Funkshion Returns to Miami

One of Miami's favorite organizations, the Funkshion Fashion Show, returned to host their Fall/Winter fashion this March, and for the first time they chose right here in the Wynwood Arts District as their home base. Funkshion is Miami's Fashion Week, held three times throughout the year. Taking great pride in their Miami home, Funkshion believes in serving as a connecting force between the Latin American and US fashion markets. One thing many love about Funkshion, is how well they showcase both established and emerging names in fashion. And as their name suggests, in representing the fashion world in Miami, they set themselves apart from other fashion weeks around the world by always being sure to bring the funk. Music and art are integrated into the events, including live DJs at many of the shows to get the audience dancing in their seats.

The Winter/Fall show ran from March 16-19, 2016 with a packed schedule. Highlights included opening night's discussion, "DESIGNED IN MIAMI," with internationally celebrated designers based in Miami discussing what it takes to find success in the fashion world in Miami and beyond.  Friday's fashion event, "EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!" inspired by the Richard Linklater film in theaters now was also a great highlight. Stars of the film made an appearance, including Blake Jenner, Ryan Guzman and Tyler Hochelin. As with every fashion week that Funkshion hosts, one of the most beloved events is the Emerging Designer Series in which incredibly talented new designers who are just coming on to the scene are able to present their work in a high-profile show at no cost. March's show was no exception, with plenty of designers you'll surely be hearing from in the future.

Funkshion Events always welcomes the public to attend.  All of the events are free, one would just need to RSVP beforehand. As the Funkshion Fashion gears up for its next event this July, this is something to keep in mind. In true Miami style, they'll be celebrating swimwear in the event which runs from July 13-17, 2016. If you're a swimwear designer over the age of 21 then consider entering the Emerging Designer Series. One designer will be winning a trip to New York Fashion Week.

Funkshion Fashion Week is a great way to celebrate so much of what makes Miami great.  It brings established artists together with the newest talent and connects diverse cultures. The area is still buzzing from this event, and cannot wait to see what the next show has in store.

Beyonce's Tour Sells Out and Brings Controversy

Mega pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has become quite the controversial figure since Super Bowl 50. She used the big game as a platform to promote the Black Panthers and criticize police brutality. Beyoncé and her dancers donned black berets along with bandoliers during the performance. Yet her social activism certainly hasn't hit her in the pocketbook. Most of the stops on her upcoming Formation world tour have already sold out. The tour is scheduled to launch this month in Miami. It is the singer's first tour since her Mrs. Carter World Tour in 2013. Though most of the tickets to Beyoncé's tour sold out quickly, it appears as though she might run into some problems due to her willingness to take a stance against police corruption. Her alliance with the Black Panthers has resulted in the National Police Union, known as the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), deciding to boycott the singer's upcoming concert in Miami. It will be interesting to see how security is handled at a show of this magnitude. The concert is scheduled to take place on April 26 in the Marlins Stadium. Beyoncé has refused to comment on the matter as of this article's publish date.

The Miami chapter of the FOP made the decision to boycott Beyoncé's Miami show through a democratic vote. The local union's president, Lieutenant Javier Ortiz, actually called on police officers across the country to boycott all of the Formation shows. The FOP believes that Beyoncé improperly used her Super Bowl 50 platform to spread what the police union describes as an “anti-police message”. Police across the country clashed with the Black Panthers during race riots that took place decades ago. Lieutenant Ortiz has not stated whether the boycott of Beyoncé's Miami concert is applicable to police officers across Miami, those who work in Dade county or only those who are members of the union.

Beyoncé's Formation World Tour will likely take place without a hitch. Beyoncé could hire private security for the event. It is also possible that enough police officers or non-union officers will make themselves available for the Miami show and any other shows that are boycotted by the police. Fans will undoubtedly have a blast at the show regardless of the political activism surrounding the tour. All in all, the tour's producer, Parkwood Entertainment, has sold just under one million total tickets. A number of shows have sold out in addition to the Miami date. The demand for tickets is so strong that seconds shows have been scheduled for May 28 at Chicago's Soldier Field and July 3 at Wembly Stadium in London. Fans who want to put a positive twist on the somewhat negative energy surrounding the show can do so by participating in the singer's #BeyGOOD initiative designed to support Miami's United Way program. Be sure to follow @beygood on Twitter to learn more.

Sweets for the Sweet!

