Participants to showcase products at Christmas in July
SEVERAL NEW participants will showcase their locally made gifts and souvenir items at this year’s staging of the Christmas in July trade show.
Christmas in July will be streamed live on Instagram and Facebook @tefjamaica and on the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) YouTube channel on July 22, beginning at 2 p.m.
The event, being hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the TEF, aims to provide a gifting solution to the tourism industry and, by extension, corporate Jamaica and retail consumers.
Director of the Tourism Linkages Network, Carolyn McDonald Riley, said a total of 250 applications were received, of which 146 participants were selected.
“The repeat applicants this year are 107, a little less than half, so it is telling you that we have a significant number of new persons coming in,” said McDonald Riley.
She noted that durability of the product, labelling, packaging and accessories, pricing, functionality, product relevance, cultural connection, existing market outlets and product spectrum were among the criteria for selection.
McDonald Riley further indicated that although the categories of products that will be on display remain the same as previous years, “this year, we have a lot more people in the aromatherapy component”.
Other categories include fashion and accessories, art and craft, processed foods, and souvenirs such as desktop solutions.
“Christmas in July is a launching pad for these persons to show their products, but you will see them popping up at other places, because the gift shops, pharmacies and corporate buyers are here looking at them (products) to place them in different spaces ,” said McDonald Riley.
She also encouraged those who were not selected for this year’s show to make t he necessary tweaks and reapply next year.