Heightened participation from yet-to-be-built hotels at Tourism Linkages speed networking

THE TOURISM Linkages Network (TLN) has said that its speed networking session that took place recently at the Montego Bay Convention Centre was characterised by heightened participation from larger hotels, as well as some others that are yet to start construction in Jamaica.

“We have hotels here that have not even broken ground yet, and they are here looking for business. One hotelier’s remark was, ‘Look, you have saved me 40 per cent by simply being here. I don’t have to go looking for people. I have everybody here under one roof’,” director of the TLN, Carolyn McDonald Riley, told Hospitality Jamaica.

Pointing out the amount of commerce TLN had generated since 2016, she said that that year, over $181 million worth of business was generated from the networking event, which moved up to over $200 million for 2018.

She said that in 2019, that figure increased to a whopping $250 million worth of business. “This year, we are on a roll, and at least one individual has got a $30-million contract with a new hotel,” she revealed.

According to McDonald-Riley, the thrust of this year’s event was also geared towards promoting access to information technology service companies, as well as promoting the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation, which will be able to train workers to ensure that there is a cadre of staff before new properties open for business.

Some farmers who were in attendance expressed satisfaction with the inroads they made in terms of striking deals with some hoteliers during the event.

Lexon Bennett, sales representative of Vegetopia, the marketing arm of Manchesterbased Adams Valley Farm, said there was tremendous interest from members of the hospitality sector, particularly in the strawberries it cultivates but also in vegetables such as bell peppers, romaine lettuce and exotic herbs grown within its 80,000-square-foot greenhouse space.

He said the event provided an excellent opportunity to fulfil the company’s market-security strategy through direct selling as opposed to going through middlemen “as sometimes sales are not consistent”.

He noted that there was a lot of potential and that his company was looking forward to doing great business. “The feedback we got is that they (hotels) are lacking in top-quality products, consistency and volume,” he explained.

Director of sales and marketing for Broughton Foods, Pamela Lyle, who

Hospitality Jamaica also spoke with, said there were overwhelmingly positive responses to her agro-processed sweet-potato French fries and pudding mix, which, along with her colleagues, she sought to promote.

Lyle said she had the opportunity to meet with direct buyers from hotel chains across the island and was able to showcase samples of their products.

“We have some requests for samples and for potential deliveries. Not only did we have the opportunity to meet with potential buyers; we also met some other local businesses from the island that have some great products and services that we may also take advantage of. So not only is it a great opportunity for us to promote our products; we were able to network with some other small-business owners that have authentic Jamaican products as well,” she added.