MIAMI, FLA.- Art Basel's 2014 show in Miami Beach finished on Sunday, December 7, 2014. The show featured 267 galleries, attracted an attendance of 73,000 guests over five days, and offered a wealth of sites, sounds, and learning opportunities. Just as important as what happened at the show itself are the developments that happened in conjunction with and around the show. Art Basel Miami Beach ("ABMB") is now the anchor event for an entire week of art shows and events that take place throughout Miami under the name "Miami Art Week". Key insights from this year’s events include:
 
1. The Art Basel Effect is changing Miami. Art Basel Miami Beach is the epicenter for a premium contemporary art market growing in South Florida. The effect of ABMB goes beyond one calendar week a year in December. The redevelopment of parts of Miami (Wynwood, the Design District, etc.) are directly related to Art Basel Miami Beach’s success and the related art events being a catalyst for transformation. Serious collectors, galleries, institutions, and premium retailers can now be counted on to regularly visit Miami, invest in Miami, and to help build a top tier art/luxury market that contributes to Miami as a whole. The local art community is developing new clients, nurturing new talent, and attracting new residents with year round art opportunities.
 
2. Go beyond art’s beaten path. Some of the most enjoyable and powerful experiences can be found at gems removed from the hordes filling the major fairs. For example, the Bakehouse Art Complex hosted an evening featuring ArtCars and InResponse. Walking through the complex, I saw some amazing work, including that of Pamela Palma Designs. Ms. Palma has achieved vibrancy and beauty with her fabric and textile creations that is both inspiring and ethereal.   
 
3. The Satellites are rising. In previous years, I held on to the illusion that I might visit each of the art fairs that cobble together Miami Art Week. That possibility is now crossed off the to-do list, relegated to the same unreasonable fantasy pile as the Loch Ness Monster, Santa Clause, and a talented Kardashian. While ABMB remains the signature event of the week, satellite shows from ArtMiami to Aqua to Scope to Untitled to NADA fill Miami with more art than one person can see. These satellite fairs provide a rich tapestry of different voices, styles, and opportunities that complement the offerings of ABMB. This said, ABMB itself might benefit from expanding its Miami based galleries and the geographic range of where emerging galleries come from. It felt like galleries from Paris, London, New York, and Berlin were very well represented at ABMB, but too few emerging or surprising destinations were included. Art Basel has a history of incorporating some of the unexpected into its events, so I hope they will add a gallery from Idaho, Costa Rica, etc for ABMB 2015.
 
4. Plan ahead. Take care of yourself to eat, rest, and connect with people so you can get the most from Miami’s week of art. While ABMB and the related events offer many chances to party, the best guest lists fill up in advance, so RSVP early. An issue with the geographically growing Miami Art Week is that the time spent in traffic can rival the time at events. Plan accordingly. Give yourself plenty of travel time, stash extra supplies in your car, and/or coordinate with friends staying in different places near different events. Map out the most logical order to visit fairs. During the week of seeing amazing art, there were too many cars on the road, not enough parking spaces, not enough mass transit, and a few too many horns being honked. Your planning can reduce the time wasted in frustration, so you can instead be standing with 200 of your closest friends on the beach listening to electronic music or visiting an emerging gallery in Little Haiti.
 
5. People, people, people make the experience. From the plastic surgery and wild outfits to the cougars, sugar daddies and celebrities, people-watching in Miami in December is a world class experience. Viewing a sculpture in solitary confinement pales to the joy of sharing such an experience with passionate and interested comrades who may offer their own take on the 6 foot tall blue Smurf foot selling for $120,000. I feel fortunate to have met great people and shared some excellent moments with them.

6. Art supports diversity. ABMB, the satellite shows, and the various events around Miami reflected a beautiful range of diversity. Different races, ages, languages, cultures, religions, socio-economic levels, and persuasions had access to a wide range of excellent art and cheer. Numerous free shows, public exhibits, and pop-up events offered a rich tapestry of art and culture.
 
7. Communication is the key to success. Galleries who had a successful show were able to effectively communicate with artists, collectors, and new clients. Attendees who visited the best galleries and events were able to find out about the art being shown, the events, and get on the guest lists when needed. In this context, the Salon Digital Talk about “Instagram as an Artistic Medium” was one of the most interesting events to take place at ABMB. This talk touched on the incredible power that social media has for an artist in communicating and building her platform. This conversation included Kevin Systrom (CEO and co-founder of Instagram), along with Simon de Pury, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Amalia Ulman, and Klaus Biesenbach.
 
* Bonus insight on Communication. A client of mine is planning to launch a new art fair for Miami Art Week 2015, so we spoke about picking galleries and what determines a gallery's success at a show. Perhaps one of the most humorous sights seen repeatedly throughout the shows are gallery booths styled and arranged down to the minute detail, but then hosted by staff who are busy stuffing their face with food, hypnotized by their own phones/computers, or too busy talking amongst themselves to pay attention to possible clients. I walked much of the ABMB floor on the final day of the show asking galleries about their sales performance. It seemed that the galleries with the most friendly, outgoing, and proactive staff had the strongest sales. The more anti-social galleries seemed to be saying "sales were stronger in previous years" and "the buyers did not show up like before." If I were to run a booth at ABMB (or any show for that matter) I would stress personal communication as the priority, forbid staff from eating on the sales floor, limit phone/computer use on the sales floor, and hire staff that actually enjoys talking with people. In talking to my client about the new art fair, I suggested hosting some informal webinars in advance of next year to go over suggested best practices and logistics. 
 
Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 and Miami Art Week 2014 were great opportunities to see excellent art, meet great people, and enjoy a world class city. Hope to see you in Miami in 2015.

 
Brian A. Frankel is an attorney, artist and filmmaker in Washington, D.C. He sits on the Board of Directors with Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, is the Executive Director of D.C. Media Makers, and is Executive Director of D.C. Filmmakers. (brianfrankel.com)