Art Basel Miami Schedule and Hotel Ideas

While the exact dates for Art Basel Miami vary, with certainty it is held the first week of December, and always from Wednesday through Sunday. As tens of thousands of visitors attend, it’s helpful to have a clear itinerary for Art Basel Week. The first step is to consider which art fairs are most important to see. After choosing and prioritizing the fairs, then it’s time to research hotels. The last step is to choose your daily schedule based on hotel and fair locations. One’s enjoyment is severely depleted by sitting in traffic for two hours due to lack of a smart schedule. This article focuses on selection of fairs for an itinerary.Creating a schedule of fairs is not easy, as there are about fifty art fairs distributed around Miami Beach and Miami. In Miami Beach the bulk of the fairs are in South Beach, but there is one fair, NADA, in north beach about three miles distant. In mainland Miami, two neighborhoods contain most of the fairs: Midtown and Wynwood. In addition, downtown Miami is adding more events and fairs to attract hotel guests and visitors. Besides the varying locations, the fairs vary from world-class quality to emerging quality to low quality “want to be” works.First, let’s consider the fairs on Miami Beach. Of course the primary fair is also the official one, Art Basel in Miami Beach, which locates at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This is the locus of all the other fairs, which are unofficial, unaffiliated “satellite” fairs. The Art Basel committee selects 300 galleries worldwide to exhibit their best works, and the feeling in the convention center is an unusual mix of trade show, art gallery, and Vanity Fair party. The colors, shapes, and ideas are eclectic, mirroring the crowd.Across from Art Basel is Design Miami, a fair of unique furniture and lighting design. In between is an oasis to rest your feet and lunch, the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. This year a major satellite fair moved to South Beach from Midtown: Scope Fair. Scope will locate on Deco Drive in the public park between the beach and famous hotels such as The Betsy and The Clevelander. This brings Art Basel to Ocean Drive, which previously did not offer much in terms of fairs or installations. For visitors, this means you can walk among three major fairs, as Scope is eight blocks from the Convention Center.Continuing with Miami Beach fairs, the next cluster is along Collins Avenue in various Art Deco hotels. These offer a different vibe because the fairs are small, quiet, relaxing, and the art is still amazing, albeit less expensive. One can spend one hour at each fair without rushing, and it’s easy to “fair-hop” along Collins Avenue from hotel to hotel. The Aqua Fair at the Aqua Hotel is the southernmost fair, at 15th street, and from there visitors can walk north to five other hotel fairs ending their track eight blocks north at the Bass Museum, which has funky outdoor art installations. Located across from the W Hotel South Beach, this area known as Collins Park will house a large multi-media (re videos) fair. After a day of fair hopping and walking, get a drink at the lobby bar in the W, which is home to world-renowned contemporary art works including a Bastiat. Besides the Aqua fair, other fairs in art deco hotels include Ink Fair in the Dorcester, Select at Catalina, and New Material at Chesterfield Hotel.Miami, which is across Biscayne Bay from Miami Beach, has fair clusters in two neighborhoods, Midtown and Wynwood. Midtown is a relatively new area of Miami, with condominiums and shops built during last decade’s real estate boom. The fairs set up next to each other in large white tents. Parking is challenging, with just one parking garage nearby, so plan to park in the neighborhoods. Guests easily walk in between fair tents, and Midtown has some good restaurants for lunch. These Midtown fairs are the best of the satellite fairs, with the exception of Scope, which was at Midtown until changing to Ocean Drive for 2013. The fairs include Art Asia (artists from Asia), Red Dot, Art Miami, Spectrum and Art Brazil, among others. Art Miami and Art Asia are just behind Scope in terms of quality. Definitely plan one hour in each fair to truly appreciate the work.Just a few blocks south is Wynwood, famous for its art galleries, restaurants, graffiti art, and true grit. Per its reputation, the fairs and exhibits here are the most raw and emergent. The feeling is one of youth, or youthful exuberance and illusions, which makes the artists’ meanings clear-cut. The exception is the Pulse Fair on the south side of Wynwood, in a cool building named the Ice Palace. Besides Pulse, be sure to visit Miami Art Project, a large fair in its second year.Besides the fairs, Wynwood is home to excellent galleries and art collections such as Wynwood Art Center, Bakehouse gallery, Avant gallery, Rubell collection and the Margulies collection. While traversing Wynwood, enjoy restaurants such as Morgans and Wynwood Grille, which is next to Wynwood Walls.Accessing Wynwood is easy from hotels in downtown Miami, Miami Airport, and Coconut Grove, but difficult coming from Miami Beach. The traffic knots up at the ramps from I-195, resulting in hour-long waits. Be sure to go early in the morning, or be willing to drive from North Miami. Guests in downtown Miami hotels can drive there in ten or fifteen minutes.In summary, Art Basel is a wonderful, stimulating set of fairs and events in Miami and Miami Beach. With a little planning and research, visitors can avoid hours in traffic and ensure they see the art they came for. A major part of the planning routes is one’s hotel location, which the next article will address.

