Roughly 300 business and institutional leaders are set to descend on the InterContinental at Doral Miami Thursday for a summit built around one question: how does Miami-Dade keep moving cargo, people and money through its ports and runways at record pace. The Doral Economic Summit: Moving Miami-Dade runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 1 and will fold in a briefing on the upcoming G20 summit, with federal security and diplomatic officials expected to weigh in.
The City of Doral is hosting the event at the InterContinental, located at 2505 NW 87th Ave., according to Miami's Community Newspapers. Mayor Christi Fraga will host the gathering and deliver opening remarks, and the program is designed to center on trade, logistics and economic growth across the region, per the outlet's reporting.
Perspectives from Miami International Airport, PortMiami and World Trade Center Miami are on the agenda, the report notes, alongside a session called From Gateway to Market scheduled for 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. An executive panel will bring together representatives from Avianca Cargo, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Related Commercial and Sterling Transportation, according to the same account.
Fraga to Lead G20 Preparedness Session
At 1:05 p.m., Mayor Fraga is set to lead a Road to G20 Conversation running through 1:35 p.m., with representatives from the U.S. Department of State and the United States Secret Service expected to take part, the report states. That portion of the program will address preparations and information relevant to businesses and residents ahead of the upcoming G20 summit, per the same account.
The timing lines up with priorities Fraga has laid out publicly this year. In a piece published in May, she wrote that Miami-Dade is competing globally rather than just with neighboring counties, and that Doral is helping lead that conversation, according to Miami's Community Newspapers. She also identified infrastructure and mobility, affordability, economic opportunity, public safety and the region's long-term future as the issues that matter most to residents, per the same report.
Cargo and Passenger Numbers Set the Backdrop
The summit arrives as regional trade and travel figures keep climbing. Miami International Airport's cargo shipments jumped 13.6% to nearly 3.5 million tons in 2025, marking six consecutive years of record growth, according to Miami International Airport News. The airport also handled 55.3 million travelers last year, the same source reports.
Trade flowing through the Miami Customs District totaled $137 billion in 2023, representing more than two-thirds of Florida's two-way trade, according to the Miami-Dade Beacon Council's trade and logistics data. PortMiami generated an annual economic impact of $61.4 billion, equal to about 4% of Florida's GDP, and the county's warehousing capacity stands at 277 million square feet, the Beacon Council reports. Separately, MIA and PortMiami together generated $242.8 billion in economic impact and supported nearly 1.2 million jobs, according to WLRN.
Figures on MIA's business revenue diverge depending on the source: the airport's own reporting cites $212 billion in business revenue, while WLRN's account of the airport's 2024 economic-impact study puts the figure at $181.4 billion in business revenue and 800,000 jobs supported. Capital investment estimates also differ, with MIA describing a $14 billion investment in capital improvements and maintenance, while WLRN describes a $9 billion modernization project meant to prepare the airport to handle up to 77 million passengers and 5 million tons of freight annually.
A Smaller Gathering Than Miami's Port Luncheon
PortMiami has handled more than 1 million TEUs for seven consecutive years, per the Beacon Council, and cargo volume at MIA rose 13% in the first half of 2025 alone, marking a fifth straight record-breaking stretch for freight, according to WLRN. World Trade Center Miami chair Gary Goldfarb told the outlet that shifting trade groups, evolving technologies and changing global dynamics are raising the stakes for gatherings like these: “Trade groups are shifting, technologies are evolving, and global dynamics are constantly changing,” he said.
Doral's Thursday summit will be considerably smaller than the annual State of the Ports luncheon that World Trade Center Miami hosts, which drew more than 500 business, civic and government leaders, according to WLRN's reporting. With roughly 300 attendees expected, Doral's event is positioned less as a marquee industry showcase and more as a working session tying local officials into the broader regional trade conversation.
Parking will be available in the venue's parking lot, according to Miami's Community Newspapers. Media interested in coordinating coverage or interview requests are asked to contact Maggie Forster in advance at 305-409-9762 or [email protected], though interview availability remains subject to confirmation, per the same report.
