Tw '�, `"-a'pe S'4e cc9 �. In 1886.even before there was an
ANDNILEW ,
s.
. x s
t r official Miami,it was already a happening
Riding the crest of Miami Beach's f I vacation spot,with snowbirds sailing
glory as an international tourist hot spot, %, si'” ' down to stayat Coconut Grove's Peacock
the mayor of Miami Beach is pushing to fr ` i�4"'�" t.`/ ,.,`y # Inn-put the city's tourist marketing dollars up p t " t, dI 7" Henry Flagler extended his railroad 10
for bid.That move could sever Miami y,,t t ,4.--, ,, -, tt , `7 w
it �.,� �q}I, ,I I1 fi o+,+,�t. /°',< years later,and that brought a tidal wave
Beach's 17-year-old ties with the Greater 1l if ib �� i�r / ..,/_.,:t;„„.'`t e l�:l of tourists looking for fun in the sun.The
Miami Convention&Visitors Bureau. L>" 1 . : 33...P. le,,f ,+" newly incorporated Miami was off and
The proposal,debated fiercely last Z( < VY
Thursday and slated to o before the `''' il' a :�t�i16. t ntnntng
Y g { (� ,y .g, zt�. a And then along came Carl Fisher,the
Beach's finance committee Monday,has • ft x a �e' F 4. ts„f✓' :i.. flamboyant father of Miami Beach.He
whipped up a tempest that is fast ,r t S}11'kµ arrived in the early 1900s,filled in a
enveloping the city.And the Beach's . 1 tf 3_f�„'' p:"E G
v r chunk of swamp and built fabulous hotels
lifeblood,the tourist industry, '- t,t r
is at stake. ;x{; it,,,,, ; j • upon it.
"The CVB could be doing better,"says fz,'� 4' &�a`': "`''7{ As a promoter,he would put many of
Stewart Weintrab,general manager of the ! ` #� ,' the current-day hucksters to shame.He
Sb lborne Beach Resort."But it would be t �. i - p invented the Miami Beach conceit we
suicide to pull out." ' ,, ' • 'ue, . 4. 1.11` -'.; _,k know today—using bathing beauties to
When it comes to marketing the x,a > gy. 0,:,,-40.,,*.; - --I`'`" sell the sexy surf,luring celebrities,.
beach,the mayor wants to go it alone and ,` )_` a," $ throwing high-end bacchanals to entice
stop contributing$5.4 million to 1 '1, ti j ,h 4 0-:: wealthy Northerners.By the early 1920s,
countywide marketing efforts.The "^ +" {I�. :tg ,R 'i,-4,-,. a Miami Beach was taking the wind out of
mayor's proposal:spend about$3 million I `"' ' -r"�"`"�. the mainland's sails.And that's where the
ry ,
of that to police and cleanup after the ' t a , ,„.....4...7:,.4. clash—and,ultimately,the synergy—
tourists they've got,and$2 million on } re ,*r y{'('' '” a i j between Miami and Miami Beach began.
bringing in new tourists. - ,r' �' t` �.
That money has helped fund the t a '-,fit-., ' "Fisher made it a And between
Miami and Miami Beach.And it has
bureau since 1984,when the Beach and ,4i.% # ,� ry. always been a competition;'says Howard
the mainland banded together. l.y l ffieinbe
"Back then,our biggest competition rg,author of the book Miami
gg Pe ,a Beach:A History,and longtime editor of
was each other,"recalls Stu Blumberg,a 1t the now-defunct Miami News.
PLEASE SEE MARKETING,6L n i ) PLEASE SE HISTORY,6L
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•- '..//uteri.:/ educt'(:I I'! 1 11`:-/1e A't t,:/1.1' its. if,11 a ", `` '" '
61. THE HERALD IL 7,2002 F^ FOCUS
'There
are two world-famous Miamis'
Grey, n/ bnl'+ ."e llinniy eatAu[G, __,ob
t.,tom rf v t _� Miami Beach Vice.Yes,b
1 HISTORY,FROM 11
M • the original brand.But I
,'
But have tourists,whether the v '+ y,� k brand has changed."
black-socks-with;sandals variety or \ ,zs r f z3. iii'.st ,-o (t th If you've been around
the Gucci-on-Prada type,ever really �! :xft", h�, f +a t , )'I I q I n^ 44.--,,-4 might remember the time:
distinguished between Miami and . , r 1 a, 't. `, _,--2)-1-' �f Beach mayor practically
Miami Beach? 4.< �'( passportsat the border.In
It's a timeworn question that's rag- 'r% t 1 ' 1` z zt-' , "e man Ciment proposed row
ing once again as Miami Beach Mayor / � ti +y I k i � ID Mariel refugees being
f •
it ! , Yt g
David Dermer signals it may be time uc{4' " ^,• 3� :4 '" from an Atlanta prison.
