You have probably heard that Florida is the Sunshine State, and you would probably agree that each state has its own defining characteristic. New York has its city, California has its movie stars and Illinois has its high taxes.

Many people may look at Florida and think of sunshine, Disney World, orange juice and beaches. These are great reasons for people to think of Florida, but as governor, my goal is to make people immediately associate our state with jobs and opportunities.

During my campaign last year, Florida was continuing to lose jobs by the thousands, and I pledged to get the state back to work by implementing seven steps to help businesses create 700,000 jobs over seven years. Implementation of the initial phases of my seven-step plan and creation of an emphasis on economic development have Florida already heading in the right direction. Eleven months into my term, Florida has already surpassed 100,000 net jobs, including 118,000 new jobs in the private sector.

The best way to ensure all Floridians the opportunity to have a job is to make Florida the best state in the country for businesses to start, relocate or expand. This doesn’t just mean large corporations; it means small and locally owned businesses, too. It is the smaller businesses that add one or two jobs here and there that will play the biggest part in getting our state back to work, and I am grateful for those who have the foresight to take a risk and invest in Florida.

Every state and country competes for jobs, and it is my goal to make sure Florida is the obvious choice for businesses by providing new opportunities and job seekers.

When we as individuals shop, we’re not willing to pay more for a product or service because the business is located in a state or country with higher taxes or fees, with the additional cost of unnecessary or redundant permitting or regulation, or with increased litigation risk. If businesses are to thrive and hire more employees here in Florida, we need to ensure that they aren’t at a competitive disadvantage because of higher taxes and fees, and a burdensome regulatory and litigation environment.

The process of making Florida the “Jobs State” and improving its business climate began last legislative session, when we successfully closed a $3.4 billion budget gap and reduced state spending by $2 billion while simultaneously cutting taxes for Floridians. We eliminated the business income tax for nearly half of the businesses that were required to pay it and delivered $210 million in property tax cuts, meaning more money for businesses and families. In addition, I vetoed $615 million in wasteful spending from the state budget, streamlined government by consolidating its multiple economic development agencies into one Department of Economic Opportunity and began eliminating more than 1,000 unnecessary government rules and regulations—a process that is continuing today. We also brought Florida into line with the rest of the country by having state workers contribute to their own retirement just as private sector employees do.

My first legislative session in office was marked by an unprecedented number of reforms focused on getting our state back to work. As a result, Florida is rapidly growing jobs, and we have experienced a declining unemployment rate, from 12 percent last December to 10.3 percent in October.

Clearly Florida means business.

Job Creation and Economic Growth

The key priorities of my 2012 jobs agenda will build on the progress made in 2011. We are on the right path, but with close to 900,000 Floridians still out of work, being on the right path is not enough. With that in mind, here are my seven job creation and economic growth priorities for the upcoming legislative session:

• Streamline business permitting and eliminate burdensome rules and regulations.

• Provide tax relief and reform for Florida’s working families and businesses.

• Reform Florida’s unemployment system to create a reemployment system.

• Restore accountability and credibility to Florida’s Workforce Boards.

• Prioritize vital transportation projects to facilitate economic development opportunities.

• Offer stability to Florida businesses by balancing the budget without raising taxes.

• Prioritize science, technology, engineering and mathematics in education.

I am pushing for Florida to take one step closer to completely phasing out the business income tax, and I’m seeking to exempt around half—roughly 150,000—of businesses from paying the tangible personal property tax, which can be as burdensome for small businesses just to file as to pay. Working with the Legislature and the Department of Transportation, we will prioritize transportation projects that will have the greatest economic development impact; maximize incentives for manufacturers to open and expand; increase training opportunities for unemployed Floridians; and ensure our students are prepared to compete in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And I will demand more accountability from Florida’s 24 locally controlled Workforce Boards and tightened scrutiny of special taxing districts, which have $15.4 billion in budget authority annually.

International Trade

Shortly after rolling out my 2012 Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda, I had an opportunity to travel to Brazil with a delegation of Florida business leaders. The Florida businesses that participated in the trade mission came away with $94 million in expected new sales with partners in Brazil. We met with key Brazilian business leaders interested in investing in Florida and shared with them Florida’s plans to be the best place to do business. It was a successful trip that capped off a year that also included successful trade missions to Panama and Canada.

During these trade missions, Florida businesses highlighted the significant benefit our state will experience from the recent passage of the free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. In 2011, I urged President Obama to send the three previously negotiated free trade agreements to Congress for immediate ratification, with no strings attached. The agreements were approved in October and are projected to create nearly 12,000 jobs in Florida and save American companies $3 billion-plus in tariffs.

These agreements will be a catalyst for expansion of the maritime cargo activities at Florida ports that are responsible for generating more than 550,000 direct and indirect jobs and $66 billion in total economic value. With these factors working in our favor, Florida is well positioned to become a national leader in international trade as well as job creation.

Job Announcements

Companies are beginning to notice that we are making Florida the best place to realize a return on their investments of capital, time and people. The companies discussed here, which recently announced plans to grow and expand here in Florida, are evidence that the state is doing the right things to grow jobs and opportunities for its residents.

Time Warner decided to build its new shared services center in Tampa instead of Atlanta. The company has projected creation of 500 jobs, primarily focused in human resources and information technology, during the next five years. It chose Florida because of our talented workforce and our business environment.

In November, I announced that The Boeing Co. will add 550 private-sector aerospace jobs at Kennedy Space Center. By choosing to manufacture its commercial spacecraft in Florida, Boeing is tapping into the built-in talent on Florida’s Space Coast.

IRX Therapeutics is relocating its corporate headquarters from New York to Tampa Bay, a move that is expected to create 280 new jobs in five years.

Colt’s Manufacturing Co. LLC has committed to create 63 jobs in Osceola County for its new regional headquarters and product manufacturing center. Engineering and manufacturing jobs, among others, are included. In 2012, Colt is projected to begin phasing in the first of 63 jobs, paying an average salary of $45,060. The company is making a $2.5 million capital investment in a vacant building that is owned by Osceola County, which it will lease.

Global Components Inc., a division of United Kingdom-based plastic component manufacturer TCB-Arrow, has chosen Manatee County for its U.S. operations and plans to establish 50 jobs over three years, with hiring beginning in early 2012. Officials from the company called Manatee a “great jumping-off point” for continental expansion.

Also, Coca-Cola Refreshments is investing $99 million to expand its Main Street juice production facility in Auburndale. The expansion includes adding 60 new jobs in Polk County, with an average compensation above both the county and state levels.

