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60th Anniversary
Views of the Future
Perspectives on what's to come around the state.
No More Mall
“In 15 years we will see a new breed of commerce centers that will result from the transformation of traditional retail malls into mixed-use commercial and entertainment centers. Virtual and augmented technology — integrated with advanced data analytics — will be a big part of how entertainment will be delivered and how commerce will be done in that new generation of assets.”
— Ken Krasnow, executive managing director, Colliers International South Florida, Miami
Foreign Money
“In Florida, Miami is by far the largest magnet of private foreign capital. But that is poised to change in the next decade or so. Developers who fund their projects with foreign capital are now looking for development opportunities in sleepy coastal communities and underdeveloped areas close to large urban centers. In 15 years, foreign capital will be behind many of the future hotels, office buildings and retail centers across Florida’s emerging destinations.”
— Rodrigo Azpurua, president, CEO, Riviera Point Development Group, Miramar
Bank On It
“By 2020, there will be fewer than 75 banks headquartered in Florida that will include a handful of larger Florida-based banks and credit unions that compete effectively with the large out-of-state mega banks. Branches as we knew them are going to largely disappear. They will be far fewer, and they will primarily serve as advice centers.”
— Dennis S. Hudson III, chairman, CEO, Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida, Stuart
Personalized Travel
“We are in an increasingly competitive market across the world. Of the things that are on our near-future radar, the big one is the hyperpersonalization of travel. With Hilton, they have what are called connected rooms so that based on your preferences as a traveler all of those customizations are ready as soon as you walk in the door — the temperature of the room, the lighting.
“We’re really focusing on transformative travel where it’s a personal fulfillment, local immersion into things that aren’t ordinary, aren’t routine — ziplines in Ocala or swimming with the manatees in Crystal River.”
— Stephen Lawson, vice president, government relations, Visit Florida, Tallahassee
Capital Ideas
“When you look at the state of Florida, one of the largest overlooked natural resources we have is the private capital, private wealth in the citizens of Florida. I don’t believe Florida as a state has done a good job of organizing that private wealth into funding structures for idea-stage through early-stage investing. I would like to see Florida in the next 10 years become more active in allocating a greater percentage of Florida’s net worth toward idea- and seedstage capital.”
— Timothy J. Cartwright, chairman, Tamiami Angel Funds; general partner, Adrenaline Venture Fund I, Naples
EDUCATION
The Human Quotient “As artificial intelligence comes on line, it poses the question, what value does humanity provide that machines can’t? That’s the crisis I see coming. Our education system is still focused on training people to be good employees rather than focusing on them being creative leaders. We just recently opened the Innovation Hub with that in mind, giving students the opportunity to be creative problem-solvers. When you talk about the future 25 years down the road, these are some of the ways we’re preparing for it.”
— Ken Baldauf, director, Florida State University Innovation Hub, Tallahassee
K-12: Diversity
“A handful of heavily bunkered ‘one-size-fits-all’ factory schools will remain; but the range of learning options will exceed even what we see in higher ed today — big, small, classical, online, faith-based, STEM-heavy, etc. — with lots of innovative hybrids, too. There’ll be an emphasis on finding the best ‘fit’ for each child ... and an appreciation for the vital role parents play in children’s learning.”
— William Mattox, director, Marshall Center for Educational Options, The James Madison Institute, Tallahassee
Higher Ed: Top Tier
“I’m very bullish on Florida’s future for many reasons. One of them is that Florida has the top state college system in the country. They are going to produce the graduates that we’re going to need to diversify our economy. We’re going to lead the pack in the future. With our reasonable tax rates and being a great place to live, we’re going to see a lot more people with talent move here, and that’s going to be the key to everyone’s future.”
— Jerry Parrish, chief economist, Florida Chamber Foundation, Tallahassee
