Emerge cofounder Manny Medina with CEO Melissa Medina at the 2024 eMerge Americas conference in Miami Beach.
eMerge Americas
South Florida's biggest technology industry event of the year is wrapping up its second day of speakers, pitches and exhibitions today.
The 2024 eMerge Americas conference kicked off on April 18 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It marks the 10th anniversary of eMerge, which aspires to brand Miami as the technology hub of the Americas.
Here's what else you need to know on eMerge's 10th anniversary.
- eMerge Americas was co-founded by local serial entrepreneur Manny Medina in 2012 to connect technology entrepreneurs, investors, businesses and more. Medina previously founded the data services company Terremark before it was sold to Verizon Communications for $1.4 billion.
- eMerge hosted its first conference in 2014. The first even drew about 6,000 people, 400 companies and 150 speakers
- The organization is now led by Medina's daughter, Melissa Medina. After co-founding eMerge, she was named CEO last year.
- The 2024 event is the eighth live eMerge Americas conference (it was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
- eMerge has had a major impact on Florida's technology economy: At the opening remarks for the 2024 event, CEO Medina said eMerge has has helped generate more than 10,000 new jobs in the state.
- In addition, Medina said eMerge has had a $2.6 billion economic impact since its inception.
- Grammy-award winning rapper and entrepreneur Armando "Pitbull" Perez was among the keynote speakers at the first eMerge Americas conference in 2014. The Miami native returned for its 10th anniversary: He is scheduled to speak with founder Manny Medina on the main stage late Friday afternoon.
- Pitbull is far from the only celebrity to make an appearance at eMerge. In 2022, tennis icon and entrepreneur Serena Williams was among the keynote speakers. And in 2023, retired NFL superstar quarterback Tom Brady was a headliner.
- eMerge is more than one annual conference. The organization also hosts community building events, sponsors pitch competitions and releases research reports about the state of South Florida's tech economy.
- An estimated 20,000 attendees flooded the Miami Beach Convention Center for the 2024 eMerge Americas conference on April 18 and April 19.
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