These are major announcements for Florida. However, it is also the work and risks small businesses take by adding one or two jobs that are helping get our state back to work. Companies around the world are recognizing that Florida is on track to be the best state in the nation in which to do business. And I am proud to welcome them to our great state.

 About Richard L. Scott

Becoming the 45th governor of Florida in January 2011, Rick Scott has spent his professional career in business, healthcare and politics.

After law school at Southern Methodist University, he worked for the city’s largest law firm, Johnson & Swanson, primarily representing companies in the healthcare, oil and gas, and communication industries.

In 1987, while still practicing law, Scott made an offer to purchase HCA Inc. When the offer was rejected, he started Columbia Hospital Corp. By the time he left Columbia in 1997 at age 44, it had grown to become the world's largest healthcare company, with more than 340 hospitals, 135 surgery centers and 550 home-health locations in 37 states and two foreign countries.

Much earlier, while enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (where he earned a degree in business administration) and working full time at a local grocery store, Scott made his first significant foray into the business world by buying two Kansas City doughnut shops for his mother to manage.

Also notably, Scott was in the U.S. Navy as a radar man (active duty aboard the USS Glover), and he lived in public housing as a schoolboy.

 5 Questions for the Governor

 What's been the toughest decision so far?

“The toughest decision is just trying to figure out how to allocate the dollars in the budget. That's the hardest thing, because there are a lot of things you'd like to do. But in the first year I walked in on a budget deficit over $3 billion. And for the fiscal year starting next July 1, it's almost a $2 billion budget deficit. So the hardest thing is making sure you try to allocate the dollars as well as possible.”

What about the greatest challenge?

“It's making sure you have the wisdom to figure out the right way to get people back to work.”

Have there been any surprises as governor?

“Probably the biggest surprise is how much I've enjoyed the job. There's no better job than trying to have a positive impact on 19 million Floridians. That's probably been my biggest surprise—how enjoyable it is.”

Entering the 2011 holiday season, days before 2012 begins, what keeps you up at night?

“My biggest concern is whether the federal government will do the right thing and get its fiscal house in order, so we can have a good federal partner and get jobs. We've done a good job at getting jobs coming into the state. If the federal government would do what we're doing in Florida, it would be a lot better. The thing I worry about the most is whether there’s going to be a day of reckoning if they don't figure out how to control their budget, and how it's going to impact our state.”

What is your view of the collaboration that is occurring across Tampa Bay and Central Florida, and the need for such working together in the quest for economic growth and global competitiveness?

“I applaud the collaborative efforts of the business communities in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay region to create economic development opportunities that extend beyond the I-4 corridor. The state has added more than 100,000 jobs this year, and partnerships like these help make Florida the best place to live, get a good job and have a great vacation.”

Open for Business

On Dec. 9, the more than 250 attendees of the Regional Business Summit agreed that Central Florida is “Open for Business,” as did key leaders representing Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Jobs Council: Dale A. Brill of the Florida Chamber Foundation, Tom Beck of the Department of Economic Opportunity, Chris Hart IV of Workforce Florida Inc. and Melissa Medley of Enterprise Florida Inc.

The “Open for Business” Regional Business Summit focused on three regional work groups that have been examining barriers to business success and a vibrant economy. The event was presented by project manager myregion.org—one of the Central Florida Partnership's four lines of business— on behalf of the “Open for Business” Organizing Committee: Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., Central Florida Partnership; Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando; Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission; Orlando Regional Realtor Association; and Workforce Central Florida.

The three regional work groups are “Creating Access to Capital,” “Reviewing Transactional Fees” and “Streamlining Permitting and Licensing.”

In responding to presentations, guests representing Gov. Scott committed their respective agencies to help “build capacity” for the region’s work across Florida by providing assistance in monitoring, measuring and moving the work to market.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Impatient. Dissatisfied. Restless.

Probably not the first adjectives you’d expect to describe one of Florida’s largest community foundations, right? But at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we wear such labels with pride. Because they speak directly to why we do what we do.

Together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy. We are profoundly dissatisfied with the status quo, bored with excuses—in philanthropy and in our community. So, we figure we have a choice. Sit back and merely respond to community challenges as they surface. Or proactively apply our energy and intelligence to a battle plan for transforming our region.

We choose the latter. Here’s how.

LEAD: It’s in our DNA. Right risks, right rewards. That’s our mantra at Gulf Coast. Take the opportunity that arose in 2011 to bring a world-renowned genetics-research institute to Sarasota County. We didn’t blink. Instead, we mobilized a coalition of government, businesses, and citizens who worked together to try to make The Jackson Laboratory-Florida a reality.

While the facility did not materialize here—you’re welcome, Connecticut!—I tell my staff that our hard work was neither time nor effort wasted. The experience showed our community just how quickly it can coalesce to pursue a game-changing goal. Key players remain committed to bringing personalized medicine, with its health and economic benefits, to our region.

If scientists already knew the outcome of every experiment before they undertook it, there would never be a new discovery. The way we see it, our efforts on the Jackson Laboratory project were groundwork for the breakthrough.

LEVERAGE: From job boards to springboards. While the bid for Jackson Labs recently topped a local business magazine’s “best of 2011” list, I would venture that Gulf Coast’s greatest success of the year was another jobs-focused idea: the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative Manatee-Sarasota.

Two years ago, Gulf Coast helped create, fund and incubate this upstart workforce-development model. Other investors included the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with a $1-million grant; Bradenton’s Central Community Redevelopment Agency, co-chair of the investors committee along with us; and other local governments and national businesses.

What set CareerEdge apart—besides this diverse group of funders—was its dual focus on employers and employees. Rather than train people for jobs that don’t exist, CareerEdge went to the source, employers, to understand and meet their specific labor needs. We did the research and focused on our region’s most promising growth industries: healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and technology. And we made sure employers had skin in the game, with jobs and career paths awaiting the workers we helped train.

The results have been amazing. CareerEdge surpassed its 2011 annual projections by midyear, outperforming similar collaboratives nationwide. Hundreds of local residents have been hired or promoted at growing employers, thanks to the training the received through CareerEdge. Meanwhile, of nearly $4 million secured for this initiative, much has come from outside our region, a part of our strategy from the outset.

With a relatively small amount of our own funding but a lot of big thinking, Gulf Coast helped create a leverage point that has lifted the philanthropic resources in our region while inspiring  individuals with the real promise of—and path to—a brighter future.

