Why South Florida?
- South Florida is the fourth largest urbanized area in the US.
- Miami is the 2nd most unchurched city in the country.*
- Miami is one of the world’s most important financial centers with Brickell Avenue home to the largest concentration of international banks in the US.
- Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States and the world’s 5th richest city,** but it is also among the poorest cities in the country.***
- South Florida is host to Art Basel Miami Beach – an international contemporary art exhibition held each December. Called “the Olympics of the art world,” the show has eclipsed the original Art Basel in size, if not importance.
- Miami is a major fashion center, home to the top modeling agencies in the world. Miami is also host to many fashion shows and events, including the annual Miami Fashion Week.
- Miami serves as the headquarters of Latin American operations for more than 1400 multinational corporations, including AIG, American Airlines, Cisco, Disney, Exxon, FedEx, HP, Kraft Foods, Microsoft, Oracle, SBC Communications, Sony, and Visa.
- South Florida is also home to the corporate headquarters of Univision, Telemundo, Bacardi, Ryder, Arquitectonica, Burger King, Benihana, Pollo Tropical, AutoNation, Citrix, DHL, Spirit Airlines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival Corporation.
* For a compendium of relevant data about the least churched cities and the unchurched, see http://djchuang.com/2009/least-churched-cities-in-america/
** In terms of purchasing power, according to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities.
*** According to the US Census Bureau, Miami has the third highest incidence of family incomes below the federal poverty line.