to promote his city independently of +' "' 1 -r' ' :<r 'k' T11,/, killed Ciment's bid for re-e
the Miami brand.He wants the Beach =+a xa i } - tag- ! f �� I ,/, But it wasn't the first ti;
Commission to consider pulling more r+ . „h4" - _ '• .. e . • • > " Beach flirted with the idea
than$5 million in resort taxes awayTame 2=- gwet= n,} .'' t a up its bridges.The fast tall
from the Greater Miami Convention d' Y^.' t,.. ..../20sion from the county wa
and Visitors Bureau,or about one- - l, l� / I There were other,mostl
third of the bureau's annual budget. �' ' " +' .:3c_,.�.. -1-.. �'v attempts in 1960,'65,'69,'7
The debate becomes crucial in fi r It wasn't until 1982 that 1
2002 as the metropolis that encom- .�' the Beach were forced to
passes everything from sun and fun - r ... m.•'p, united front for the sake o
to international banking and a chug- ` �. Detailing the Mariel boat
ging entertainment industry reaches �..-,+awl. t {-. \ wave and the bloody Coca
: ' .,�. :„ •
for greater levels of maturity. I A. -?-----1 '- boy showdowns,Time mag
At the core is a matter of identity 1 - w & A dubbed South Florida
as much as semantics. - Lost."Drug-trafficking an
Is it Miami and the Beaches?Or is f e sc, were at a high,and tourisn
it that Miami is the Beaches? -
"Miami Beach is the beach of J 1!i r )1 Z sides of the causeway)awas
` t The Metro-Dade Depa
Miami,"says Bill Talbert,president y .9 `_ (t, ,, i Tourism and the Miami Bea
of the bureau,which markets Miami- „•.t ,;,,,r -- f- ,,, and Convention Authority
Dade County as a single destination. I' + ';"s %vei�**A�( y P. $ a.-LR•, 1 ,° +,--`-' -�''-- launched"Greater Miam
"If you go to Europe or Latin Amer- -'�,t,iN s,--,., �1t, ,�`.)---✓, ,,e '-e R Beaches"as a tag meant
ica,Miami is the brand.It means 1rf'= _ ', a advertisingcampaigns.
/ *. s ttc
Miami Beach, it means the Ever- i 74,..„,,,'� When the term came i
glades,it means Coconut Grove." 4. '^ '"fi , , y i there were nearly a dozen
"I don't see us anytime soon fold �..,,• I x r • •n ( �. '^^,.� $; Dade County(yet to be ret
ing Miami Beach into Miami,' ,�) ,- lr��J "rte ;.,jllty ' ,?,..A., -0, more brand-conscious Mia
responds Dermer,arguing that hist',.. .-11". I.,, 7 '�l'� , ,o. "4AI ' 8 t¢ trying to sell pieces of the
11 �� i �.! tourists who mostlydidn't
side of the causewayhas all the tour .� � 1 �` � r ) v �v -i
ism mojo."If you're gonna sell the -,' u� ; .,, ,,,7 ` A i '7 i - 1P th I ; : $ 1 difference between municil
Homestead Motor Speedway, it's .p f ,I _-- a ,. - Among those slicing the
ii
Miami Beach that sells it." -Sin }ti". R 1' "{ t.k .4...,,, cal pie were Dade's Depa
While it's true that Miami Beach is J, ` I '- 1 l .'In i %-... vTourism, the Beach's Vi
currently the main attraction(sur I 1 4 j • ,Lv- Convention Authority,th.
veys show nearly half of the 103 mil- mtez„ II*r 7 . .'Y' - '„_� , wa -° Miami Chamber of Comm
lion who visit the countyannually ,t .i ? _<
. I i Bal Harbour and Surfside R
stay on the Beach,and more than 70 ' a $� s 1Fi^ I ./ Committee and the Sunny I
percent check out the Art Deco Dis- a ,d ItI�, "'I" .' * a"r; - Resort Association.
trice),it's also true that the pendulum vres.,,s....,ra,_..�.._-y....4-1,,A ,S1,. ._,,., Vtagas ;,,,,t;*,-_. .