INNOVATE: Creating (Steve) Jobs. In typically quotable fashion, University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith told Gulf Coast’s board of directors last quarter that Florida’s economy needs cogs as well as dreamers: cogs to keep the economic machine humming; dreamers to imagine the next great machine. The recent loss of innovator Steve Jobs helped crystallize this insight for me.

Jobs, a liberal-arts dropout, changed the world by combining technology, design and marketing in new and innovative ways. He needed an army of engineers and technologists to create the iPhone and iPad. They needed creative design experts to craft the beautifully simple designs of his products. And they all needed finance and accounting majors to document the wealth of one of the world’s richest companies.

Through CareerEdge, we are creating cogs, but they are cogs with dreams of their own. Meanwhile, we know that our economy needs both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and liberal arts majors, but right now the facts say we are falling short on STEM. That’s why Gulf Coast has committed millions of dollars to a multiyear project to revolutionize STEM education in our community.

At Gulf Coast, we are inspired pragmatists. We are practical dreamers. We strive to create the next good jobs in our community, and the next great Jobs. We are impatient and dissatisfied, yet we are here to stay. What others might see as inherent contradictions, we consider the foundation of community.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

To Larry Langebrake, the past five years must feel like a blur. Or perhaps a wave that continues to build.

The tide of activity has risen, fast.

Prior to 2007, Langebrake led the Center for Ocean Technology at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, partly working to attract research companies to Tampa Bay. By January of that year, he was director of SRI International's Marine Technology Program in St. Petersburg, heading an operation that he had actually helped to recruit to the area. Call it a watershed moment. To complement existing players, other marine researchers, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, private enterprises and education efforts have flooded in and remain at crest today—bringing acclaim to the region as a marine industry cluster.

“[The company’s move to St. Petersburg] provided a great avenue for SRI to begin generating intellectual property and technology in the maritime domain,” Langebrake recounts. “USF got an internationally known partner. And it helped [add] another attractive piece to the state's emerging general tech cluster. From every perspective, it was a positive. … So we brought it all together.”

Fatefully.

Silicon Valley–based SRI International (founded as the Stanford Research Institute) is an independent, nonprofit research institute conducting client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, foundations and other organizations. SRI also commercializes its innovations by licensing its intellectual property and creating new ventures. SRI's Marine Technology Program specializes in the study of surface and subsurface marine environments. Those studies involve experiments, research, development, deployment and operations of advanced sensors and their systems. The staff conducts research and engineering in optics, acoustics and assorted related marine sciences. The center also brings together national experts on detecting, preventing, responding to and recovering from terrorist events in the maritime domain.

The impact of SRI-St. Petersburg, though, extends far beyond those disciplines. Such is the role of an economic magnet. Langebrake points to the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, composed of more than 1,400 researchers, engineers and scientists and including, among others, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the International Ocean Institute along with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Coast Guard. Their presence isn't fully attributable to SRI, of course, but a ground swell has been evident since SRI's arrival.

When SRI arrived in the region, Tampa Bay was touted for great potential. At the time, Curtis R. Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International, commented: “When we decided to broaden our R&D to include marine technology, Florida—and the Tampa Bay area in particular—became the logical choice. The institutional infrastructure is in place, and the broad-based support we have received is already creating momentum and terrific potential for our new operation."

The momentum has stopped.

“I would say all of this activity is part and parcel to the emerging technology cluster in Florida,” says Langebrake these days. “My view is that as the cluster continues to grow, we're beginning to build the foundation of what I would call an ecosystem, where you have the right sorts of business infrastructure.”

Peter Betzer, another former USF leader, agrees. At USF for 37 years, he was dean of the College of Marine Science and now is president of St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership Inc. He labels the marine cluster a “huge economic driver,” one that he could hardly have envisioned even as he became dean in 2000. “I sure hoped for it,” he says, “but I'd be lying if I said I thought it would have gone this far.”

Betzer remembers the late 1980s, when the city of St. Petersburg worked with the state legislature, USF and others to vie for a new national marine science center. The odds were long, but the work paid off in the form of the U.S. Geological Survey's St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. Now, that USGS facility is across the street from a Johns Hopkins hospital and near the USF Center for Ocean Technology, SRI and like entities. “There's a wonderful synergy between the medical, marine science and the other research facilities that are there,” he says.

In April, for example, All Children’s Hospital officially became part of the Johns Hopkins Health System, enabling All Children's to benefit from Johns Hopkins' global health resources, including physician training, collaborative research and clinical care. Some of that research involves Johns Hopkins' sensor development program, which can be transferred to embryos, premature babies and children. Because the composition of ocean water is similar in pH and ionic strength to the human body, that research could affect future treatment at All Children's.

In August, a research consortium led by USF's College of Marine Science was awarded more than $11 million through BP’s Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to continue assessing the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s ocean and coastal ecosystems and to build better ways of predicting damage from future spills. Previously, USF, through its Ocean Circulation Group and its Optical Ocean Laboratory, had played a leading role in tracking the movement of the oil spill through the Gulf.

Abundant collaborative effort. And marine cluster partnerships are possible across the Super Region, adds Betzer, noting: “There are logical kinds of [other] synergies that exist.”

Langebrake, who has expertise in marine technology, ocean sensors and microsystems—but obviously also knows a bit about economic development—contends “marine” and “St. Petersburg” are linked on an international scale: “Absolutely, positively, yes. Now, to try to wrap something quantitative around that, yes; then you're going to get a myriad of answers.”

A myriad of good answers.

St. Petersburg Ocean Team

City of St. Petersburg Planning & Economic Development

Eckerd College Marine Science Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Institute of Oceanography

International Ocean Institute

National Marine Fisheries Service

SRI International

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

The Pier Aquarium

U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg

U.S. Geological Survey

USF College of Marine Science

USF Office of Research and Innovation

USF St. Petersburg

Textbook Synergy

Having SRI International in the Super Region brings benefits that go beyond its core mission. A case in point is the SunBay Digital Mathematics research project, targeted at middle school students.

In 2009, the Helios Education Foundation and the Pinellas Education Foundation, in partnership with the Pinellas County School District, funded SRI International and the College of Education at USF St. Petersburg to conduct a one-year pilot study on the use of digital mathematics resources and teacher professional development in Pinellas. The study was launched with the goal of setting the future direction of middle school mathematics education in Pinellas.

Still in effect, the program uses computer applications, Web resources, an interactive SMART Board and group collaboration. The premise is that students build mathematical meaning by thinking critically to solve complex problems and understand proportionality and linear functions in a connected, coherent way. By leveraging technology, students visualize, interact with and analyze mathematical representations (graphs, tables, algebraic expressions) connected to dynamic simulations of real-life phenomena.

