Art Basel Event Preps Going Strong

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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - If you take a stroll down NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood you will quickly feel a buzz in the air, as caterers, artistsm and event organizers rush to put final touches on event setups this Art Basel week.

Javi Zayas told CBS4's Natalia Zea he's been preparing for his Basel House event in Wynwood for six months.

"The last five days has been pretty hectic, three or four hours of sleep, the constant phone calls, radio calls, it's fun though."

He's not alone. All across South Florida organizers are putting finishing touches on event setups and businesses are already gearing up for an economic boom.

The world's premier modern and contemporary art shows officially runs from December 4th through the 7th, but hotels, restaurants and other businesses are already reaping Basel benefits.

CLICK HERE to watch Natalia Zea's report

"We are every excited, they are having a lot of drivers out this weekend," said Tony Manning.

Manning's job is to transport people from one destination to another in a decked out, extended golf cart like vehicle.

"Most weekends are good for us, but this should be quite the week," he added.

Hotels are also cashing in, most already at capacity.

"It's critical all the hotels figure out how to integrate with the artist community and drive this consumer to their property this time of year," said Josh Oberhausen, spokesperson for The National Hotel on Miami Beach.

"People are coming looking for the arts, so they go to dinner or buy art or drink coffee or they drink beer," said Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce C.E.O and President G. Eric Knowles.

Miguel Aguilar, the Executive Chef for Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, said he expects to serve 21,000 dishes during this year's Art Basel.

"It means a lot of hours a lot of dishes and hopefully a lot of satisfied customers."

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