Why all the buzz about Brazil?

Brazil has been the talk of the town, from Dolphin Mall to the Shoppes at Sawgrass and in one private or public forum after another. But what is all the buzz about? For starters, Brazil is Florida's largest trading partner, accounting for over $13.39 billion with the Miami Customs District in 2010. Brazil's economy grew an astounding 7.5% last year and is projected to grow between 4-5% this year.  A strong real makes purchasing US goods and services very affordable for Brazilians. Add to this a World Cup in 2014 and an Olympic Games in 2016, and it's easy to see why more and more attention is being paid this emerging world player.

Brazil Business Development Strategy Conference recap

Business leaders from across South Florida met at the Beacon Council March 30 to outlay a plan for more business interaction between Brazil and Miami-Dade County. After opening remarks from WTDC's Gary M. Goldfarb and the Beacon Council's Frank Nero, an insightful overview of how Brazil's economic and political climate have progressed in the last decade was delivered by The Honorable Luiz de Araujo de Castro, Consul General of Brazil (pictured below).

Foreign investment into Brazilian money markets has skyrocketed due to its high rates of interest returns, added Mr. Saulo Ferraz de Campos Filho, President, Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce & Vice-President Commercial Banking, Citibank N.A.

Keynote speaker Gilberto Neves, President and CEO of Odebrecht USA, noted the great opportunity for U.S. companies to build infrastructure within Brazil and the challenges that Brazilian companies face in the U.S. Neves also presented plans for Odebrecht's Airport City at MIA.

Other panels focused on the complexities Brazil's legal system, logistics and Brazilan Customs, the political history and potential advantages of visa waivers between the two countries, and the tremendous buying power of Brazilian tourists: $1.1 billion in spending to the Greater Miami area.

Executive Highlight: Adriana Sabino, President of CCBU

This month we highlight Adriana Sabino,  co-founder and President of the Centro Cultural Brasil-USA da Flórida (CCBU), a non-profit organization founded in 1997. Its mission is to promote Brazilian culture in South Florida.

This fall CCBU will present an exhibition about famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Niemeyer is best known for his use of reinforced concrete in the bold design of the city of Brasilia. The exhibition will take place at the Freedom Tower, from Sept.8 to Oct.22, 2011. This exhibit opened in Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Heerlen (Holland) and Madrid to rave reviews. CCBU says NIEMEYER at the Freedom Tower will be the most important Brazilian cultural event of the year and will include lectures, films, guided tours and interactive activities.

Above: Architect Oscar Niemeyer's Cathedral of Brasilia.

The project was a 2010 winner of the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation's Knight Arts Challenge.

Ms. Sabino is also owner of Adriana Sabino Interiors, Inc. an interior design company specializing in high end interiors, space planning and interior design consulting for a local and international clientele.

Obama visits Rousseff in Brazil

President Barack Obama met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to discuss environmental policies, strategies to shape a new foreign policy, and to talk trade on March 19. Consul General Araujo remarked that Obama's visit to Brazil before Rousseff visited the United States bodes well for the relationship of the countries moving forward.