CEMA Newsletter: January 2025

Corporate Event Marketing Association joined hosts MC2 and MCH Group sister companies Art Basel and expomobilia for Art Basel Miami Beach.

Paramus, New Jersey, December 23, 2024 – Over 75,000 people made their way to Miami Beach, FL for Art Basel Miami Beach including a select group of event professionals from PCMA’s Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) on behalf of event organizers MC2, Art Basel, and expomobilia under the MCH Group.

For two whole days, fifteen CEMA members consisted of event professionals joined MC2’s Vice President of Marketing, Bruno Silva and Vice President of Growth, Jessica Gauvin, to a private VIP experience both within the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) and surrounding area. Shortly after checking into their hotels, attendees participated in Art of Black Miami knowledge track on behalf of Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau taking a deep dive on the community’s influence in art over the years.

As the sun rose over Miami Beach, so too did our day’s events lead with a Hilton-sponsored breakfast tailored with a fireside chat featuring special guests, Rafael Mora, Head of 360o Exhibition Management at expomobilia and Arjun Verma, Regional Head of Partnerships Americas for Art Basel. During that time, attendees were given a sneak peek at what to expect for the next few hours, including event insights, project details, brand activations, and what is entailed within Art Basel’s VIP access during Art Basel Miami Beach.

For the next few hours, attendees were given a private tour of the MBCC where almost 300 galleries from 38 different countries – two-thirds of the galleries being from the Americas – and over 230 museums/foundations joining in the event, including Tate, MoMA, and more. Shortly after a small pitstop at the Collector’s Lounge, a centralized area within the venue tailored around separate brand activations offering refreshments and product/service insights, the group made its way to a lunch-and-learn focused around the venue’s recent sustainable initiatives on behalf of Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

To round out the day’s events, our group was given a deep dive on several brands-driven activations including the global forum of collectible design at Design Miami and other Art Basel-official activations around the MBCC, such as the experience transformation of the Botanical Gardens by Chiquita, Pucci, and Sol de Janeiro. However, as we know, this incredible event stems both within the Art Basel “walls” and beyond. To get a full perspective on how (and why) brands activate during Miami Art Week, MC2’s SVP of Experiential & Innovation, Rita Price, took our group to experience activations inside of the Art Basel zones and beyond, including a quick trip across on a water taxi for Cartier’s Trinity 100 activation featuring vintage pieces, modern art, and the most epic luxe selfies you could take!

Ben Nazario with MC2 states, “Art Basel Miami Beach is an incredible platform for any brand, no matter the size, reach, etc. This event is at the same caliber as other large-scale events within the United States, so I’m thrilled we had the opportunity to introduce Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week to some incredible industry leaders that will hopefully target this event as a must in the new year.”

What started as a conversation quickly grew into its official announcement at CEMA Summit 2024, the Art Basel Miami Beach Study Tour was exactly what VP of Strategy & Operations, Brian Mason, envisioned for CEMA with next 2025 sure to pack a punch for all members.

Brian states, “Art Basel has been on CEMA’s radar for years to attend with its exclusive high end art tours, and amazing corporate activations.” Brian concludes with, “MC2 was able to deliver a world class Study Tour that finished off an amazing 2024 for CEMA.”

About MC2
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We were born in the sawdust. We are builders and producers creating connections through branded spaces. Our passion for pushing boundaries and creating new opportunities has only grown; today, through our imagination, new technology, and an expanded global footprint, so have our clients. Now, MC² is an award-winning brand experience solutions agency. Through strategic insight, inspiring design, and seamless execution, we help clients thrive in a constantly changing world.

About Art Basel
Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel is the leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists. Art Basel’s fairs in Basel, Hong Kong, Paris, and Miami Beach, as well as its Online Viewing Rooms, are a driving force in supporting galleries as they nurture the careers of artists. Our publication The Art Market, co-published with our Lead Partner UBS, is a commitment to increasing the transparency of the art market. Art Basel’s Initiatives strive to create unique artist-led experiences and strengthen local art scenes.

About expomobilia
We are the experts in creating unforgettable experiences and the professionals when it comes to the perfect staging of brand worlds. Since our founding in 1973, we have developed into one of the leading companies in the field of experience marketing. With our headquarters in Effretikon, Zurich, and more than 110 employees worldwide, we are present not only in Switzerland but also in key international locations.

Written by Bruno Silva, MC2