Carib fun — & biz
Yes, there’ll be plenty of fun and sun hyped during Caribbean Week in New York, but when the Caribbean Tourism Organization gets underway Monday, delegates, diplomats, tourism trade representatives and others will also be getting down to some serious business.
Thursday’s Investment Power Forum on the Caribbean, honoring internationally-renowned Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and featuring the chief executive of Branson’s Caribbean-based Branson Center of Entrepreneurship, an economic development initiative, is a perfect example of the key networking events tailored for decision makers in the tourism, travel and investment fields.
“It is a great to be honored in this way,” said Branson, who is being recognized for his center in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “The first year’s intake at the center has only reinforced my views and it’s great to see the wide variety of businesses we have; everything from cake-making to coral reef protection. Our aim is to help create hundreds of jobs across the Caribbean,” he said.
Organized by Hard Beat Communications in conjunction with CTO, the Investment Power Forum at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel will focus on investment opportunities. The forum features CTO chairman Ricky Skerritt, who is also minister of Tourism and International Transport for St. Kitts and Nevis; Lisa Lake of the Branson Center; Jay Yeo, president and co-founder of Solamon Energy Corp., a renewable energy developer; Jonathan Blue, chairman and managing director of the Blue Equity, a private equity firm, and Jean Arnell, vice president of the French St. Martin Chamber of Commerce.
“If you are a private-equity investor, investment banker, financier, real estate developer, hotel-chain executive, lawyer, architect or entrepreneur looking to grow your money and do business in an emerging market that is on the up and up, then this is a can’t-miss event,” said Felicia Persaud, convener of Invest Caribbean Now and CEO of Hard Beat.
Other business events include Monday’s national tourist office representatives’ workshop on crisis communications and the Trade Show and Educational Seminar for Travel Agents targeting the fast-growing sports tourism market. Governments will share information with journalists at the Caribbean Media Marketplace on Thursday and the Caribbean Marketing Conference and Awards Luncheon takes place on Friday.
Caribbean Week in New York update: Jazz pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs will perform at Friday’s Rum and Rhythm affair at the exclusive Tribeca 360 night spot in Manhattan.
Visit caribbeanweekny.com for details on this and other public Caribbean Week events.
‘Happy Hour’ play
Here’s to you, Jamaica, on your 50th anniversary of independence, says Everybody’s Caribbean magazine publisher/founder Herman Hall in presenting the Grenadian play “Happy Hour,” which can be seen today in Brooklyn.
“Happy Hour” will be staged at Wingate High School campus, 600 Kingston Ave. (between Winthrop St. and Rutland Road) at 5 p.m. Hall noted the production is dedicated to Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, which are both marking golden anniversaries this year.
Tickets are $42 per person. For tickets, visit everybodysmag.com. For information, call (718) 941-1879.