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The Chamber recognizes various financial institutions that have excelled in diverse areas in their service to the business community. Annually the Latin Chamber holds a Banker's Day to highlight and honor six leading banks in: customer service, small businesses development, international trade, community involvement, corporate services, and real estate banking.

Miami Beach Hispanic American Fair

As a leading Hispanic business organization in Miami Beach since 1988, the Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce takes pride in hosting the Miami Beach Hispanic American Fair, an effective business outreach event which provides information, resources and technical assistance to small, minority and growing businesses. The Miami Beach Hispanic American Fair maximizes efforts with the participation of Florida International University "Small Business Development Center", Miami Fort Lauderdale Minority Business Development Center, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and other binational chambers of commerce, joining in the national celebration of MED WEEK (Minority Enterprise Development Week).

The Miami Beach Hispanic American Fair is a one day business and community opportunity network event, open to the public, thanks to the sponsorship of major corporations. It features free seminars on advanced aspects of business services, new technology, exhibits of business products, with expert advice on financial, marketing information and technical assistance by educational institutions and government leaders. The Hispanic American Fair has the mission of educating, informing and mentoring Hispanics, the fastest growing minority constituency in the United States, and will link on-site services for employment assistance, non-partisan, non political, voter's registration and citizenship advocacy information in an unprecedented community effort.

Hotel Industry Day

The Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce seeks to recognize outstanding hotels in Greater Miami and Miami Beach which uphold excellence in service and contribute to our community's tax base and industry sales. During Hotel Industry Day, the Chamber also recognizes with an award the "Dade County Concierge of the Year", honoring a hospitality profession which is essential to promote the "repeat guest experience" to our community. All proceeds from this event go towards the Ambassadors for Tourist Assistance program, which provides visitors rapid, professional humanitarian services essential to their health, safety and well being by offering a solution to unexpected emergencies, alleviating the stress which arises upon loss of property and/or financial resources away from home.

Annual Business and Community Recognition Awards

The Miami Beach Latin Chamber recognizes community members annually for their extraordinary efforts in promoting the economic growth and development of our community. These leaders serve as mentors and motivators not only to our youth, but to all who wish to make a difference in their community. During the Annual Recognition Awards, the Chamber recognizes leaders in areas such as journalism and communication, community leadership and entrepreneurial success.

Florida's Forgotten Coast is a largely undeveloped area surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest and park land

Cape San Blas is a hook of land approximately 20 miles long that curves gently into the Gulf of Mexico, bending back toward the mainland to form a bay. The tip of the cape is a Florida State Park, and remains pristine. The remainder of the cape is sparsely developed and offers seclusion and a peaceful atmosphere with great fishing, hiking, birdwatching, and boating. Cape San Blas is remarkable for its near total lack of history. Native Americans dwelt here before the arrival of the Spanish colonials, but Cape San Blas has been remarkable over the years only for the inability of the government to sustain a working lighthouse in the area.

The first Cape San Blas lighthouse was built on the mainland in 1838, but was replaced by a lighthouse on the cape itself in1847. That light blew down in a hurricane in 1851, and was rebuilt in 1856, when it was again destroyed within a few months. Its replacement was put out by Confederate troops 1861, and was burned during the war. The 1865 replacement light fell over in 1882, and a fifth (iron) tower was erected in 1895, then moved inland in 1919 where it remains today. Today Cape San Blas is making history as one of the best areas in the country to be when you just want to "get away from it all."

Apalachicola is what Key West used to be, before it became "Key West." Apalachicola features the quaint charm of a Southern port town, which was, in the 1840s, a thriving gateway to Europe and the West Indies. The remnants of Apalachicola's past glory are still very visible today. Apalachicola, Florida, before the advent of railroads, was the second largest port in the state, shipping cotton to the textile mills of Europe and New England. According to Florida History Archives, the name is probably from the Hitchiti Indian words apalahchi, meaning on the other side and okli meaning people. Combined, the words would likely mean "those people residing on the other side or shore," and may have referred to other Native peoples living in present day Eastpoint or on St. George Island.

During the Civil War, Northern units blockaded the area, and it was here that Dr. John Gorrie invented modern refrigeration. Modern day Apalachicola is a genuine fishing village, artists' retreat, and county seat all rolled into one. Some say it reminds them of Key West forty years ago. Apalachicola and environs is one of the most ecologically diverse areas of North America. According to biological census takers, the area has more than a thousand different plant species, more than three hundred species of birds, close to 200 varieties of saltwater and freshwater fish, and almost 60 species of mammals live in the area. The largest diversity in amphibious and reptile life north of Mexico has been reported to be in the Apalachicola Bay basin area.

