My niece Nicole is proof that Florida Trend’s readers are getting younger. At age 11, she is an avid Florida Trend reader, and she doesn’t even live in the state. I am told that each month when the new issue arrives she is the first one to grab it and read all about what is happening in Florida. Nothing makes me more proud. I have been trying for years to recruit her family, who live just outside Milwaukee, to leave the cold and join us in the Sunshine State. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to convince them. Either way, I believe we have a future Floridian in Nicole.

On a more serious note, we here at Florida Trend are always looking at ways to better engage with our readers. Even with all the challenges over the past year, the staff here has never settled for the status quo. We are constantly having discussions about how best to keep our products pertinent for our readers.

This past year alone, we added new regional economic profiles and an editorial feature called NextGen, which looks at interesting and innovative young pioneers at Florida businesses. And we launched a weekly video newscast, Business Beat, a 2-minute roundup of the week’s most important business headlines and exclusive Florida Trend content.

Our audience development department worked especially hard to continue ensuring that Florida Trendwas delivered to all subscribers, even as many of you shifted to remote work. The department was actually able to increase our readership.

FLORIDA TREND was recently honored with five regional awards and three national awards for outstanding journalism by the American Society of Business Publication Editors. The competition for the Azbee awards is highly competitive. I’m very proud of our editorial and web teams!

Our Economic Backbone feature starting on page 14 focuses on the state’s cyber-security efforts. Read about the latest training programs designed to fill the urgent need for cyber-security employees and what’s being done to keep our information and devices safe.

Our special law feature looks at managing partners at some of the state’s biggest firms and what they are doing to lead, direct and grow their firms (page 68). And speaking of law firms, this issue also includes our annual Florida Legal Elite feature (starting on page 79). Now in its 18th year, Florida Legal Elite identifies the state’s top attorneys as selected by their peers. It’s always fun to see who made the cut. Fewer than 2% of all attorneys in the state did.

We wish you much success as we begin transitioning into a more normal business environment. 

— David Denor, Publisher
[ddenor@floridatrend.com]

 

Read more in Florida Trend's June issue.
Select from the following options: