Surveying South Florida

South Florida CEO,  Nov, 2007  by Rochelle Broder-Singer

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This month, South Florida CEO publishes the results of an exciting new partnership with public opinion researcher Zogby International Inc. The firm recently conducted the first survey of what will become the Zogby/South Florida CEO South Florida Consumer Confidence Index. No other organization follows this information on a South Florida-specific basis, and we are pleased to bring our readers the results of the index each quarter (see page 58). It will enable us to follow consumer sentiments in the region and compare their movements to those on the state and national level. The business community here has always felt a certain distance from economic trends in the rest of the nation. Zogby's index will give us all a chance to see if that assessment holds true in relation to consumer confidence.

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Utica, NY-based Zogby recently set up an office in Miami both to conduct research in and to serve the South Florida and Latin American markets. It will produce a quarterly "South Florida Speaks" report (South Florida CEO is a partner in this effort), exploring the results of its regional surveys on topics and issues such as public policy, politics, immigration, transportation and real estate. The opening of this prestigious research firm in South Florida is one more indicator of the region's economic maturity and growing importance on the international business stage.

Both are goals South Florida has been working toward for more than a decade, as it has made an effort to diversify its tourism-dependent economy. Nonetheless, tourism remains a key driver of the local economy and, in a series of stories beginning on page 38, we consider the outlook for this the industry, including challenges it is expected to face during the next few years.

Rochelle Broder-Singer

Editor

COPYRIGHT 2007 CEO Publishing Group, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning