Creative Class

Richard delivered the keynote to an enthusiastic audience at the final day of the Festival of City - Enterprise in Maniago. Afterward, we enjoyed the local flavor at a restaurant made famous by a visit by Bill Clinton. Il Rifugio is surrounded by a natural park in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Our dinner guests included well-known sport clothing manufacturer, Lotto - Andrea Tomat and President of Confindustria Veneto Region, Professor Alberto Felice De Toni, and Filiberto Zovico, Director of Festival delle Città Impresa.

Beautiful mountains of Friuli Venezia, enroute to Maniago

Richard accepting a gift from event organizers

Rana Florida, Richard Florida, Filberto Zovico

Richard and Rana Florida enjoying dinner with event organizers at a mountain side restaurant in Friuli Venezia

Richard and Rana departing by water taxi to the Marco Polo International Airport

Richard Florida will discuss economic competitiveness, demographic trends, and cultural innovation at the Global City Forum in Abu Dhabi on April 7. Over 1,000 urban decision-makers from 250 cities will be gathered at this event.

Global City is the only international forum where public and private leaders exchange best practices and share sustainable urban strategies. This unique networking platform dedicated to mayors, urban planners, decision-makers and leaders, will be held in Abu Dhabi in April 2009 - for the first time in the Middle East.

What do you consider the greatest challenges of globalization and sustainability that face your city?

Rana and Richard Florida and event organizers, Reed Exhibitions

Global City, Abu Dhabi - Emrites Palace

Richard's representative from Abu Dhabi

Richard giving the morning keynote

Mr. Eid AlMazroi advisor to the chairman of the Department of Planning and Economy, Rana & Richard Florida

Richard gave the keynote address yesterday at the Festival delle Citta Impresa (A Festival of the City - Enterprise) in Schio, Italy (just outside Venice).  The Festival, organized by Nordesteuropa Editore, took place in an architecturally and culturally creative textile prototyping factory.  The event spurred vibrant discussions about the future challenges of the economy, politics and society, creativity and research.

Meet Richard and Rana Florida at their Toronto home in this House & Home video tour. See even more in the April 2009 issue of the magazine.

We just returned from Moscow where Richard was the keynote speaker at the Federal Agency on Youth Affairs, Government of The Russian Federation alongside other notables including Virgin’s Richard Branson, Apple guru Guy Kawaski, and best-selling author John Naisbitt. The conference focus was the role of innovation among the country’s youth, with audience members ranging in age from 14-25 years old. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the famed Cafe Pushkin and Kawaski was lucky enjoy to get his shoes shined by Branson. What do you think of Moscow’s Creative Class?

Richard and Rana at dinner at Cafe Pushkin with Naisbitt, Kawasaki and our hosts

Opening Keynote by Richard

Rana and Richard with conference organizer, Mikhail

Is consumerism a possible forecast of an election? There’s a new store at Reagan National Airport, aptly titled, ‘America’ in Terminal B. While waiting for my flight last week, I popped in to check out the array of fun election gadgets. While cashing out with a few Obama bobble heads and a tin of Bush administration ‘indictmint’ mints, Richard asked the cashier which candidate was selling more products. She eagerly reported that Obama was way ahead in sales, outpacing McCain and Palin by double. Here’s a small shop titled America in one the busiest airports in the nation’s capital which already swings democratic but hosts tourists from all over the country. What do you think? Are people voting with their dollar?

Rana Florida and Barack Obama

Rana Florida and Hockey Mom

Sarah Palin, Rana Florida, & the Mav