Miami, Florida Hotels and City Guide

Miami - Business Tips

Miami Local Economy

Miami is one of the country’s most important financial centers. It is a major center of commerce, finances, corporate headquarters, and boasts a strong international business community. According to the ranking of world cities undertaken by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC) and based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a “Gamma World City”.

Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami are among the nation’s busiest ports of entry, especially for cargo from South America and the Caribbean. Additionally, Downtown has the largest concentration of international banks in the country located mostly in Brickell, Miami's financial district. Miami was also the host city of the 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations, and is one of the leading candidates to become the trading bloc's headquarters.

Miami is the home to the National Hurricane Center and the headquarters of the United States Southern Command, responsible for military operations in Central and South America. In addition to these roles, Miami is also an industrial center, especially for stone quarrying and warehousing.

Tourism
Tourism is also an important industry in Miami. The beaches, conventions, festivals and events draw over 12 million visitors annually from across the country and around the world, spending $17.1 billion. The historical Art Deco district in South Beach, is widely regarded as one of the most glamorous in the world for its world-famous nightclubs, beaches, historical buildings, and shopping. However, it is important to note that Miami Beach is a separate city from the City of Miami.

Business and Trade Headquarters
Several large companies are headquartered in or around Miami, including but not limited to: Alienware, Arquitectonica, Arrow Air, Bacardi, Benihana, Brightstar Corporation, Burger King, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines, CompUSA, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Espírito Santo Financial Group, Fizber.com, Greenberg Traurig, Interval International, Lennar, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Perry Ellis International, RCTV International, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ryder Systems, Seabourn Cruise Line, Telefónica USA, TeleFutura, Telemundo, Univision, U.S. Century Bank, and World Fuel Services.

Because of its proximity to Latin America, Miami serves as the headquarters of Latin American operations for more than 1400 multinational corporations, including AIG, American Airlines, Cisco, Disney, Exxon, FedEx, Kraft Foods, Microsoft, Oracle, SBC Communications, Sony, and Visa International.

Business Etiquette

Miami Dress Code
In Miami, business dress is relatively informal, but generally suits are expected for both men and women. Outside business, casual clothes are acceptable in most situations with the exception of some restaurants and hotel lounges. Choose your clothing carefully, however; Miami's climate can be very hot.

Greeting Someone in Miami
In the business environment, most people address each other by their first names and greet each other with a handshake. On some occasions, such as business meetings and formal functions, it is expected to use a person's title and last name.

Miami Business Hours and Banking
Business hours in Miami, Florida are not fixed and vary from one industry and sector to another. As a guide, most office environments operate between 09.00 and 17.30, Monday to Friday. Banks tend to be open between 09.00 and 15.00, Monday to Friday with some staying open to 17.30 or 18.00 one day a week. Some of the larger banks will probably also be open on Saturday mornings

Miami Smoking
If you are a smoker, exercise discretion and sensitivity when choosing to smoke in Miami. Many Americans cannot tolerate people smoking in front of them and smoking is the subject of much deliberation in the United States. The best advice is probably to only smoke in like-minded company.

General Business Etiquette
In such a large country, filled with so many diverse groups, business practices may differ according to each state, however rarely to any large degree. The East Coast is traditionally more formal than the West Coast, however in states such as California dress code and conservative appearance are as common as they would be in New York. Punctuality is important throughout the country and it is considered rude to be late for a meeting. Gift-giving is uncommon as it may be construed as bribery. Appropriate titles (Mr, Mrs, Ms) are used upon introduction and until otherwise stated. Americans favour politeness and greetings of 'Hello' and 'How are you' are often expressed with sincerity. Business hours may vary in each state, but an 8am start and 5pm finish Monday to Friday is the most common with an hour over lunch.

Hotels in Miami, Florida