As the local market begins to emerge from the pandemic landscape, Greater Fort Lauderdale’s business and political leaders, including Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, will come together in an online forum on Wednesday, June 16, to discuss the region’s economic climate and how to prepare for a post-pandemic world.

Hosted by integrated media platform Capital Analytics, the highly anticipated event will begin at 11 a.m. via Zoom Webinar. The forum will focus on two robust panel discussions centered around recovery from a civic leadership perspective and innovation across multiple industries. It will also feature a keynote speech delivered by Broward Health Medical Center CEO Heather Havericak.

Broward County’s economic growth, sustainability and key sectors highlighted the Launch of Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale 2020

Broward County’s booming real estate market, powerhouse tourism sector and burgeoning startup ecosystem were just some of the focal points of the third edition of Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale from Capital Analytics. The 2020 edition highlights the region of Greater Fort Lauderdale, including Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Dania Beach and Hollywood, with a special focus chapter on the City of Tamarac.

The event was attended by almost 200 high-level guests and officials from Broward County’s key industries and economic institutions.

Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale is an in-depth economic analysis that highlights business opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs and innovators in the Broward County area. These include Broward County’s commercial real estate market that remains one of the hottest in Florida, as well as the region’s residential real estate market that is attracting a variety of demographics, from millennials to retirees. Marine & Logistics are also covered in detail as the county remains the dominant force in this sector with the trade powerhouse that is Port Everglades and the city of Fort Lauderdale retaining its title as the yachting capital of the world. The publication also dives into the construction and infrastructure sectors as the economic growth for both remains strong while mitigating the effects of rising sea levels is now a top priority.

The official launch of the publication took place on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Riverside Hotel. Following a short networking breakfast, Dale V.C. Holness, Mayor of Broward County, gave a keynote address that underscored some of the major achievements of Broward County’s economy over the past 12 months and also spoke on working together to solve some of the major challenges facing future economic growth. “We have recession-proofed our economy here in Broward County,” Mayor Holness stated during his address. This keynote addressed was followed by two robust panel discussions.

The panels addressed major themes currently dominating Broward County’s economy: construction and real estate development, and corporate and personal financial sustainability. Jenni Morejon of Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, James Fox of Maddox Group, Brad Meltzer of Plaza Construction and Gerald Stryker of John Knox Village participated in the panel, “Sustainable Growth in Broward’s Construction & Real Estate Development.” Jennifer Bales Drake of Becker was the moderator. “I think the private sector is really critical to the growth of any economy,” remarked Meltzer during the panel discussions.

The second panel, “Corporate and Personal Financial Sustainability for 2020,” featured Shawn Sackman of Truist, Jeffery Klink of Valley National Bank and Michael Balter of Marcum LLP. The moderator was Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson of Nova Southeastern University. During the conversation, the panelists discussed the challenge of the banking industry being slower to adapt to changing needs from millennial demographics into the workforce, and how the overall growth of the banking sector in Broward County can be attributed to a booming local economy.

“This is the story of Broward County today. From swampland to progressive metropolis, it’s a story of growth and optimism, of challenges and leaping over hurdles for a better tomorrow,” said Abby Melone, president of Capital Analytics.

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s international potential, growing infrastructure and vibrant economy are some of the focal points in the second edition of Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale from Capital Analytics. The official launch of the publication took place on November 28, 2018, at the Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The annual business guide reviews the business climate of Greater Fort Lauderdale, analyzing Broward County’s top industries and interviewing over 200 leading local CEOs. The 152-page report offers a comprehensive yet concise view of the county’s ever-diversifying economy.

Following a short networking breakfast, the program began with an insightful keynote speech by President of Broward College Gregory Haile, who highlighted Broward as a diverse area with much to offer in terms of job growth and higher education. He also praised local colleges and universities for their engagement with the city. “We have an incredible group of higher education institutions in this community,” said Haile.

Capital Analytics then hosted two in-depth discussion panels that focused on key topics related to the area’s dynamic growth and economy.