There’s nothing better than being able to feed a sweet tooth with the ultimate sweet confection of all time: Chocolate! That’s exactly what the team at the 10^th Annual International Chocolate Festival imagined when putting together their premier event, Sweets for the Sweet! A multi-day event, this party starts on January 21 as part of the pre-opening festivities. Chocolate confectioners from all over the world will converge in a venue decorated like a chocolate factory to provide educational sessions on the history of chocolate; have free chocolate demonstrations; and of course, hundreds of chocolate to taste,

A fun-filled event that will feature local performers, master chefs and chocolatiers, sponsors will set up booths with information, giveaways and other incentives. There will be an entire “kids station” decorated like the Willie Wonka Factory, where children at the event can play, understand where chocolate comes from, and make their own.

Not just for chocolate, there will be food stations set up by food trucks to keep everyone full while enjoying the chocolate. Selections like pizza, Caribbean conch fritters, frozen hot chocolate, Peruvian food, roasted corn and Italian sausage are just some of the offerings that will be a part of this event.

Closing out the festival, event goers will have an additional day of fun with a concert taking place Sunday night after the festival is done. International performers will take the stage with much fanfare to close out the festivities with a bang. Pieces from the art show will be on display to showcase the environmental education program.

Tickets for the event are already available via the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden website for $25. Tickets for the parties will be available in November. Sponsors for this year’s event are Whole Foods Market, CocoVia Brand, Miami-Dade County, Florida Attractions, City of Coral Gables. Previous sponsors include Nestle Nesquick, New York life, Zico, Mexico Tourism Board, Johnson and Wales University, and Martex.

The mission of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is to save tropical plant diversity by exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants; fundamental to this task is inspiring a greater knowledge and love for plants and gardening so that all can enjoy the beauty and bounty of the tropical world.

The International Chocolate Festival is designed to learn about the life cycle of a cacao plan and the different variations of chocolate that can be made in a fun and interesting environment.

Disclosure Presents Wild Life Miami

On Thursday March 26 POPLIFE and Disclosure the English electronic music duo will bring Wild Life to Soho Studios featuring Justin Martin, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, DJ EZ and Carl Craig. $50 tickets are no longer available, however if you go over to Ticketfly you can get entry for $60. Go there now before ticket prices increase.

Disclosure consists of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence. The siblings grew up in Reigate, Surrey. Since thier album Settle dropped in 2013 they became an international success.

The event will also bring longtime adored DJ EZ who made his claim to fame from the Garage music days. In the early 90's DJ EZ setup his own pirate radio station called Dimension FM. When authorities closed this station down he took residency at the Gas Club in London. Today DJ EZ has spot on KISS 100 FM in the UK and is booked at many clubs around the world.

Carl Craig is a Detroit-based producer of techno music, and is considered to be one of the most important names in the Detroit second generation of techno producers and DJs. Carl Craig has released many successful albums under a large number of aliases, including BFC, Psyche, Paperclip People, 69, Designer Music and Innerzone Orchestra. He also had a hugely successful collaboration album with NYDJ Patrick Picasso.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, is a British electronic music producer, DJ and singer based in London and was formerly conductor of the choir of New College, Oxford. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs otherwise known as Orlando Higginbottom , was educated at the Cherwell School, Oxford. Orlando sometimes is known for dressing as a dinosaur during performances.

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Grey Goose at Art Basel Miami Beach

It is hard to overstate the impact that Art Basel Miami Beach has on the global art scene. Art Basel Miami Beach and the events in Miami held during this week attract an international audience ready to explore creativity in all of its aspects. This creates a pristine marketing opportunity for brands all around the world to create brand awareness and exposure.

One primary example is Grey Goose Vodka. Grey Goose is the proud sponsor of the Fusion MIA Art Fair which will feature African and Latin artists and music provided by the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Guests will enjoy specialty libations from Grey Goose. This strategic marketing campaign will create a lasting impact for the brand on a globalized level.

Grey Goose understands the value of marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach as do the many other brands you will see amongst the tents, the events and the art installations. Prior to the event brand marketers identify some of the event space Miami has to offer and the events they will host. They carefully select which stellar marketing opportunity they would like to participate in, by determining which one resonates most with their brand strategy.

 It is important for local, national and international brands to promote themselves at Art Basel events in Miami as they draw in a substantial amount of visitors. Anyone involved in brand marketing understands the importance of spreading brand awareness during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Swarovski at Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel Miami Beach has become one of the most popular events in Miami in recent years. Miami proves to be the perfect winter holiday spot for the international elite in the world of art. It’s no wonder that thousands will be flocking to Miami, with miles of sandy beaches, a well-established art culture and the hottest night life in the country.