Since the project was launched, 18 Pinellas middle school teachers in 10 schools have participated.

“Success in mathematics, particularly algebra in the middle grades, is directly correlated with future success in the learning of advanced mathematics and science,” comments Vivian Fueyo, dean of the College of Education and principal investigator on the project.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Tom Wallace knows startups. For more than 20 years, he's been both a serial entrepreneur and a manager of technology companies, successfully building and selling two of them during that time. One of the startups, The Waldec Group, a Tampa-based network integrator, grew to more than 300 employees and $75 million in annual sales before being sold to IKON Office Solutions, a Fortune 500 company. Additionally, Wallace helped to create the Tampa Bay Technology Forum—a professional association of tech companies—and then served as its first president and chair. Now, he's chair of the Forum's Entrepreneurs Network while steering another entrepreneurial enterprise in Tampa, RedVector, a leader in online Florida contractor continuing education and a pioneer in green building and online LEED training.

In an edited transcript of a recent interview, Wallace talks technology and what it takes to make a business work.

You've said that “you learn more from failure than success.” Why?

“What's the saying— that ‘people will go to much greater lengths to avoid pain than to gain pleasure’? When we experience failure, in terms of lost business or lost money, it’s painful. And once people get through these experiences, they say they have to learn, because they don't want to go through them again. To me, failure is a great learning opportunity.”

What are the key elements of good business?

“I think good business starts with vision. As an entrepreneur, you've got to have the vision—where your company is going, what you’re going to accomplish, what solution you're bringing to the customer. And you have to be able to communicate that vision to the team.

“The second thing is that business is a team sport. So, once you have the vision, you have to put the right team together. I'm a very strong believer in having an eclectic team. I want people from all walks of life, because the more eclectic the background, the stronger the team and the more creative it is. I've seen some very homogeneous teams over my years in business, and I haven't seen them work too well.

“I'm also a big believer in goal setting and really raising the bar. My experience is that if you get the right team together and you set the right goals—and say, ‘You do this and you do this and you do this‘—it's amazing what teams can accomplish.

“I'll throw another word in there: culture. You've got to have a culture where people want to achieve, where they want to be held accountable and where they want to hold other people accountable. It's the entrepreneurial culture.”

You've said that building a company is a journey, not a destination. What's your explanation?

“I absolutely believe that. I've never started a company with an exit strategy. There was no planned exit. I've built companies and sold them. Oftentimes, after you sell them, you really miss your teams and what you were doing. I never really felt that I did what I did for money. People get caught up in selling a company and getting a big check, and thinking that life will then be grand. Life doesn't work that way. What I find with entrepreneurs is that long after they cash the check, they're looking to get back in the game. They're missing their team, their industry. So, I really believe it's about the journey. If you can keep your team focused on this month, this quarter, this year, they'll have vision. But it won't be ‘We’re going to do this, and we're going to sell out in five years.’ I've never said that to anybody.”

Does continuing education factor in for lead executives?

“It's one of our core values here (at RedVector). We're a learning company. I'm in a CEO group, where I meet with CEOs once a month and share ideas. And I'm constantly going to conferences. If your organization isn't learning, trust me, one of your competitors is. Show me a great organization, and I'll show you an organization that invests in its people.”

You spent time as part of Microsoft's Partner Advisory Council. At that time, you believed Microsoft was arguably the best-run large company in the world. Why?

“Because they were very entrepreneurial, and they were very tenacious. Even though they were big, they moved quickly. They were nimble, and they crushed competitors. Here's the most impressive thing: If you look at technology, no company has ever really dominated one era and then gone on to dominate the next one. Microsoft owned the desktop. When the major shift in technology moved from desktop to the network, the company made that quantum leap and owned the network. They went from completely owning the desktop to that next major technology shift. The next major shift was to the Internet, and they weren't able to do it a third time, but at least they did it twice.”

You've also been on record as not being a great admirer of big companies. Why?

“They get in their own way; they don't innovate. The companies that I admire today are obviously Apple; how they do what they do is nothing short of amazing. Google is a really well-run company. I like Southwest Airlines; for a big company they do a darned good job. Richard Branson's Virgin company does a phenomenal job.”

You once served as a judge for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. What did you look for in candidates?

“First of all, I looked for entrepreneurs, because a lot of times people are nominated who aren't really entrepreneurs; they haven't put a lot at risk. I wanted to see someone who'd bet the house. I wanted to see someone who'd started with nothing and built it into something. The second thing is, I liked to see that they were humble. I looked at their story—where did they come from, what was their background and who were their team members? And I liked to see that they were not flashy. Humble people who worked with their team have always impressed me the most.”

You also believe that growing our technology base is vital to our future and to our children’s future. How so?

“If you look at where job growth is going to come from in this country over the next 40 years and even further, it's small technology companies that grow into the next Google, the next Groupon and ones that don't—ones that grow into 100 employees and 200 employees. I don't think they're going to come from the citrus industry or from tourism. And while technology is where the job growth is, it's where the money is too. It's technology that is really going to differentiate us [the state of Florida].”

RedVector has made recent advancements into green and sustainability education. So, those areas aren't trends that will go away in time—correct?

“Absolutely. If you look back at the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program, five years ago, there were 5,000 or 10,000 (certifications); now there's a couple hundred thousand. We've got to get off fuel; everybody knows it. There are so many ways that we can conserve energy in the way we build things, so we're less dependent on foreign oil. I don't think there's anybody in this country who doesn’t need to be less dependent on foreign oil.”

It's been said that you've never had a real job. True?

“I did have a real job. When I first got out of college, for two years I worked for Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America, in Pittsburgh. I was a business systems analyst in their IT group. It was a real job and a real paycheck. But I started my first company when I was 23. So that's probably the only real job I've ever had.”

Startup America Partnership

Technology-related entrepreneurship burned brightly in November, when Tampa Bay officially launched Startup America Partnership’s Florida initiative.

Startup America Partnership, created by President Barack Obama last January, is a coalition of mentors, advisors, funders, major corporations and service providers formed to strategically help entrepreneurs start successful companies. At a special event, Startup America Partnership announced the organization’s plans for supporting efforts in Florida, including Tampa Bay WaVE.

Founded in 2008, Tampa Bay WaVE is a nonprofit public charitable organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into growing tech businesses in Tampa Bay. With more than 60 members, Tampa Bay WaVE provides peer-level mentoring and other support for 80-plus launched Web and mobile tech ventures. Notably, one of its members, Wufoo.com, was acquired earlier in 2011 for $35 million.