The first panel discussed Broward’s robust and flourishing marine industry. The panel was moderated  by Heiko Dobrikow from the Riverside Hotel, and panelists were Paul Flannery from the International Yacht Brokers Association, Megan Lagasse from Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina, Phil Purcell from the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and Jeff Woods from CLEANCOR Energy Solutions. Paul Flannery discussed how the area’s yachting industry benefits from its location and reputation. Megan Lagasse noted important aquatic conservation considerations for Greater Fort Lauderdale’s marine ecosystems. Phil Purcell highlighted the significance of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and its positive effect on the area’s economy, as well as efforts being made by the Marine Research Hub to protect aquatic ecosystems in the area. Jeff Woods spoke about the velocity of the area’s economic growth, as well as steps being taken to further develop the area’s marine infrastructure.

The second panel discussed smart growth and development in Greater Fort Lauderdale and was moderated by Barry Somerstein from Greenspoon Marder. The panelists were Monica Cepero from Broward County, David Diestel from FirstService Residential, Dev Motwani from Merrimac Ventures and Gregory Stuart from the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization. Monica Cepero and Gregory Stuart both pointed to the importance of strategically developing the area’s transportation infrastructure. David Diestel spoke about the significance of lifestyle considerations in developing residential projects. Meanwhile, Dev Motwani explained how data and analytics are keys for planning the area’s long-term development, as well as the significance of the county’s sales tax.

The event was attended by hundreds of high-level guests and officials from some of Broward County’s key industries and economic institutions. During the event, it was announced that Capital Analytics is expanding its Invest: series to new Florida markets, specifically Tampa, Orlando and Palm Beach.

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s global potential highlighted at Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County 2018

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s international potential, growing infrastructure and vibrant economy are some of the focal points in the first edition of Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County from Capital Analytics. The official launch of the publication took place on November 8 at the Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The yearly business guide reviews the business climate of Greater Fort Lauderdale, analyzing Broward’s top industries and interviewing leading local CEOs. The 140 plus page report offers a comprehensive yet concise view of the county’s ever-diversifying economy.

Following a short networking breakfast, Capital Analytics hosted two discussion panels that went in depth into discussing the key issues currently facing the Broward County economy. The first panel discussed increasing urbanization and the future of Broward County. The panel was moderated by Rebecca Bratter, managing shareholder of GreenspoonMarder, and panelists were James Donnelly, chairman of the Broward Workshop and founder & CEO of the Castle Group, David Martin, president of Terra Group, Cressman Bronson, regional president for PNC and David Coddington, vice president of business development for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. David Martin laid out a vision for how trends in urban living in South Florida are leading to massive mixed-use projects such as Pembroke Pines City Center. James Donnelly relayed key findings from the Broward Workshop’s skills gap analysis of the local workforce and ways that they are working with the business community and education sector to close these gaps. Cressman Bronson furthered the emphasis on improving education, pointing to the higher net returns on investment in early childhood education. David Coddington underlined the competitive advantages of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s business environment and how the Alliance is working to attract new businesses such as Amazon to establish local operations.

The second panel discussed the state of Broward County’s infrastructure and was moderated by Capital Analytics’ president Abby Melone. Panelists were Diana Alarcon, director of the Fort Lauderdale Department of Transportation and Mobility, Patrick Collins, general manager of Crowley, Mark Gale, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Bob Moss, chairman & CEO of Moss & Associates. Mark Gale and Patrick Collins pointed to the massive capital expenditure programs taking place at the airport and seaport as signs of the growing strength of Broward County’s infrastructure. Bob Moss commented on how such infrastructure investments such the airport and seaport expansion projects as well as the new Brightline are driving the local construction market. Meanwhile, Diana Alarcon gave a detailed insider’s perspective on where the county’s transit infrastructure is headed to meet the needs of a growing population.

The event was attended by hundreds of high-level guests and officials from some of Broward County’s key industries and economic institutions.

Abby Melone, president of Capital Analytics, explained, “Following our three successful Invest: Miami publications, it seemed only natural to expand our report into equally exciting markets in Florida. Greater Fort Lauderdale offers a range of opportunities for businesses and residents alike with its amazing geography and superior transport connections. We see a great deal of commitment to development across all economic sectors.”