Many of the residents of Apalachicola work the water for a living, harvesting oysters, shrimp, and fish. Apalachicola offers the best marina facilities in the area, and has a good sized airport for general aviation. You will enjoy visiting Aplalachicola while staying in the area. Downtown is full of museums and shops, and other interesting places to see.

George Island is a barrier island with a bridge and causway system spanning four miles and connecting to the mainland at U.S. Highway 98, six miles east of Apalachicola. St. George is a medium-sized island - not as small as an atoll in the South Pacific, nor as large as the islands of Hawaii. It measures 28 miles in length and its width varies from one-quarter mile to just over a mile at its widest part. At some points you can stand atop a dune and see both the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

With low building densities and strict zoning, St. George Island has remained a jewel among jewels. Families love the relaxed, away from it all atmosphere of St. George. Here fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, bicycling, and other outdoor activities are more than enough to keep the kids busy while Mom and Dad relax. Vacation homes are available both on the Gulf and on the bay, many have docks where you can park for the night.Visiting the island, one discovers a variety of housing and topography.

Although the greatest percentage of land based wildlife habitat is found on the mainland, St. George Island is home to many species of birds and sea life abounds. The eastern eleven miles of St. George Island is dedicated as the Dr. Julian Bruce State Park, and here you will find St. George Island just as it has existed for thousands of years. St. George Island is a perennial top ten finisher in the annual listing of America's best beaches. Come discover why.

Mexico Beach and St. Joe Beach close the westerly end of the Forgotten Coast; just 19 miles East of Panama City on Highway 98, they offer relative seclusion coupled with easy access to shopping and commercial airports. Come see what the "real Florida" has to offer! Gulf County was established in 1925 from a portion of Calhoun County and named for the Gulf of Mexico. Port St. Joe (first called St. Joseph) was one of the first towns established on the Gulf and was the terminus of the Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal Railroad, one of the first three steam-engine railroads built in the U.S. In 1838 the first state constitutional convention was held in St. Joseph near present-day Port St. Joe.

It seems like there is always something to do in Carrabelle. The Carrabelle Waterfront Festival, held the third Saturday in April each year, is rapidly becoming one of the "must do" events along Florida's Forgotten Coast. With its art show, a Seafood Gumbo Cookoff, games, crafts, and musical performers, the Festival has something for everyone.

Carrabelle is also the home of the Yamaha Marine Big Bend Saltwater Classic, the largest non-profit saltwater fishing tournament in the Panhandle of Florida, which raises money for The Florida Wildlife Federation, the Organization for Artificial Reefs, and the Dick Howser Center for Cerebral Palsy. Numerous other fishing tournaments and events round out the calendar, culminating in December with the Parade of Lights where local boaters deck out their craft with lights and join the procession down the Carrabelle River.

Sun worshipers will find Carrabelle Beach a wonderful spot to set up shop for the afternoon. With its covered picnic tables, parking, and rest facilities, you'll find Carrabelle Beach one of the most enjoyable ways to spend the day at the beach. Or you can take the ferry service and spend a day away on nearby Dog Island exploring the natural beauty and looking for seashells or fishing the surf.

Fishing is one of the most enjoyable and varied activities to be found in the area. Whether you are deep sea fishing on a charter boat, trying your luck in the local bays, rivers or lakes, or just dropping a line into the surf, you will find a plentiful and varied catch. You can be floundering in the morning, going after Spanish Mackerel at lunchtime, and bass fishing in the afternoon; all within a ten mile radius!

The Carrabelle area, and all along Florida's Forgotten Coast, are rapidly becoming a birding destination. Bird watchers from all over the world make their way to the Carrabelle area for the incredible variety of birds that either make the Forgotten Coast their permanent home, or pass through during migration. It is said that the majority of bird species in North America, from eagles to terns, can be found in our area. In October, however, the birds take a back seat as hundreds of thousands of beautiful Monarch butterflies arrive in the area on their way to winter in Mexico.

The best thing about Carrabelle though, according to some folks, is the ability to do not much of anything, to sit back and relax and enjoy a slower pace of life that is hard to find in other places these days.

Florida's Forgotten Coast is a fishing and boating paradise. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are only the beginning. We enjoy a chain of barrier islands, several of which are uninhabited parklands, created by the convergence of the Gulf with no fewer than five major rivers. The resulting mix of bays, wetlands, riverways, and ocean provides one of the most varied environments an avid boater could ask for.

Numerous charter fishing, boat rental, and guide services are available for hire, so you don't need to own a boat to enjoy our varied and beautiful waters. In addition to Jubilee, shown here, The Governor Stone, and a fleet of charter fishing vessels regularly depart from Apalachicola, Carrabelle, Port St. Joe, and just about anyplace there is a dock and some water.