Christmas Palace Avenue: The power of music -- HSBC HQ, Rua XV Novembro

Curitiba-based HSBC Bank Brazil established the non-profit unit of Instituto HSBC Solidariedade in 2006 to manage its increased social investments in education, the environment and income generation all over Brazil. HSBC’s Education Program sponsors the choir of 160 children from 11 children’s shelters in Curitiba and nearby regions. The objective of the program is to enable children’s development through the support of counseling, education and health services.

This year hundred of thousands of visitors from across Brazil and around the world will see the choir sing and dance from the windows of Palace Avenue – the HSBC headquarters on Rua XV Novembro – each Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from Nov. 25th to Dec. 18th.

Mayor Brown (far left), J.R. Rodriggs stroll down Rua XV Novembro in downtown Curitiba

On Nov. 25th in Jacksonville, Gov. Rick Scott told WOKV’s radio audience that the successful October economic development trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil resulted in over $60 million worth of contracts. Enterprise Florida organized the delegation of over 250 Floridians seeking to do business with primarily Brazilian aviation and transportation companies. Mayor Alvin Brown and JAXUSA Partnership Pres. Jerry Mallot were among the delegates representing Northeast Florida.

A day in Curitiba

Brown’s side trip to Curitiba on Oct. 25th strengthened and developed existing ties with one of Jacksonville’s Sister Cities. Brown and Joshua “J.R.” Rodriggs, president of BrazilFlorida Alliance met with Mayor Luciano Ducci, officials at ACP (Associação Comercial do Paraná –  the Commercial Association of the State of Paraná) and toured the city.  In the above photograph, Brown and Rodriggs are near HSBC Palace Avenue on 15 November Street (Rua XV Novembro) which would  transform into a Christmas wonderland within a month.

Gallery of Light -- Located between the streets of Rio Branco and Marechal Floriano Peixoto, in downtown Curitiba

The Christmas show opened on Dec. 1st and runs through Dec. 23rd. A parade of dancers and jugglers from various dance schools perform at the Gallery of Light – the show lasts about 40 minutes. It has been staged every year since 1995 by Italian artist Valerio Festi (Studio Festi) to honor the victims of the earthquake in Kobe, Japan. Other than show times, visitors walk through the Gallery’s succession of arched gates decorated with over 50,000 lights while holiday music plays from a state-of-the-art sound system. The Gallery of Light will be lit until Jan. 6th.

 For complete month-long event schedule see Encantado do Natal’s  Website ~~ 

CURITIBA Capital do Natal 

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BrazilFlorida Alliance  Holiday Networking Event,   Dec. 13th 5:30pm – 7pm at 

Tento Churrascaria, 528 North First St., Jacksonville Beach.   

Registration  

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Farnborough International Airshow 2010… A world of opportunities

Today  the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) is a global aerospace event.  A trade show of the airways, so to speak, for the commercial and defense  aeronautical industries  - from aircraft and avionics sales and leasing to logistical, manufacturing and maintenance services.

Of course major aircraft manufacturers showcase new products at an international airshow of this magnitude — the Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its inaugural non-stop flight from Seattle to Farnborough for the show.

Site consultants for Boeing had considered Cecil Field and Cecil Commerce Center as an assembly location for the Dreamliner according to John Haley, Senior Vice President of Business Development for the [non-profit] Cornerstone division of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Landing a major contract such as this is the reason a  Northeast Florida (all seven counties!) delegation attended the  July 19 – 25, 2010 Farnborough  International Airshow.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to FIA

The team included Nick Sacia, Executive Director of  St. Johns County Economic Development  [representing  St. Augustine Airport Authority], Jacksonville Aviation Authority and Cornerstone. Its mission:  extol the benefits of doing business in Jacksonville, America’s Logistics Center! Haley said teams spread out to cover fourteen appointments with aerospace corporations over a four-day period.

The team meets Monday, August 16th to organize  strategic marketing plans moving forward.

The Northeast delegation was just one  from the State of Florida. The state’s economic development organization, Enterprise Florida, was lead coordinator for Florida’s eight designated industry regions.

Florida’s aviation & aerospace industry counts nearly 2,000 aviation and aerospace companies that employ some 87,000 workers. NASA and the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, as well as Florida’s many U.S. military and air force bases are also key industry assets. The state’s excellent education, infrastructure and business development in Space and Aeronautics and its optimal geographic location and climate conditions also contribute to its leading role in the aerospace & aviation industry.

The U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Louis Susman, held a reception at Winfield House in Regents Park, London for all states attending FIA. As one would imagine, competition between states is fierce.

Scoring a contract such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner assembly plant (which was awarded to Charleston, South Carolina!) is  the target destination. Last year, shortly after the 2009 Paris Airshow, French company Saft International announced plans to build a high-tech battery plant at Cecil Commerce Center.

NOTE:  Updates as updates arrive from the upcoming secret strategy meeting on Monday.

Homepage feature photo:

The Red Devils Parachute Regiment Freefall Team AP/Sang Tan

The Parachute Regiment Freefall Team ‘The Red Devils’ is the official parachute display team of both the Parachute Regiment (The Paras) and the British Army.

“Green Cities™ Florida was held May 20-21, 2009 at the Orange County Convention Center South Concourse Building, and offered a highly interactive, outcome-based portfolio of workshops presented with practical steps and specific plans for participating in the growing $400 billion green economy.

www.greencitiesflorida.org

“State and national experts in green government, business, and technology provided practical tools, case studies, and resources.  Speakers’ shared vital information that is driving today’s new green economy and moving Florida towards a sustainable future.”

John Adams, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, led a break-out discussion group exploring the challenges and opportunities in building Florida’s clean energy industry - not only in renewables, but  supporting technologies [energy- efficient building services and products; manufacturing and distribution]. The conference was well-attended  and Adams noted a keen interest in all cross-sections of  clean business opportunities.

Renewable energy technologies include  biomass, biofuels, geothermal,  solar,  wind; and emerging ocean research and development.

Click here for more information on at the State of Florida’s Clean Energy Industry Cluster from Enterprise Florida.

-k. a. gardner