Miami will welcome the international art world December 5^th-8^th in a city wide celebration of art in all of its forms. Exhibitions, talks, events, and exclusive parties are just a part of this now, world renowned art event. Every aspect of art and art admiration has found an outlet in beautiful Miami Beach, Florida.

Almost as popular as the art exhibits themselves, are the exclusive art receptions and parties. Many of these events are by invite only and prove to be a networking Mecca for those pushing ahead in the world of art. Event space Miami offers many opportunities for marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach. Miami proves to be a brand marketing hot spot during this event.

One such event will be that hosted at the Maison Martin Margiela Boutique. This ultra-exclusive cocktail party is being hosted to showcase the newest collection by Atelier Swarovski. The collection is called - Crystalactite.

Margiela and Swarovski have teamed together to use new gem technology to create the futuristic Crystalactite jewelry collection. These pieces resemble the naturally occurring stalactite formation of developing crystals. For those lucky enough to get an invitation to the Margiela Swarovski event they will get a first glimpse of what is sure to be one of the most exclusive gifts this holiday season.

Art Basel Miami Beach proves to be the one event in which visitors can enjoy the work of well established artists while also being introduced to rising stars in the art world. International galleries will be exhibiting the work from the masters alongside emerging artists that are just beginning to explode on the art scene.

Exhibits will be divided into specific sectors using different venues in Miami to showcase specific types of art, for instance Nova, will showcase never before seen piece by new and emerging artists. Other sectors will include Film and Magazines. Art Basel Miami Beach attempts to truly encapsulate the full spectrum of art expression in our modern culture.

BAZAAR's PopUp Store at Art Basel Miami Beach

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when Art Basel returns to Miami Beach, bringing with it a crowd of art enthusiasts and global jet setters. Art Basel Miami Beach is the perfect scenario for building brand recognition for well-known artists, as well as the obscure. Marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach can be accomplished via pop-up art fairs, parties and additional avenues. These events in Miami attract potential consumers, media members, and local art collectors from Miami and the surrounding areas. International art advocates are never left out of the scene, as they prepare to travel to all venues in Miami to view the new collection of the world’s most avant garde artists.

ShopBAZAAR is scheduled to return to Art Basel Miami Beach from December 3-5, 2013. Their pop-up store will feature exclusive viewings for public and private shopping experiences. In 2012 their must-have fashions with a retail flair encouraged people to immediately purchase items. ShopBAZAAR is planning on having the same instant-gratification reaction at this year’s pop-up experience. The venue provides the perfect electric atmosphere to encourage shoppers to shop until they drop. Exclusive items such as limited edition Jennifer Fisher ‘apostrophe’ earrings and specially designed MCM handbags by artists Craig & Karl will be available for purchase. To peruse the ShopBAZAAR collection be sure to stop by the Soho Beach House - an exclusive event space Miami.

The art world buzz surrounding the return of ShopBAZAAR to Art Basel Miami Beach signifies the growing marketing trend that is associated with this event. Imagine a place where art can be viewed both privately and publicly; where you can discover new artists; fall in love with old favorites; and purchase exclusive artwork … upon opening your eyes from this imagined venue, and you will soon realize that in fact it is a reality. Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 is set to exceed its 2012 successes.

Marriot improves brand marketing with Art Basel Miami Beach

Every year, there are countless events in Miami that draw visitors from around the United States and the world to the sun-soaked city. One of the most high profile events is Art Basel Miami Beach, an art convention that features some of the most prominent and varied art events in the world. Marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach has proven to be a lucrative and profitable investment for many companies.

One example of this is the Red Dot Art Fair, an event held during Art Basel Miami Beach event that features up and coming artists. Many venues in Miami will hold events like the Red Dot Art Fair and the partnership between Art Basel and Red Dot is crucial for Red Dot's success. Just as important is Marriot's sponsorship of the Red Dot Art Fair. This sponsorship has provided the funds Red Dot needs to run their event and the publicity to draw the best up and coming talent.

Marriot also benefits greatly from their arrangement with Red Dot. As a result of their sponsorship, Marriot has been named the "Official Hotel of Red Dot", which brings with it publicity every time Red Dot or its artists post something online or host an event. This brand recognition gives Marriot a marketing presence in an area that focuses on entertainment.

Marriot has been successful with conventions and business travelers and their ability to break through to artists is proven with their marketing campaign with Red Dot. Other companies that are looking to boost their presence within global art community should look to Marriot for ways to market their brand at Art Basel Miami Beach.