On Feb. 27, just three nights after the Academy Awards, I flew to Miami for another awards ceremony, the Beacon Council's annual “Beacon Awards.”  

I've never been to the Oscars, and there's no indication I'll be invited as an "A-lister" anytime soon (what can I say? The Academy is clueless.)  But I'll go out on a limb and say the Beacon Awards are better anyway.  Having attended them three straight years I say without hesitation that they rank among the best “best practices” that I’ve seen in my 18 years in economic development marketing.     

Now in their sixth year, the Beacon Awards recognize Miami area companies and institutions in about a dozen sectors for their contributions to the region’s increasingly diversified and internationalized economy.  Attended by 800 of Miami’s business and educational elite, the awards have become a “signature event for our organization” says Frank Nero, President and CEO of the Beacon Council.  And with a six-figure profit from registrations and sponsorship fees, Nero says it’s also “a good money maker” for the Beacon Council.

Do you have your own version of the Beacon Awards?  Scroll to the “comments” below and tell us about it.  Do you need your own version of the Beacon Awards?  Email Frank Nero .  He’ll be more than happy to talk to you about what they've been doing there in Miami-Dade.  Just tell him you heard his awards in Miami are far better than anything that takes place around the same time in Los Angeles.