Art Basel Miami Beach Extends Its Contract with the Miami Beach Convention Center Until 2011

The Art Basel Swiss Fair has recently agreed to extend its contract with the Miami Beach Convention Center until 2011. The Swiss company, Messe Shweiz, owner of the Art Basel Fair, Art Basel Miami Beach, and 30 other events around Europe, had been for the past six years, renovating its contract each year with the Miami Beach Convention Center. After long and arduous negotiations, Miami Beach officials voted in favor of replacing the current SMG manager (the administrator of the building since 1990) with a society integrated by SMG rival, Global Spectrum¿a subsidiary of the telecommunications company Comcast¿and Messe Shweiz. The latter will be required to provide the exterior platform and has already committed to bringing at least one European fair to Miami Beach. According to some executives at Global, the administrative details established by the society will not allow Messe Shweiz to play an administrative role, and it will be the city officials themselves who will serve as intermediaries for the shows, in conjunction with Messe Shweiz. The Art Basel Fair is the third largest fair held at the Miami Beach Convention Center annually. The only other events larger than the Art Basel Fair larger comprise the Annual International Auto Show and the Miami International Boat Show.