“Because of a strong collaborative spirit, Tampa Bay WaVE and other like-minded organizations continue to make even more resources available to our local business and technology innovators,” says Tampa Bay WaVE Founder and Executive Director Linda Olson. "It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur in Tampa Bay,” she says.

More information: tampabaywave.org.

DID YOU KNOW?

If you're looking for a single location in Orlando where you can access a variety of business resources, technology and research tools, the National Entrepreneur Center offers the assistance of resident support organizations. Among the services are free one-on-one business coaching; low-cost seminars; networking events; certification assistance for minority-owned businesses; connections to procurement opportunities; and publicity opportunities. Since its 2003 founding as the Disney/SBA National Entrepreneur Center, the center has provided support that has facilitated $125 million in loans; coached and trained 70,000 businesses; and guided 700 new startups.

The resident organizations:

Hispanic Business Initiative Fund

Orange County Government

Orlando SCORE

Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida

UCF Business Incubation Program

U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center

African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida

British American Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando

Central Florida Disability Chapter

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando

National Association of Women Business Owners Orlando

Central Florida Chapter of the National Black MBA Association

More information: nationalec.org.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Leu Gardens was given to the city of Orlando in 1961 by resident Harry P. Leu, and today it draws approximately 160,000 visitors each year. Among the featured attractions spanning nearly 50 acres just north of downtown are 8,000 species of temperate and tropical plants; America's third-largest camellia collection; the largest formal rose garden in Florida; a National Historic House circa the 1880s; palm, bamboo and cycad gardens; a butterfly garden; and a garden of ideas for weekend projects. In addition, Leu Gardens hosts dozens of events and provides education by promoting environmental awareness through year-round horticultural programs. Visitors also can access a library that houses more than 2,000 volumes of gardening and botany books.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Wine and social media entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk arrives in Orlando with a glass-full approach to the next big opportunity.

At age 8, he operated seven lemonade stands in his neighborhood, and by 10 he had moved on to selling baseball cards at local malls.

In high school, he began reading about wines, and during his college years (he graduated from Mount Ida College in Newton, Mass.), he spent weekends at his parents’ wine store. He eventually launched a Web site (Winelibrary.com) that helped grow the family business from $3 million to $45 million by 2005.

A year later, using a flipcam, he started Wine Library TV, a daily wine video blog, where his Internet wine reviews attracted more than 100,000 viewers daily and his diehard fans nicknamed themselves “Vayniacs.” He also introduced cinderellawine.com, a flash sale website showcasing one wine per day sold at a deeply discounted price, and an iPhone app called the Daily Grape.

He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Time and has appeared on TV's Nightline, The Today Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among others.

Essentially, he's been credited with revolutionizing the wine industry and been labeled "the first wine guru of the YouTube era" along with "the wine world's new superstar."

But wait; there's more.

He's also written two books that have made him a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. His first book, “Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion,” published in 2009, encourages people to determine what truly makes them happy and pursue monetizing around it on the Internet. His second book, “The Thank You Economy” reveals (1) why companies must revert back to a level of customer service rarely seen since our great-grandparents' day, when business owners often knew their customers personally and gave them individual attention, and (2) how to use social media platforms to make it happen.

Uncommon but true. Gary Vaynerchuk arrives in Orlando for The B.I.G.* Summit (Nov. 10) as both a self-trained wine expert and a social media trailblazer who now has his sights set on making VaynerMedia a household name in the corporate sphere. Believe it. Or for proof, just catch him on YouTube.

Annually, the Summit, presented by Orlando Inc., brings together area entrepreneurs and business leaders for a day of learning, idea sharing and relationship building. This year, Vaynerchuk is the keynote speaker. Expect volumes of straight (and rapid-fire) talk. And even if you don't attend, for anyone within earshot of the Super Region, Vaynerchuk's is a story worth remembering. The region is filled with overachieving go-getters seeking to beat the odds. The Super Region itself, in fact, can be described the same way.

For all the humor and spontaneity evident in his video blogs, tweets and stage whimsy—a huge New York Jets fan, he's typically “flipcammed” seated next to a Jets bucket/helmet and often weaves football with business—Gary Vaynerchuk really is no nonsense. And driven. And, OK, brasher than your boldest cabernet. One doesn't go from Babruysk, U.S.S.R. (now Belarus), to celebrity by way of New Jersey (immigrating in 1978) without sweat and a good measure of swagger blended with intrepid ingenuity and near-spooky intuition.

Vaynerchuk, who turns 36 four days after the Summit, describes the approach with the simple trending phase “all-in.” When he gets into something, whether the topic is wine or the Web, there’s no being half-pregnant, as he puts it.

“I spent every moment on it. … It's like asking a professional athlete, 'How'd you do it?' Well, you have talent, and then you hone it,” he says. “That's kind of what I think I've done. I don't hedge. … That's hasn't been an issue for me.”

His motivation (or, more aptly, motor) comes by virtue of the gratitude he feels that he was raised “not in complete rags, but close enough.” (He remembers receiving two Star Wars figures at age 6, which he termed a “tough get” for his parents.) And he is prodded by a chip on his shoulders from being considered an underdog in business. “I like the fact that people underestimate me,” he says. “I like the fact that I'm unconventional. I like the fact that people underestimate me because I'm brash. I like the competition of business; I view business in a very competitive way.”

Vaynerchuk calls his entrepreneurial spirit “a DNA thing.” inherited from his father. His first adult opportunity to manifest those genes was through wine, so he started by reading Wine Spectator magazine and assorted wine books. His cultlike following came as the result of his often irreverent commentary on wine. Using expressions like “Sniffy Sniff” and “The Oakmonster,” he debunks wine myths. In Decanter magazine’s July 2009 publication of "The Power List," a ranking of the wine industry's individuals of influence, he placed No. 40 because of the “power of blogging." Also, he was named Innovator of the Year at Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2009 Wine Star Awards.

Not claiming to be a techie, Vaynerchuk credits a “knack” and “entrepreneurial intuition” with his taking to the Web and social media. “I read and went to conferences. I saw the impact (of social media) on communications, which in turn would impact advertising, which in turn would impact 'everything,'” he notes. His Wine Library TV video podcast, produced daily, became the most downloaded show on iTunes in the Food category, beating out such venerable names as Martha Stewart.

Then came celebrity, a “kind of crazy” experience, he says. Conan O'Brien's people first reached out to get that ball rolling. “I don't see a TV celebrity when I look in the mirror; I see an entrepreneur who understands the value of what television can provide for an entrepreneur,” he comments. He does concede, however, that “celebrity is kind of addicting; it is fun.”

