Tampa was one of three U.S. cities a delegation from Belfast visited recently to get a firsthand look at communities that have embraced the so-called "creative economy." Seamus McAleavey, executive director of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, told Florida Trend that Northern Ireland is looking for ways to diversify its economy. McAleavey says "creative class" guru Richard Florida's theory on tolerance -- he says communities must have tolerance, talent and technology to prosper in the global economy -- has important applications for Northern Ireland, still very much divided.

The delegation's Tampa Bay visit included a tour of Ybor City and Midtown and meetings with officials from the Tampa Museum of Art, the Tampa Downtown Partnership, the Florida Aquarium, the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, SRI, the Arts Center in St. Petersburg and Creative Tampa Bay. The group's other two stops in the U.S. were in Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C.