Thirty years ago, there were 785 acres of swampland in the city we now know as Aventura. But visionaries, including the late Harry Soffer and son Don of Turnberry Associates, saw the potential for building a beautiful enclave that would become a destination location. They recognized the need for a not-for-profit business organization to work with the greater So. Florida community to help turn their vision into a reality, and in 1989, the Soffers along with Coscan Waterways, Mystic Point and Williams Island created the Aventura Marketing Council/Chamber of Commerce (AMC) to fill that need, and the rest is history.
The AMC recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with members singing and dancing to “Sweet Caroline”, opening the show for the 9th annual Aventura Mall / Interiors by Steven G YOUNG STARS SHOWCASE presented by Mount Sinai Medical Center and AT&T at the beautiful Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. A full house of guests laughed and applauded as AMC members, led by Ran Oz, YSS Creative Director, sang and danced to the song, while encouraging the audience to sing along—and sing along they did!
As the signature event of the AMC, each year the YOUNG STARS SHOWCASE features amazing young singers from throughout South Florida to perform while benefiting the AMC Education Foundation. The 2018 Young Stars included Angie Green, 14, singing “Never Enough”; Frida Herdan, 16, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”; Emily Taylor Kaufman, 14, “I Wanna Know What Love Is” ; Diane Li, 12, “Hotel California”; Irene Newman, 15, “Losing My Religion”; Mason Pace, 17, singing his original “Mountains and Mansions” and “ I Love Rock n’ Roll” ; Camila Pocovi, 11, “I Love You, Baby”; Aniye Strachan, 16, “Fly Me to the Moon”; Cameron Wheeler,18, “Living on a Prayer”; and Wesley Wray, 14, “I’m Still Standing”. The Mason Pace Band accompanied all the Young Stars with Mason on the guitar, Cameron Martell on bass and Alex Abbasi on drums. Ran Oz and Music Conductor Moises Herrera, who wrote original music scores for all the Young Stars, worked with the performers for months to assure a professional production. Throughout the night, the audience rose time and again to give standing ovations to the singers who were providing such incredible entertainment. Special effects were provided by LIGHTF/X PRO’S and videotaping was done by CircoMassimo Entertainment and photography by Andrew Goldstein Photography. The Grand Finale featured Ran Oz and the Young Stars in a great impromptu jam session, followed by the Dessert Reception in the lobby with sweet treats from Bonefish Grill; Edible Arrangements; Genuine Pizza; Mo’s Bagels & Deli; Nothing Bundt Cakes; Vi at Aventura and Zuuk Mediterranean Kitchen and My Ceviche.
Gary Pyott, Association 1st, Chairman of the AMC, asked the audience to go through the souvenir program book, printed by DS Xpress, to see who the sponsors were that made that magical evening possible. Co-Title sponsors were the Aventura Mall and Interiors by Steven G; Presenting Sponsors were Mount Sinai Medical Center and AT&T; Silver Sponsors were Acqualina Resort & Spa; Hon. Billy and Sandra Joel; Jay and Cindy Joel; Miami Dade Comm. Sally Heyman and Gulfstream Park. Full-page sponsors were: City of Aventura; Aventura Arts & Cultural Center; Aventura News; Aventura Mayor Enid and Steve Weisman; Aventura Comm. Bob Shelley ; Aventura Comm. Denise Landman; Cliff and Lauren Schulman; Hon. Bob and Arlene Diamond; Ronald L. Book, P. A.; Toyota of North Miami VIP Sales; Memorial Healthcare System; FPL; Florence and Arthur Barr; VI at Aventura; HealthGAINS; AC Miami Aventura/Aloft Miami Aventura Hotels; Ken Bernstein; Warren Henry Auto Group; PrimeTime BUSINESS NETWORK; Sunny Isles Beach Tourism and Marketing Council; Dental Care Group; Marquis Bank; Waste Management; Park One; Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center; Stu and Micki Gilbert; Services and Elaine and Howard Adler.
For more information, call the Aventura Marketing Council/Chamber of Commerce 305.932.5334 or visit aventuramarketingcouncil.com