Truer to those roots are Vaynerchuk’s books. His staunch belief is that regardless of size, companies must pay attention to their entire customer base—and use multiple platforms to reach them. He contends that customers' demands for authenticity, originality, creativity, honesty and good intent have made it necessary for companies and brands to revert to a level of customer service where business owners know their customers personally and give them individual attention. That's true for companies from Peoria to New York to the Super Region.

“We’re going to look back at the last 50 to 100 years as the golden era for big advertising—television, Super Bowl ads, outdoor media, stadium sponsorships,” he says. “Marketing is going to evolve into heavily personalized and one-on-one opportunities. The quicker [businesspeople] can build sensibility to be able to market on a one-to-one level, the quicker they're going to be positioned for the next decade of the way business is going to be done.

“There is so much content and so much fragmentation in the way we consume,” he says.

Mostly, Vaynerchuk believes in the message, not the medium, as reigning supreme. His explanation traces the history of TV variety/talk shows: “Take being on the popular Ed Sullivan Show (June 1948 to June 1971) 50 years ago. If you were really good, you became a household name, a superstar. If you were on the Carson show (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1962–1992) 20 years ago, there were similar results but not to the same degree. Today, if you go on Letterman or Leno, you just can't pull it off in one appearance because all of America is not watching. The media [have] been fragmented.”

To update Marshall McLuhan's 1964 coined phrase, “The medium is the message," Vaynerchuk says, “It's always the message, not the platforms.”

For the record, he had 46,700 Facebook fans and 852,000 Twitter followers—at last count.

Enter his latest pursuit, VaynerMedia, launched in spring 2009 with his brother AJ. Already, the “new breed of agency” has helped Fortune 500 companies like Campbell Soup Co., PepsiCo and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (in addition to the New York Jets, the team he dreams of owning one day) find their social media voices and build their digital brands. “I see the opportunity. I'm an entrepreneur first,” he emphasizes. “I'm excited that the next chapter of my career is back into operations. And I'm sure I'll come back and talk about it again.”

Ever the entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk forges on in quintessential entrepreneurial style.

“I've got pretty big ambitions. So as exciting as it is, and as much as it feels like, I still have a lot of fish to fry,” he concludes. “I'm not really caught up in exactly what I've done. I'm more focused on how much more there is to be done.”

3 Views from Vaynerchuk

About himself:

“I self-audit. I really think I [stink] at a lot. But I'm so aware of what I'm really good at, and I just try to put myself in the position to be successful. I focus on my strengths; I execute against my strengths. I don't stress about my weaknesses.”

About the marketplace:

“Understand that market is always going to change. Without success, and more so even with success, the market doesn't stay the same. You have to adjust and find more opportunity in what's next. That constant thought process of 'what's next' for entrepreneurs is important.”

About the big picture:

“Legacy is greater than currency. … It's how I live my life daily. I love the money that comes along with building businesses. But it's a complete afterthought. I want grandchildren to think that their grandpa was a really smart dude.” (He has a 2-year-old.)

Shark Investor

From home in St. Petersburg to the Shark Tank and on to Orlando.

Among the other lead speakers making their way to The B.I.G.* Summit is area resident Kevin Harrington, who appears as an investor "shark" on the ABC TV series. The popular show gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their products to a panel of acclaimed judges in hopes of turning their ideas into a successful business reality.

Harrington, chairman and founder of TVGoods Inc., is widely acknowledged as a pioneer and principal architect of the infomercial industry. He recently released a book entitled "Act Now! How I Turn Ideas into Million-Dollar Products," which chronicles his life and experiences in the DRTV industry. In 1984, he produced one of the industry's first 30-minute infomercials. Since then, he’s been involved with more than 500 product launches that resulted in total sales of $4 billion-plus worldwide, with 20 products that reached individual sales of more than $100 million.

Throughout his career, he's helped establish two of the most recognized global networking associations: the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, or EO (formally known as the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization), and the Electronic Retailing Association, or ERA. Today, the EO has chapters in 38 countries and more than 924,000 members. The ERA represents the $125 billion electronic retailing industry worldwide.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

The drive toward environmental enterprise and sustainability is creating an expressway shared by both entrepreneurs and educators.

Entrepreneurs, quite apparently, like the business of green—as in the environment and sustainability. The idea isn't new, certainly, but even as the economy bleeds red, green continues to prevail.

One relatively new company, for example, provides a comprehensive range of energy efficient building services to building owners and facility managers who want to reduce energy consumption and implement a sustainable green building retrofit plan. Another startup focuses on the growing need for innovation, identification and application of clean technologies capable of leveraging renewable energy sources. Still another is a clean technology venture centered on commercializing an innovative patented photo-electrochemical air disinfection technology that completely destroys pollutants in indoor air. And that's only a brief sampling of activity.

Meanwhile, institutions like the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida, through their business incubator programs, provide a host of valuable resources for developing companies that have eco in mind.

The result: Green has passed the trend stage and just might turn out to be the color of the decade.

With an eye on reducing energy consumption and implementing a sustainable retrofit plan, Orlando-based GreenPath Energy Solutions works with building owners such as federal, state and local governments, commercial property owners, schools and public housing authorities to help navigate the opportunities and risks associated with implementing green strategies. The company was founded by Samuel Graham, a construction industry professional with a passion for developing sustainable energy efficient solutions in commercial buildings.

When he identified a growing market for energy efficiency consulting services, due to the emergence of new government building efficiency laws and rising energy costs, he made his move. The holistic green building solutions are designed to take existing commercial building through the entire retro-greening process, from assessment to energy efficiency implementation to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to tracking and monitoring services.

Green Solar Solutions LLC, in Lake County, targets residential and commercial customers who seek to achieve long-term cost savings and quality-of-life improvements made possible by clean technologies, including products such as whole-house water efficiency systems, HVAC indoor air quality control, geothermal heating and cooling units, and photovoltaic (PV) solar cells for electrical power. One of the company's most popular innovations is a PV technology that uses rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels to convert sunlight into electric power. This technology can generate enough kilowatts to drastically reduce and often eliminate local utility bills.

With this technology, the company can retrofit existing homes or build systems from the ground up, with customized Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. Its founder, Bobby Rhodes, is a licensed building contractor and Lake County native committed to delivering individualized energy saving solutions.