1 "There were all these
has forever swung back and forth. - s i.n,.rc ,.," xwn.r«yr,.n:a�Ac r„ - - groups set on selling their e
"There are two world-famous IMAGE COURTESY OF ARRA MOORE PARKS uCt,or pretending to,"said
Miamis,":says local historian Paul now vice president of exter
George."There is Miami.And there ...:4,.' : ".I.E. ‘t' ,LURING for Florida Power&Light,t
is Miami Beach.In some ways,it's ,p s r' TOURISTS: . man of a tourism committee
splitting hairs.There have been times 4, ,, g the Greater Miami Chambe
when Miami sold the Beach and times ,n 'Y Above,"Groups /-
i a `,,. merce to look into establisk
when the Beach sold Miami." ' - • •.` y, 4- of Miami Prize- gle marketing engine."Tk
The sales pitches have never dis- - " +t • ° Winning Bathing
- ..: people in Miami who wane
tinguished much between the two.A a yuf ♦ _ Girds"adorn a �'" a Miami Beach for putting
1920s tourism brochure touts"Miami ° : 1 yf• a 11�, 1; ' ` 1920 era p
bythe Sea."But ifyou flip through wa racehorses intheirobrochu
+ +''�+� � `�'' brochure;d also
P g - ;'�" there was no horse-racin
the pages,you find sexy hype about .. depicts swimming F Beach.If you want to take p
everything from Homestead to Coral ^ ., (�' , 'T' t. contests at - ism.to its apex,that was it.'
f Gables to Miami Beach s- /. r' ,; /Roman Pools, In 1984,the Greater Mi
' You'd think the 1941 film Moon r •" , , • .. -
I ft Miami Beach i. vention and Visitors Bureau
Over Miami would have focused on e -
*r•'' F'r � Casino.At left,the I to promote the whole sheb
the mainland,given its title,but it ,,;:a i - /, .,t, Greater Miami �'" -the bureau wants to simpl
didn't distinguish Miami from the <, ,,' a - Convention and for the sake of brand recog
el
Beach.In fact,playing a starring role . - a - Visitors Bureau Its latest ads, many
was the Flamingo,one of Fisher's s.`'�' I. -t'� 1 — South Beach hot spots,
n. y__ .. - reaches travelers in P
Miami Beach hotels. 4
{ �.✓ .v gay travelers in "Greater Miami and the 1
"When I think of the song Moon "Y"` - k' -` - . ! Theysimply say "Mine
Over Miami,I always have a vision of K. a= � ti ads this year.A P Y
Y bureau says that's the bette
the moon comingover the ocean on '1'.r. ° memorable cam- -
But Dermer and others v
P�" ,y r '. _ { paign was 1979's
Miami Beach,"says Miami historian ..as - - - ' if one brand gets tourists h
Arva Moore Parks."One of the earli- Miami.See R Like =`
est tourism campaigns was`Miami, A Native,"for M g\^� days,it's Miami Beach.
� � - "roll SEE IT Or is it really South Bea(
Dade County by
Where Summer Spends the Winter.' ,a ; r a.,���.n�..r.y,.... "South Beach is a distil
And that meant Miami Beach as ,..a 6 .,,.,a,.,,, Beber Silverstein. LIKE E A NATIVE with a distinct audience,"
much as the mainland.Another one --_ - Hicks,president of the 1
was'America'aSunPorch'and'Gee, GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU HERALD ALE
agency Crispin Porter&
Isn't It Great To Be In Miami.'They that poster selling? "I don't think a tourist from Ban- plenty to add to the confusion. "As a brand,it has a cachet
were talking about both Miami and "It was selling Miami-and its sas City knows a dime's worth of feed So much of it was shot on the ognition that extends beyo
the Beach." beaches,meaning Miami and Miami what the difference is between Miami other side of the causeway,it could or Greater Miami and the
Perhaps the most memorable ad Beach,"says Elaine..Silverstein of and Miami Beach,"says Kleinberg."I have been called Miami Bench Vice. Corvette in many ways is
campaign borne out of the area was Beber Silverstein,the local ad agency don't think in Boca Raton they know "Miami Beach was not as attrac- brand.People who want a
1979's"Miami.See It Like a Native." that came up with the campaign for the difference." tive a brand as Miami at that time," don't want a Chevrolet or a
Posters featuring the backside of a Dade County."Tourists who come Jackie Gleason did a lot to make says Herb Sosa,executive director of Carl Fisher might have
woman who sported snorkeling gear here have never really known the dif- Miami Beach the household name the Miami Design Preservation his heyday.
and a bikini bottom,but no top,were ference.You have people telling you with his 1960s TV show,direct from League(which is based on Miami Then again,when the IS
banned for their+'unfeminist"nature. they're staying on Miami Beach even "the sun and fun capital of the Beach and preserves mostly Miami cane blew much of the
Copies not shredded changedhands if they are staying on Key Biscayne. world,"but Miami Vice,the show Beach architecture)."If they did the matchsticks,and the boom T
for hundreds of dollars. You have people on Fisher Island that put the modern version of the show today,I would venture to say it he probably sang a differen
But what exactly,besides sex,was who say they are in Miami" city on the map in the early 1980s,did would be called South Beach Vice or