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Reconnecting at in-person networking conferences

Why it’s important to manufacturers and how Miami is influencing business professionals

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After two years of cancellations and digital conferences, I finally traveled for two events this past spring, and let me tell you…they were fantastic. First, I attended the FMA Annual Meeting and Leardership Summit in Miami, Fla., and then I attended the Pipe & Tube 2022 conference in Memphis, Tenn. Not only did I attend two well-run and productive conferences, but I traveled to two cities with plenty of industry, arts, and culture to offer.

I can honestly say the 2022 FMA Leadership Summit was the best I have attended in my past eight years as an FMA member. Partly due to the content, partly due to the networking, and definitely due to the location. Miami did not disappoint! From the culture to fashion to cuisine, Miami was full of unexpected delight.

While I was there, I took some time to meet with a local real estate professional, Marina De Robertis, about the business climate. De Robertis is a sales agent for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. She moved to Florida 12 years ago and has witnessed and contributed to the boon. I was shocked to learn how industry in Miami, and throughout Florida in general, has thrived over the past decade and despite the pandemic. I will share some meeting highlights and insights into this growing region.

The leadership summit content was educational and relevant. While several sessions focused on workforce challenges, there was discussion around more than just the traditional topic of shortages. Sessions covered automation solutions, managing intergenerational workforces, attracting, and retaining Gen Z employees, and more. I asked De Robertis why Miami has become so important to business professionals and companies.

Here’s what she said:

“Politics, finance, and lifestyle are the key drivers to make of Miami a very attractive area for businesses. The city is no longer seen as a place to kick back and relax, thanks to the culmination of decades of work from local governments and entrepreneurs alike. Their efforts to create a more diverse economy and robust work force have paid off. Together, they created and sold the legitimacy of the area as a startup hub in the eyes of investors. The result of their work is evident based on the amount and caliber of financial, tech, heath care, luxury, and other companies that have moved into the city over the last years, establishing their headquarters or expanded new locations in the area. Besides the well-known companies located in Miami, the city has now been ranked No. 4 when compared to the other 50 most populous U.S. metro areas when it comes down to determining its ‘start-up’ business score.”

Despite lingering challenges from Covid, I noticed a healthy contingent of global companies and representatives at both conferences. No question, there is an interest in American manufacturing capabilities and ease-of-doing-business ranks high for the U.S. According to De Robertis, Miami is a springboard for companies looking to supply the global market.

“Miami has a strong, local network of international entrepreneurs and investors who are committed to building a company and their lives in the area for the long term,” she told me. “Looking into the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach area, there are more than 1,450 multinationals representing 59 nations, and numbers continue to increase at an extremely accelerated pace. It’s geographic location and the transportation mesh between Miami, key cities in Latin America and Europe, is also an important advantage to consider.”

Not only is Miami good for expanding a global presence, but the state of Florida also has one of the fastest growing population rates in the country. Florida’s population has exploded over the last decade, with a 14.6% growth from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost twice as much as the national average. The Miami, Orlando, and Tampa metro areas top the list in population influx.

“While Florida is known for its retirement communities, wealthy people and specialized professionals are establishing residence in the area in search of new job opportunities and a better lifestyle,” De Robertis said. “Most recently, Florida is seeing an influx of new residents that is close to about 1,000 persons a day. U.S. internal migration is right now the main factor contributing to the high influx seen in the state, but internationals continue to move in, also attracted by international business opportunities that exist in the area.”

Manufacturers sitting around a table

Small business owner Lisa Wertzbaugher (bottom left) with attendees at the Pipe & Tube Memphis 2022 event.

The Pipe & Tube Memphis 2022 event in gave me a chance to learn about technical content, and I focused a significant portion of my time on automation and robotics. This industry is exploding. While in Memphis I met with Mike Thomas, owner of Tube Form Solutions, to talk about the top reasons companies are moving to automation.

“The main reason is ROI,” Thomas told me. “Companies spend a lot of time and money trying to fill open positions. Once they fill them the training cycle can be long depending on the job. Robots are dependable, produce consistent quality, and can take little time to integrate into the shop floor. Business owners are typically surprised at the price point. They are much more affordable than most people expect.”

At both conferences, there were premium networking opportunities. Miami is full of world-renowned restaurants and entertainment. The Graceland Guesthouse, which hosted the Memphis event, was located blocks from Elvis’s Graceland and a short trip to Beale Street made his lingering influence on the music scene apparent. Both locations provided excellent back drops for networking events that I found invaluable.

The FMA did a fantastic job organizing to very worthwhile conferences, but more importantly, selecting exciting locations that provided attendees some R&R opportunity and unique networking events. This was my first trip to Miami, and I plan to return.

De Robertis expanded, “Miami is a place with rich culture, arts, well educated people, wonderful climate, and good taxes. It is not surprising that the markets here continue to grow and appreciate and are expected to continue to do so over the next couple of years. For those that are considering a change to move to Florida, this is a great time to enter the area and enjoy the lifestyle for years to come.”