Bartlett lauds positive impact of Reggae Sumfest on Destination Jamaica
RED STRIPE presents Reggae Sumfest on July 16-22 and will mark 25 years of stellar Jamaican entertainment in Montego Bay when the event opens. Having contributed significantly to the brand affinity and the economy, Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, has lauded the festival organisers, charging them to stage another phenomenal event.
Speaking at the Montego Bay launch of the week-long festival on Thursday, May 18, at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach & Spa Hotel, Bartlett said that market research shows that the three words associated with Destination Jamaica are food, music and love. He outlined that the festival encapsulated these attributes and lauded its continued economic contribution.
“Reggae Sumfest has been great for Jamaica over the years; it has brought thousands of visitors to this country; millions of dollars into the economy of Montego Bay and Jamaica; and this year we are expecting you to do greater exploits. I expect that the results of this year will be phenomenal,” he said.
Josef Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Entertainment, organisers of Reggae Sumfest, reiterated his company’s commitment to expanding the reach of Jamaican music globally. In his presentation, he acknowledged the value of the event and promised an outstanding festival of which all Jamaicans can be proud.
EXCEPTIONAL EVENT
“We moved the festival to one week to extend the access to the culture for visitors and encourage Jamaicans to vacation at home. We are advanced in our plans and are aiming for an exceptional event for the 25th staging,” Bogdanovich revealed.
Last year, capitalising on the global affinity for the Reggae Sumfest brand, the 2016 Hi-Definition Broadcast and 360 live streams showcased the festival free for over 500,000 live individual views. A further two million-plus views on YouTube one week after the festival signalled increased global demand for the event. Following the 2016 festival, there are some 90,000 videos taken from the Live Stream being actively watched on YouTube.
Bartlett acknowledged the robust social media engagement reported by the organisers of 50 million impressions on social media currently and made a demand of his own.
“Reggae Sumfest 25 is going to take off to a new dimension. Joe told me that he is looking at 50 million impressions already and I said to him if you have that many impressions in the social media, I only want one million visitors to Jamaica. My business is about heads to beds, more feet on the street, and to convert the lookers into bookers,” Bartlett proclaimed.
Reggae Sumfest begins on Sunday, July 16, with the Beach Party. The staple All-White Party at Pier One happens on Tuesday, July 18. Sumfest Blitz is on Wednesday, July 19, and the exciting Sumfest Heavyweight Clash takes place on Thursday, July 20 at Pier-One. The festival climaxes at the historic Catherine Hall on Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, with live music, featuring Mavado, Tory Lanez, Queen Ifrica, Jah Cure, Sizzla and Christopher Martin, among many others.
Early-bird tickets and travel packages are on sale exclusively on www.eventbrite.com. Patrons can look forward to more updates on the line-up and events for Reggae Sumfest 2017.