To help GreenPath, Green Solar and many other companies move forward, the UCF Business Incubation Program was established in 1999. Since then, the incubator has assisted more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) and totaled more $200 million in annual economic output. With nine facilities across Central Florida, the program is a collaboration in economic development among UCF, the counties of Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola and Volusia, the cities of Orlando, Winter Springs, Sanford, Leesburg, Kissimmee and St. Cloud, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. Not all the support is intended for green companies, but a roster of past and current eco-engaged clients is well represented.

Most recently, UCF has been leading a team that won $1.3 million in a national White House competition aimed at driving technology commercialization and entrepreneurship to support a “green innovation economy.” The team includes the Technological Research and Development Authority, which is another business incubator, and the University of Florida’s Florida

Systems Consortium, which does energy research, education, technology and energy systems analysis. The partners work together to speed the development and commercialization of research in clean technology areas such as solar power, building science, energy efficiency, hydrogen fuel cells and ethanol production. As part of the effort, research centers at universities across the state, along with economic development agencies, incubators and entrepreneur support organizations will participate in an online network to share proven techniques and encourage technology development in cleantech industries. Among the resources the program will offer is a catalog of energy research conducted at Florida universities, a dedicated market research team available to identify opportunities for research while helping with market evaluation and business plan development, and a statewide network of experienced mentors, investors and industry experts that can assist entrepreneurs in business strategy, financing and management.

Venture capitalists are now investing more heavily in later stages of research, making it difficult to find funding for early-stage projects, according to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, which is often referred to as the world's largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship. The UCF-led project is expected to help bridge that gap.

Similarly in Tampa, the mission of USF CONNECT is to deliver a wide range of business development services to technology businesses throughout the Tampa Bay region and the state, essentially offering a single point of contact for businesses seeking resources such as technology transfer, financing, marketing and management. The organization has a network of local serial entrepreneurs and service providers such as bankers, attorneys and mentors who can provide insight to local entrepreneurs. It also offers relocation assistance in partnership with local economic development organizations. Partners include Enterprise Florida, which is the economic development authority for the state of Florida; Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; and the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Since 2005, USF CONNECT has provided incubation for more than 40 companies involved in green and other industries.

One of the beneficiaries is Advanced Technologies & Testing Laboratories Inc. in Tampa, which has turned innovative patented photo-electrochemical air disinfection technology—clean technology—into an effective, nonintrusive method of destroying airborne contaminants. Currently, it's the only air filtration system that can destroy microbial and volatile organic contaminants in air without additional consequences or side effects. The application of devices by the company is focused on providing indoor air quality solutions for hospitals, asthma/allergy sufferers, large commercial and residential buildings, schools and organizations engaged in defense against bioterrorism.

Another beneficiary is Tampa's EngenNano Technology Inc., a company involved in the research and development of devices for energy harvesting and solid-state lighting. The company uses research to develop efficient products based on concepts of nanotechnology. For the uninitiated, nanotech refers to materials, devices or other structures that are ever so minute.

Yet, know this: Green entrepreneurship is anything but small.

USF Earns Recognition

Whether students completing USF’s graduate entrepreneurship program pursue green businesses and other startups, their future appears bright. According to The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, the program ranks No. 19 nationally.

The program is ranked third among public universities in the Southeast and is the only Florida university included in the 2011 rankings, which reviewed more than 2,000 colleges and universities. The ranking criteria examined the percentage of graduates who had started a successful business, the number of official organizations and clubs offered to current students, and the availability of internships and externships. USF ranked No. 25 last year.

“We’re thrilled to again be recognized as one of the best in the nation by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine,” comments Bob Forsythe, dean of USF’s College of Business. “But it isn’t just this ranking that’s so exciting; it’s the knowledge of what we can achieve when we work in an interdisciplinary way. The Entrepreneurship program is part of the College of Business, and it’s a collaborative effort with the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine. This type of collaboration is the way of the future, and it’s what we’re trying to achieve throughout USF.”

Lower Energy = Lower Costs

The cost of operating an average building, including the amortized construction cost, is roughly $15 per square foot per year. The cost of employees in those buildings is on the order of $315 per year. If you increased the productivity of the work force by 5 percent--by improving the work environment--the resulting annual savings will exceed the annual cost of the building ownership and operation.

Cost of Building Per Year:
$15 per square foot

Cost of Employee Per Year:
$315 per square foot

5 Percent Productivity Improvement:
$16 per square foot

The bottom line: Reducing energy consumption and facility environmental impacts help to increase worker productivity and, ultimately, save money.

Source: GreenPath Energy Solutions, Orlando

Did You Know?

Energy consumption in commercial buildings is an expensive component of the costs of building maintenance. Experts, in fact, say that energy equals approximately 27 percent of the life cycle cost of a building, compared to 11 percent for construction cost. To illustrate: One 68,000-square-foot building using today's conventional heating and cooling system dumps 674 tons of carbon per year into the atmosphere.

Source: Greensleeves LLC, Winter Springs

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

With the tough economy locked tighter than a Vegas vault, it's no surprise that many small businesspeople are still proceeding carefully. Some, however, are doing quite the opposite. Like Tom Cannon. He launched his BungoBox franchise in May 2011 and went full steam ahead—without the operation falling apart.

In fact, his two-year-old company, which rents plastic reusable bins as an alternate to cardboard boxes for moving, has added at least 10 franchise locations in the past year alone (still counting). Plus, there are still hundreds of franchise applications to review. Even more, the company started making a profit after year one, a feat not easily accomplished, of course, in the boom-or-bust (mostly bust) world of entrepreneurship.

So, how has he kept up with all the growth? He’s gone back to school.

“You can take all the business classes in the world and still not be prepared for everything thrown at you when you become a business owner,” Cannon says. “By the time you have some years under your belt and start making money, well, it’s time to take some classes again.”

With that in mind, the 39-year-old recently completed a three-month program at Rollins College in Winter Park called the Rollins Business Accelerator. This new program is designed to help second-stage entrepreneurs evaluate strategy and develop a growth plan while maximizing cash flow for future profitability. It's surely not the only formal training available in Central Florida. With Orlando ranked as one of the “10 Best Cities to Start a Business,” according to Entrepreneur magazine, there is plenty of instruction to go around. In this instance, though, the Accelerator prompted Cannon to really think, well, outside the box.

“This class has given me the tools needed to harness the vision I have for my company,” adds Cannon. “The lessons learned from all involved have forever left a mark and will play an important role in our culture. I feel like we now have a distinct advantage when faced with any challenge or obstacle."

Classes, each accommodating up to 15 CEOs/presidents, are held at the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship, in the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins. One hundred percent of the faculty have started, bought or run a successful business.

