MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Technology Foundation of the Americas today announced the launch of the eMerge Americas conference with the goal of establishing Miami as the technology hub for Latin America. This annual event will bring the world’s leading technology companies to South Florida to showcase the solutions they’re developing to drive growth in key industry sectors in the Americas. Thousands of industry leaders will engage in discussions, networking activities and hands-on workshops to experience the latest technology that will transcend the region in cloud computing, cyber security, big data, mobile applications, and social networking. In addition, eMerge Americas will serve as a platform for hundreds of innovative entrepreneurs and startups from throughout the region to network with investors and industry luminaries.
“Miami is widely regarded as the center of Latin America for various industry sectors, such as financial services, healthcare, trade and entertainment, and the eMerge Americas conference will be the catalyst that sparks establishing our community as that kind of center for the technology industry,” said Manuel D. Medina, Chairman of the Board for the Technology Foundation of the Americas and Founding and Managing Partner of Medina Capital. “Many years ago Art Basel served as a significant accelerator for the development and growth of the arts industry in South Florida, and we believe that eMerge Americas will have a similar, if not more substantial, impact on our region’s economy.”
In a study produced by the Washington Economics Group and commissioned by the Technology Foundation of the Americas, economists studied the potential economic impact the eMerge Americas conference would have on investment and employment growth in Miami-Dade County’s IT sector. The study’s conservative results predict that the conference will produce:
- Approximately 17,000 additional jobs in the high tech and related industries over the next 10 years;
- $1.6 billion in growth to Miami-Dade County’s GDP from the eMerge Americas conference and the economic development impact directly tied to the event;
- $2.4 billion in additional sales tax revenues over the first ten years the conference is held.
“Our local colleges, trade schools and universities are producing tech-savvy graduates who are filling the ranks of a growing creative class of young entrepreneurs. If we want to keep our young people here with the promise of good jobs and a good quality-of-life, we must focus on fostering growth in technology and entrepreneurship at the local level,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “Events such as the eMerge Americas technology conference are positioning Miami-Dade as an innovation hub.”
The inaugural eMerge Americas conference will take place from May 3-6, 2014 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, with various networking and social events occurring across the Greater Miami area. An expected audience of more than 5,000 IT decision makers from throughout the Western Hemisphere will attend thought-provoking, substantive presentations by recognized thought leaders, take part in pre-arranged and spontaneous networking opportunities, and enjoy first-hand the excitement Miami has to offer.
“The market conditions are ideal for significant growth across the Americas, and we firmly believe that Miami will become the hub that connects the major players targeting the region with the key decision-makers driving sector trends,” said Chris Drumgoole, Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Verizon Terremark. “By taking part in eMerge Americas, we look forward to gaining unique insights and unsurpassed access to the IT leaders that will shape the future technology landscape in Latin America.”
“Miami is a place where ideas come to get built. This is a city of immigrants and exiles, entrepreneurs and merchants who’ve come because of the infrastructure, human capital, security and technology – in English, Spanish and Portuguese – that doesn’t come together anywhere else in the Hemisphere,” said Alberto Ibargüen, President of Knight Foundation. “We want to support folks who seek to do well by doing good, so we fund ways in which technology can be used to build community. eMerge Americas will do that and that’s why we support it.”
About eMerge Americas
eMerge Americas is the preeminent technology conference connecting global industry leaders with Latin America’s top business executives, IT decision makers and innovative entrepreneurs. The conference will feature provocative content delivered by technology industry luminaries, countless opportunities to network with peers and the kinds of unforgettable social events Miami is known for around the world. eMerge Americas will serve as the spark that establishes Miami as the technology hub of the America. The inaugural event will be hosted at locations throughout Miami and Miami Beach from May 3-6, 2014. For more information about eMerge Americas, please visit www.emergeamericas.org.
About Technology Foundation of the Americas
The Technology Foundation of the Americas is a non-profit organization focused on advancing the technology ecosystem of South Florida. The Foundation’s mission is to serve as the catalyst for establishing Miami as the technology hub for the Americas in order to propel innovation and investment in South Florida and Latin America. The primary focus for the Technology Foundation of the Americas is to launch eMerge Americas, a large-scale, annual technology conference that attracts the world’s leading technology companies and Latin America’s key IT decision makers. eMerge will serve as a catalyst to advance the technology ecosystem in Miami by displaying what the community has to offer technology companies, IT professionals, startups, entrepreneurs, and investors. To learn more about the Technology Foundation of the Americas, please visit www.tfamericas.org.