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Past, Present and Future Evolution of Technology

These days, tablets, computers and Smartphones run our lives, but in a short time, the market has exploded with technology more than most people can imagine and to the point that they cannot imagine being without it. To understand the evolution of this technology from the dark ages to today, you should began with understanding how it evolved. Technology was born out of a purpose. An example would be in the creation of search engines, which are used to sift through all the massive quantity of online data.As upgrades are made to technology, it combines with the present technology and creates a better technology that it was before. As this continues to happen, technology evolves to the point that it is an essential thing to have. Present technology continues to evolve into being even greater and more powerful. As fast as technology has evolved, many people have to struggle to keep up. Below is a short overview showing you how fast technology and the internet have evolved in recent years.The Past: Back in the 1990s, the internet was something new that most, but not all, businesses and households had. If you were living at that time, chances are high that you remember the sound of the extremely slow dial up signal that would connect you to the internet. Technology began to take off when more people discovered value in the internet, especially when access eliminated the need for a phone line. With the advancement of webpages, most people had either a Tripod or Geocities webpage.It was during this time, blogging started on the consumer level making sharing information much easier. Rather than using a floppy disc or CD-ROM, people started using either email or a USB drive to store and share large files. As more new technologies began to pop-up, they would combine to form a faster, stronger and better technology. With every new technology and internet development, people’s lives, were changed, as well as the way they work and operate.The Present: Since those early days of dial up, there are very few places you cannot find the internet. Rare are the days now that Wi-Fi internet cannot be found at the library, coffee shop or place of business. Even if you cannot find a Wi-Fi signal close enough, many people still can access the internet with their cell phone or Smartphone. Because of the anytime/anywhere internet access, most businesses have created for their customers, web applications, or apps, that will answer most common needs. Consumers can use these apps to do everything from keeping track of food portions to sending large amounts of information with just the click of a button. One difference that is most noticeable with today’s internet is its ability to be personable in a very impersonal setting, while improving the way people engage with each other online.Even though the internet is superficial, it is a form of communication that has helped to keep people closer when they may have lost contact otherwise. You can even have face to face conversations via video/web conferencing, which bridges the geographic barriers. Businesses can also communicate with customers on a more human level and without the need for long distance travel, they can communicate face to face with people even on the other side of the world. Due to all the new technologies people use to access the internet, each other and information, the future looks promising for more technological developments.The Future: With every present technology that is bound together, they are developed into other technologies that are even greater for the future use of both businesses and consumers alike. Future technology will undoubtedly be able to accomplish more, be even faster and will make work easier. Tablets, Smartphones and other smart devices will keep on evolving to work better together.These devices will be able to automatically share information and limit the need for human involvement. Rather than store everything on a single device or online, most companies and people will put their companies on the cloud. Not only will this give a huge potential to change how companies do business, it will also change the traditional way an office looks as well as the way people and businesses interact.

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The 5 Main Reasons for Choosing a Travel Agent

It is now possible to almost arrange any travel itineraries independently online. There are pros and cons to all things. Here we look at 5 reasons to consult with a travel consultant for your plans.1. The Complete PicturePrudent travellers understand that it is not simply the original tour price that determines the total price of any package. The selection of dates, locations, airlines, quality of accommodation, booking policies, available amenities and other things make up the complete package. Not all the items are fully included in all packages. Every person or group has unique needs and the good consultants listen to the individual needs and tailor a package accordingly.2. Best PriceBest prices means saving money, but it is more about value. The right flights, times, accommodation, cruised etc. are important to travellers. Good travel consultants create a package based on individual needs rather than what might be advertised as “the best price”. Sometimes “best price” and individual travel needs meet creating the best value travel option.3. Save Time and EnergyTime is a valuable resource for all of us. Most people will say that there is not enough time for travelling. Good travel consultants aim to provide the right travel experience at the expected quality at the best price, saving time and energy for the traveller. It may be possible to save time by booking directly online, but the travel agent will find the right travel arrangements often at a better price.4. Understand the RisksWe all have a good idea about the risks in our home country. However, every country has its own risks. Travel consultants know or have access to information that will increase the chance of safe and secure travel in countries that they work with. Understand how to choose food, how to travel safely, what the weather is like and how to enjoy the sights and your travel will be much more enjoyable.5, Product KnowledgeMany travellers want to discover new things. Travel consultants have at their disposal thousands of proven travel options. Their knowledge may very well help you find a better travel experience than what is available online. (Please note: not all travel options are available online)Travel can be a risky business, getting the right package, getting there, touring in a strange land, meeting different people and trying new foods. Your travel agent is there to help you enjoy the best of what there is to offer and help to keep you safe.

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