“We identified a gap of preparation in the market,” comments Cari Coats, the center's executive director. “We often get CEOs and/or presidents of entrepreneurial ventures [enrolling] in one of our MBA programs. We’ve noticed an upswing in the demand for business preparation skills by entrepreneurs.”

Stacking the Deck. The Rollins Business Accelerator helped Tom Cannon harness his entrepreneurial vision.

Not every entrepreneur, however, is able to afford the cost or have the time to enroll in a two-year MBA program. The Rollins Business Accelerator fills this void in the market, with no long-term commitment or significant capital investment required, says Coats, who also is president of C2 Advisors, a management consulting firm specializing in strategy, operations, governance, marketing and business development services for corporations and other enterprises.

“Recent graduates over the past four years of our program have been able to elect a concentration in entrepreneurship with their MBA program,” she says. “Graduates (who received their degree) prior to a few years ago (and) who have entered into an entrepreneurial venture since graduating may feel they need a mini-MBA primer intensely focused on running [their] own venture.”

And, in case no one has noticed, entrepreneurship is to the economy as fuel is to an engine. It makes things move. Big picture: Who would debate that entrepreneurship (and innovation) will be crucial to the nation’s economic revival and competitiveness in a global marketplace?

At the Rollins Business Accelerator, students are assigned a professional coach, who has a successful entrepreneurial track record and helps them learn about relevant topics such as how to position their company for growth, how to lead their organization, how to obtain capital to fund growth and who to negotiate with. During the comprehensive three-month program, entrepreneurs work on their business and leave with a development and planning process they can use as a tool for ongoing growth.

“Ultimately, it’s a place that fosters support and inspiration,” Cannon says. “The ability to work on my business with the nationally ranked Crummer faculty, who have been there and done that, and with dynamic classmates was certainly a game changer.”

Cannon contends that he walked away with a good assessment of the current status of BungoBox, the competition and the market. Now, he believes, he's ready to make better decisions about the continued growth of his company.

“It definitely helped me hone in on my strategic thinking and get advice from people who’ve been in my situation and come out on top,” he concludes. “It’s is a must for any business owner.”

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

As you read this, many organizations across the region are making plans for their holiday parties. And so they should — early preparation offers many benefits, such as the best pricing and choice of venues.

Yes, in September.

For some Central Florida businesses, however, the holiday bash may be the company’s first foray back into the world of event planning after suspending such activities due to the economic slowdown. If yours is among them, you’re not alone. Across the nation, the recession whacked all types of special events, from product launches to grand openings. Other similarly scarce activities included corporate conferences, parties and employee retreats.

Budget cuts and an overall slowdown in consumer marketing were to blame for the near demise of such events. Protecting corporate reputations was also a factor — any event that appeared excessive or risked garnering negative news coverage was taboo. Last December, for instance, ABC’s “World News Tonight” reported on the Federal Aviation Administration’s spending of $5 million of taxpayers’ money on a holiday party.

While economic uncertainty lingers, businesses are again spending on event marketing and entertainment. According to media reports, expenditures for hotel rooms, dining and entertainment during the 2011 Super Bowl week topped $200 million, beating the previous record from prerecession 2007. Most of this spending was on the corporate tab.

Events may be firing up, but implementing them at an appropriate level presents a new challenge. How much can you accomplish trying to be competitive while not looking extravagant, even when you have an ample budget? In this postrecession economy, these rules can help guide your organizational event planning:

1. Be strategic. Now, more than ever, each event needs a clear rationale. Identify business objectives — both internal and external — and determine whether the event is a good fit. Establish measurement metrics in advance, so you can evaluate return on investment and justify expenditures. 

2. Scrutinize every cost. Be vigilant and look for every possible way to accomplish the same results for less. For example, we recently saved a banking client thousands of dollars by reviewing the technical vendor’s quote and finding redundancies. The vendor was charging for audio and lighting equipment that was already present at the venue and for labor that was covered by another budget.

3. Sharpen your negotiating skills. The recession removed the stigma of bargaining in the business-to-business environment.  Everyone is looking for more sales, and most organizations are willing to negotiate. How to go about it? In plain terms, express your interest in the vendor’s goods or services while being candid about budget constraints. An open dialogue from the start can open the doors to a mutually beneficial agreement.

4. Consider hiring an event expert — but do your homework. Event professionals can save you time and money (as previously noted). But beware of so-called experts with a lot of flash and little substance or genuine experience. Vet your short list of potential partners and check references. Also keep in mind that some event companies receive commissions based on their recommendations (think invitations, florists and photographers), which can pose a conflict of interest when you need honest advice on saving money.

5. Go lavish (if appropriate). It seems counterintuitive, based on the rules just discussed, but certain brands require over-the-top events to properly convey their messages. Sometimes a low-key event just won’t cut it. For example, when my group traveled to the Washington, D.C., area to produce the kickoff for Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac celebration, we pulled out all the stops, from original orchestral recordings to mass choirs to breathtaking pyrotechnics. Such elements were totally appropriate for that event. Sometimes, you’ve just got to flaunt it!

What’s ahead for corporate events? In this digital age, when social networking is unifying the masses, it’s tempting to dismiss face-to-face gatherings as being so last decade. True, virtual events like presentations can be far more efficient. But when’s the last time you shouted “Wow!” at a live-streamed launch? Or held your breath at a big reveal shown on your handheld device? And you simply can’t smell a freshly cut Christmas tree — no matter how great it looks on your high-def TV — without being there. The reality is that all this online activity is creating a pent-up demand for personal connections in a live setting. There’s nothing quite as powerful as a 360-degree, fully immersive, senses-intensifying live experience.

Employ these tips to make your company’s holiday bash and other events throughout the year a blast.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

The organic designs that grace the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland have long been recognized as the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, hailed by the American Institute of Architects as “the greatest American architect of all time.” As the largest collection of Wright buildings on a single site, the campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now, Florida Southern has earned new distinctions, with its selection as one of the nation’s “Ten College Campuses with the Best Architecture” by industry bible Architectural Digest and its label as the nation’s most beautiful campus by The Princeton Review.

Twelve Wright structures were completed at the college between 1939 and 1958, each of them illustrating his philosophy of “organic” architecture. His desire was not to dominate the land but to work in harmony with it. The newest building to join Florida Southern's celebrated collection is under construction and continues the college’s tradition of linking its future with its heritage. The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, slated for a 2012 opening, is being built with never-used plans that Wright developed for a “Usonian” house on campus. The Sharp Center, the first Wright design to be built for the original client on the original site since 1966, is expected to draw 100,000 visitors to the campus annually.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region